Thy Confidence Shall Wax Strong

In the most recent general conference, Elder Soares said, “Reflecting on my awe-inspiring experience at the dedication of the Feather River California Temple last October, I wondered if sometimes we get lost in the excitement of having new temples in our cities and communities and neglect the holier purpose of the sacred covenants made in the temple.” As we marvel at the beauty and grandeur of the buildings, we should not forget the more important power of the covenants that we make there. Elder Soares suggested that through our adherence to the covenants of the temple “we receive the power to change our hearts, renew our spirits, and deepen our relationship with Him. we receive the power to change our hearts, renew our spirits, and deepen our relationship with Him.” He continued, “Such an endeavor brings sanctification to our souls and forms a sacred bond with God and Jesus Christ, who promise that we can inherit the gift of eternal life. The result of this sacred journey is that we obtain a holier and higher confidence for our day-to-day lives within our covenants made through Jesus Christ.” Thus, one of the purposes of the temple experience is to help us develop more confidence in the Savior and His plan for us, enabling us to better face the challenges of life. Elder Soares summarized, “Dear brothers and sisters, those who gain genuine confidence in the covenants made in the house of the Lord through Jesus Christ possess one of the most powerful forces that we can access in this life.” The confidence is not in ourselves but in the power of the Lord to help and bless and strengthen us. John summarized it this way: “And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him. For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God” (1 John 3:19-21). We gain confidence toward God in the temple because our hearts are set right before Him through those covenants that we make.

                One of my favorite invitations and promises in the Doctrine and Covenants is this one given in Liberty Jail: “Let thy bowels also be full of charity towards all men, and to the household of faith, and let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God; and the doctrine of the priesthood shall distil upon thy soul as the dews from heaven” (v45). While this isn’t exclusive to temples, I believe this has particular applicability to what we do in the temple: there we strive to be filled with God’s love and purify our thoughts and desires, developing confidence in the presence of God (in His house). The doctrine of the priesthood—the mysteries of the kingdom of God—distill upon us through the teachings and Spirit of the Lord found in His house. Perhaps the Lord here was referencing the words of Moses to the children of Israel: “Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth. My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass: Because I will publish the name of the Lord: ascribe ye greatness unto our God” (Deuteronomy 32:1-3). To distill to me implies something that comes gradually; the dew doesn’t come quickly with large quantities of water, but it does come throughout the night so that in the morning the water on the grass is visible and real. So too as we worship in the house of the Lord, in my experience His Spirit usually comes upon us gradually until when we leave, we realize that indeed we have been given more confidence and strength to face the difficulties of life through our covenants there. The spiritual “dew” of His house has been distilled upon us. I remember one time in particular as I was facing important decisions in my life, in the temple I felt very specifically confidence given to me to move forward in a particular direction in a way I was very much not expecting. It was indeed “distilled” upon me such that I could not forget it and still think about it today many years later. I am grateful that we have such a place that we can go to and feel the strengthening hand of the Lord no matter what our struggles. Elder Soares left us this invitation: “The ongoing and accelerating building of temples will continue to excite, inspire, and bless us. Yet more important, as we change our preparation to enter the temple, we will change our experience in the temple, which will transform our lives outside of the temple. May this transformation fill us with confidence in our holy covenants made with God through Jesus Christ.”