Stand in Holy Places

To my son,

               This week in our Come, Follow Me reading one of the sections was 87 which was a prophecy about war. It was actually given on Christmas Day in 1832, and in it Joseph Smith wrote the words of the Lord prophesying the Civil War which would start in South Carolina and pit the southern states against the northern states. This would happen less than 30 years later and a terrible war ensued. The revelation also spoke of other wars that would come even up until our time. After speaking of these things, though, the Lord gave us this counsel to face these challenges: “Wherefore, stand ye in holy places, and be not moved, until the day of the Lord come; for behold, it cometh quickly, saith the Lord” (v8). I love that instruction for us to “stand in holy places.” This means that we seek to be in places that God would want us to be. Next year you will be baptized and will receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost. This means that the Holy Ghost can be with you to guide and comfort you throughout your life. But if you do not stand in holy places, if you say or do things that are not good, then the Spirit will leave. We have to stay worthy of the Lord’s Spirit, and we do that by striving to be where the Lord wants us to be. This includes Church, the temple, and our very home. Even your own room can be a holy place if you will pray and read scriptures and speak kindly to one another there.

I want you to know, though, that you can stand in holy places wherever you go if you will strive to live worthy of the Holy Ghost to be with you. The Lord made this incredible promise to His disciples: “I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up” (Doctrine and Covenants 84:88). Wherever they went they would be a holy place because the Lord would go with them. He promised even angels to be round about the missionaries that He sent. I know that the promise is the same for us today. As you seek to do what is right and do what the Savior would do, He will be with you wherever you are. I want you to know that if you seek to make good choices and remember Jesus, He will be with you to help and strengthen you no matter what trials you may face. I love this invitation from the Prophet Joseph: “Therefore, dearly beloved brethren, let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed” (Doctrine and Covenants 123:17). Once we do all things that we can to follow Him, He promises us to be with us always. I know that you have a desire to do what is right and keep the Lord’s commandments, and as you do you will be stand in holy places and see His great blessings come upon you.  

Love,

Dad