Surely the Lord is in This Place

Jacob had two sacred experiences as he traveled to and from Haran. On the way there, “He dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it. And, behold, the Lord stood above it, and said, I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed.” The Lord promised not to leave him, and there alone in the wilderness Jacob learned that his seed (of which he had none yet) would bless all the families of the earth. When he awoke from this dream, Jacob declared, “Surely the Lord is in this place; and I knew it not.” The account tells us that then “he called the name of that place Beth-el: but the name of that city was called Luz at the first” (Gensis 28:12-19). So Jacob changed the name of the place from Luz, which means “to turn aside, bend, or be crooked, often carrying a connotation of perversion or deviation.” The new name, Bethel, means “House of God,” and so he changed something that was crooked to be in line with God. In this first spiritual encounter, God covenanted with him and Jacob was moved to change his surroundings for the better.

               The second sacred experience happened when Jacob returned twenty years later from Haran.  He was again alone at first, but then he wrestled with some kind of messenger. Jacob sought earnestly for a blessing from this messenger, saying, “I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.” He was determined to receive a blessing from the Lord, and so he did. The messenger then said to Jacob, “What is thy name? And he said, Jacob. And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed…. And he blessed him there.” Just as in the first experience, Jacob gave a name to this place afterwards: “And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved” (Genesis 32:25-30). The name Peniel means “face of God” and in that place Jacob saw the face of the Lord. Interestingly, in this experience he not only gave a name to the place he was at but he also had his own name changed. He went from Jacob (meaning “supplanter”) to Israel (meaning “let God prevail”), symbolic perhaps of a change that took place in Him. The spiritual struggle he went through changed Jacob so that he was a new man at the end of it.

               Both of these experiences are related to our experience at the temple today. In the first, Jacob found the house of God, a place where he was given amazing promises that enabled him to go forth and make a difference in the world. Interestingly, though, he did not himself ascend to heaven (it was the angels that went up and down the ladder). He sensed that the Lord was there, but did not see him (“Surely the Lord is in this place; and I knew it not”).  But in the second experience, Jacob himself was changed forever because he found for himself the face of God and could declare, “I have seen God face to face.” Through his great struggle, Jacob confirmed the truth of this promise given to all of us: “Verily, thus saith the Lord: It shall come to pass that every soul who forsaketh his sins and cometh unto me, and calleth on my name, and obeyeth my voice, and keepeth my commandments, shall see my face and know that I am” (Doctrine and Covenants 93:1). Ultimately the most important thing that we should seek in the temple is the Lord Himself. As we strive with the same determination as Jacob—who would not accept to have the messenger leave without giving him a blessing—surely we will find the Lord in His house in due time. The Savior invited us in these powerful words, “And seek the face of the Lord always, that in patience ye may possess your souls, and ye shall have eternal life” (Doctrine and Covenants 101:38).