Brought Before the Altar of God

Elder Jeremy R. Jaggi titled his remarks in the most recent general conference as “Humble Souls at Altars Kneel.” As I was reading the talk I thought at first that the title came from this verse in the Book of Mormon that he referenced twice: “Therefore, after Alma having established the church at Sidom, seeing a great check, yea, seeing that the people were checked as to the pride of their hearts, and began to humble themselves before God, and began to assemble themselves together at their sanctuaries to worship God before the altar, watching and praying continually, that they might be delivered from Satan, and from death, and from destruction” (Alma 15:17). Apparently the Nephites had altars in their sanctuaries where they worshipped, and they did so in humility. There actually are very few references in the Book of Mormon to altars. We learn that as he traveled into the wilderness, Lehi “built an altar of stones, and made an offering unto the Lord, and gave thanks unto the Lord our God” (1 Nephi 2:7). Nephi quoted Isaiah who spoke about is vision where a seraphim purged him with a live coal “from off the altar” of God (2 Nephi 16:6). The only other reference is in this summary statement about the converted Lamanites: “And they had been teaching the word of God for the space of fourteen years among the Lamanites, having had much success in bringing many to the knowledge of the truth; yea, by the power of their words many were brought before the altar of God, to call on his name and confess their sins before him” (Alma 17:4). Mormon may have been speaking figuratively here, but based on Alma 15:17 it seems that there were actual altars where the people came to kneel and pray and confess their sins. Those may have been altars at which sacrifices were offered, but from these references it seems that they were also places of prayer. Today we too pray at the altars of temples, and we should strive to do so in humility as we personally confess our sins before Him.

               The title of Elder Jaggi’s talk, though, actually didn’t come from this verse. This exact phrase is found in one of the new hymns: Welcome Home. In the second verse we sing these words:

The temple doors invite each guest

To feel God’s presence and in Him rest.

Humble souls at altars kneel,

Make cov’nants sweet, bring hearts to heal. 

The temple is indeed a place for humble souls to physically or figuratively kneel at the altars of God. The temple, though, isn’t the only place that we have a kind of altar, for the sacrament tables we bring bread and water to each week are also kinds of altars. Elder Jaggi recounted how he visited a chaplain who administered worship services to military personnel of all faiths. When Elder Jaggi asked the chaplain what he did for Latter-day Saints, the chaplain “pointed to the large wooden altar in the middle of the sanctuary. He said that members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints prepare and bless the bread and water on the altar.” Though the sacrament table might not look exactly like the altars of the temple today, it is a place where we kneel and make an offering to the Lord of a broken heart and a contrite spirit. Perhaps our experience will be enhanced if each week we remind ourselves that the sacrament table is an altar where we symbolically make a sacrifice and where we honor the great atoning sacrifice of the Son of God. Elder Jaggi summarized, “The sacrament table and temple altars symbolize the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and His infinite Atonement.” He also gave this invitation: “‘The Son of Man has no place to lay his head,’ yet He invited His disciples, you and me, to the sacrament table to rest with Him there. When ‘humble souls at altars kneel,’ peace abounds. Our Savior’s arms are outstretched; His table is spread. Come worship the Son of God at His holy altars.”