A Day of Dedication

(used with permission from
kelibphotographytemples.blogspot.com)

On June 9th our ward participated in a Day of Dedication. We prepared as a ward for 9 months and then spent the entire day in the temple. It was very special. I did a morning endowment session, initiatories, and sealings. After a luncheon and a chapel meeting I did another endowment session. Shem and I were there from 9:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. There were only a handful of active members from our ward that didn't attend that day. Even the youth took part doing several sessions of baptisms. They were even allowed to come to the cafeteria for lunch and go upstairs to the chapel for our meeting.

I have been meaning for some time to share my feelings about that day and the things I learned preparing for it. Our ward is compiling testimonies and thoughts from that day and I just finished writing my submission. I would like to share it with you.

Note: I refer a lot below to President Walker. President Richard Walker and his wife Kathy (President Hinckley's daughter!!) recently served as the President and Matron of the Salt Lake Temple. We are so lucky to have them in our ward!

The Day of Dedication was wonderful. The day was peaceful and calm, exciting and enriching. We were surrounded by people we loved. We were completing the work for the people they loved. Dressed in white and softly treading the halls, I was filled with purpose and reverence for the great work I was taking part in. All the months of preparation had brought everyone to this day, this moment, and it was all worth it.

My preparation for the Day of Dedication included attending President Walker’s Temple Worship Sunday School Class. I attend the temple regularly, but have been frustrated by both my inability to stay awake during a session and my unanswered ponderings about the deep symbolism contained in the endowment. I hoped President Walker would inspire me to fix all that.

When President Walker announced there would be a question and answer day, I was overjoyed. Finally he would open the door and I could pass through into this great university of spiritual learning. I immediately penned my questions surrounding the symbolism in the tokens, signs, and temple clothing. I knew much of this information would be too sacred to share outside the temple; I was simply looking for some direction. Some key to unlock the mysteries hidden in the next level of enlightenment.

What I got was a key of an entirely different kind. President Walker was unable to answer my questions in class, but the direction he did give me opened the door to understanding I had not previously conceived.

His encouragement was not to focus on the physical aspects of the endowment, but rather the intensely personal direction I could receive by using a different frame of mind. He shared with the class this formula: during the endowment find a principle, ponder how it relates to the Savior, and then how that principle will bring you closer to the Savior. President Walker had shared this idea with me before, but the significance had not taken full weight. Later I recorded the following experience in my journal:

I always assumed the temple was the Lord’s University because we were supposed to learn more and more about God’s ways by studying the endowment session – the symbolism behind the words, tokens, signs, etc.

I tried applying the Walker’s formula of seeking one principle then discovering how that principle applies to Christ and then how I can use that to become more like Christ. They suggest looking for only ONE of the hundreds of principles they have discovered.

I shared my recent experience. Last Thursday Shem and I went to the Bountiful Temple. The principle that stood out to me was during the creation. I was taken by how beautiful the Earth is. This lead me to ponder – if Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ made such a beautiful world, surely all the people they created the Earth for are beautiful, too. It was confirmed in my heart that Heavenly Father finds beauty in me.

This was a lovely experience, but I expressed my frustration to President Walker that I want to learn more than one simple thing each time I go to the temple. What he said changed my whole view of the temple. He told me I was to take what I had learned and go and apply it outside the temple. If I were given 10 insights would I have time enough to work on them all?

I had missed the true learning in the temple.
It wasn’t the mysteries of God that I was to learn. It was the things I could do to draw closer to Christ. The real learning comes when I take the promptings I have received and use them as a guide for my own self improvement, long after I have left the temple grounds. The temple provides the holy sanctuary where I can be taught and lead by the Spirit.

I feel like a veil has been lifted. I’m no longer burdened by a desire to have clothing and token symbolism revealed to me, although that still interests me. Instead I’m anxious to get my next line, my next direction that will lead me closer to the Savior.

I am so grateful for my new understanding of how to learn in the temple. I now know that temple worship is not only done in the temple, but also in the personal, daily application of the direction and teaching we obtain there.

~ Tobi

P.S. The Sunday before the Day of Dedication President Walker asked me to share an insight I had regarding sacrifice. Here is a brief recap and follow-up.

As the Day of Dedication approached another lesson from President Walker impressed upon me the need to sacrifice something as part of my preparation. I didn’t feel like spending the day in the temple and having a break from my kids was much of a sacrifice (pleasure for me, sacrifice for whoever was watching them). While we were at the temple Brother Kirby enlightened me that sacrifice is giving up something of value for something of greater value. I guess being with my kids is something of value, even if it is not painful to give it up.

I decided that in order to be better prepared for our day in the temple I needed to get more sleep. As I mentioned earlier, I have trouble staying awake through an endowment session. I decided to sacrifice my late night activities and try to get to bed early. While I was not entirely successful in this attempt, I was able to get to bed early on a more regular basis.

My sacrifice was richly rewarded as I was awake and alert for the morning endowment session and other than a brief Garden Room surrender to fatigue and a full stomach I was alert and awake in the afternoon session as well.