Removing the Debris

In his welcome message in the recent general conference President Nelson said this: “The huge project to renovate the Salt Lake Temple continues. From my office I have a front-row seat to watch the work taking place on the temple plaza. As I have watched workers dig out old tree roots, plumbing, wiring, and a leaky fountain, I have thought about the need for each of us to remove, with the Savior’s help, the old debris in our lives…. As we listen to the messages that have been carefully prepared by our leaders under the direction of the Holy Ghost, I invite you to pray to identify the debris you should remove from your life so you can become more worthy.” I think it is fitting that he made this comment about becoming more worthy and removing debris from our lives in the context of the temple. As many of us prepare to return to the temple again as they start to reopen, surely we should be working to be spiritually prepared to be in the Lord’s house once more. As President Nelson invited, we should seek through repentance and change to get rid of habits or language or distractions that are keeping us from drawing closer to the Lord. Just as they are cleaning out around the Salt Lake Temple to strengthen and remodel it, so we too can work to clean up our own lives to prepare to be in and strengthened by the temple. The Lord gave this instruction about an administrative building that surely applies to participation in the ordinances of His house: “And ye shall not suffer any unclean thing to come in unto it; and my glory shall be there, and my presence shall be there” (Doctrine and Covenants 94:8). We must seek to be pure to be ready to enjoy the glory of His house.

               As I think about what debris needs removing in my own life, I am reminded of some of Alma’s questions to the people of Zarahemla. He asked them, “Behold, are ye stripped of pride? I say unto you, if ye are not ye are not prepared to meet God…. Behold, I say, is there one among you who is not stripped of envy? I say unto you that such an one is not prepared; and I would that he should prepare quickly…. And again I say unto you, is there one among you that doth make a mock of his brother, or that heapeth upon him persecutions? Wo unto such an one, for he is not prepared” (Alma 5:28-31). These three questions I believe relate to the three cardinal Christian virtues: faith, hope, and charity. To have pride is to have trust in one’s self; to have faith is to trust in Jesus Christ. To envy is to selfishly seek after that which is not yours and can’t be had; to hope is to trust in the Lord’s promises that all His blessings will be had in due time. To mock one’s brother is the opposite of showing love and charity. Alma’s message to his people is that spiritual preparation involves getting rid of pride, envy, and hatred, and—as he would tell the people of Gideon soon after—he instead encouraged us in these words: “And see that ye have faith, hope, and charity, and then ye will always abound in good works” (Alma 7:24). Surely all of us have pride, jealousy, and feelings of dislike or animosity that we need cleaned out of our souls to prepare us to feel the presence of the Lord. His words to some of the elders of the church in 1831 likely apply to His saints today: “Ye are not able to abide the presence of God now, neither the ministering of angels; wherefore, continue in patience until ye are perfected” (Doctrine and Covenants 67:13). I love President Nelson’s encouragement to continue in the path of the gospel to become perfected as the Lord commanded: “The gospel of Jesus Christ is a gospel of repentance. Because of the Savior’s Atonement, His gospel provides an invitation to keep changing, growing, and becoming more pure. It is a gospel of hope, of healing, and of progress. Thus, the gospel is a message of joy! Our spirits rejoice with every small step forward we take.” We can all take one small step forward in our individual lives to remove some of our spiritual debris and feel the joy of becoming more like Jesus Christ.