The mountain of the Lord
"And it shall come to pass in the last days, when the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills, and all nations shall flow unto it.
"And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths; for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem." (2 Nephi 12:2-3)
Studying these verses this morning, the Spirit enlightened me by bringing to mind an experience I had several years ago.
I have always loved the symbolism of the top of the mountains woven throughout the scriptures. It illuminates a pattern for us to follow. We see it in the early scriptures when prophets go to a high mountain (see 1 Nephi 11:1, Moses 1:1, and many others) to speak with God. In modern scriptures, prophets are referred to as watchmen. These watchmen are on a tower, which again symbolizes them in a high place (see D&C 101:43-62 and others). And, in these verses, Isaiah tells us the temple will be established in the "top of the mountains." Establishing this imagery was important so he can teach us an important truth.
Think about it; nothing flows up a mountain. Everything flows downhill away from the mountain. What I believe Isaiah is saying here is our church is unique, and it goes against what seems to be the natural course (or flowing downhill away from the mountain). The Church grows because it is the true church of Jesus Christ.
Preston had a great desire to go to the Ghana Temple prior to leaving West African to return home from his mission. So, on our trip to pick him up, we planned to drive from Lome, Togo to Accra, Ghana to attend the temple prior to leaving. This trip is only 190 km, or 118 miles, which is a shorter distance than it is from my home in Ponte Vedra to the Orlando Temple (which is 139 miles). Travel in West Africa is often tortuous because of road conditions, and this trip of 118 miles took us over 7 hours. (The two hours and I-4 to Orlando seem much more palatable following this.) This tortuous trip was exacerbated for me as I started with symptoms of Montezuma's Revenge as we waited to cross the border into Ghana. As we pulled into the parking lot late that evening, the sight of the temple bathed in lights brought such comfort following a difficult day of travel.
We had made arrangements to meet the family of one of the missionaries sharing Preston's last apartment the following morning. Standing visiting with them in the parking lot of the temple at 6:30 the following morning, what we witnessed was a grand example of this uphill flowing Isaiah describes. Van after van began pulling into the temple parking lot. Africans do not travel as Americans do, and these vans were stuffed full with people literally hanging out the windows so they would fit. The temple sessions did not begin until 8:00 a.m., and one of us commented on how amazing it was that they were arriving so early. The family we were visiting with gently reminded us of the tortuous traveling conditions when they simply stated that most of them had probably left around 3:00 a.m. in order to arrive in time to spend every minute they could in the temple that day. They would begin the long drive back home when the temple closed that evening. I can honestly say I have never left my home at 3:00 a.m. to attend the temple, nor have I sacrificed an entire Saturday to be in the temple from the time it opened until they closed the doors for the day.
We finished our visit with our new friends a little after 7:00 a.m. and returned to patron housing to get something to eat before attending the temple. We had been told when we checked in the night before there was a kitchen we could use. Walking in, the large room was full and busy. There were two full kitchens with multiple families cooking in each. We had been given a watermelon on one of our visits the day before and had purchased a couple of baguettes waiting to cross the border. This was all the food we had for breakfast. Sitting and eating our simple meal at the only table we could find, we witnessed an outpouring of love as person after person came over offering to share something from their meal with us. At 7:25 a.m. it was almost as if a bell had been rung. We watched as every person in the room, children as well as adults, stood up and began cleaning the room. The kitchens were cleaned, chairs were stacked and tables wiped off, and the floors were swept. And then at precisely 7:30 a.m., everyone filed out of the patron housing building and began to line up to enter the temple. The line wound all throughout the parking lot, waiting for them to open the doors of the temple.
Our family entered the temple at 7:40 a.m., and the baptismal font was already going. As we walked by on our way to get clothing, the person escorting us made the comment that the font would be busy all day. It took us about ten minutes to get our clothing from the matron's office and get changed. We entered the ordinance room about 7:50 a.m. and took the seats they had been holding for us. Every seat was full, chairs had been brought in and put in the aisles, and the patrons reverently prepared to be taught God's ways and how to walk in His paths.
I think we often get discouraged when the path of discipleship flows uphill instead of taking the path of least resistance downhill. The beautiful African Saints taught me the importance of flowing uphill that morning through their shining examples of discipleship. The "law" recently has come forth from Zion when President Nelson invited us to establish a pattern of regular temple attendance. "This may require a little more sacrifice in your life," a little more flowing uphill. And then He promised, "More regular time in the temple will allow the Lord to teach you how to draw upon His priesthood power with which you have been endowed in His temple" (GC, Oct 2018). This promise is the same one Isaiah has promised: "he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths."
Now, more than ever, we need following the shining example of the African saints and make the sacrifices needed to flow uphill to the temple. While he was speaking to sisters, I believe Pres. Nelson's words apply to all of us.
"And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths; for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem." (2 Nephi 12:2-3)
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| David Busath (retrieved from https://history.lds.org/media/buswell?lang=eng#1) |
Studying these verses this morning, the Spirit enlightened me by bringing to mind an experience I had several years ago.
I have always loved the symbolism of the top of the mountains woven throughout the scriptures. It illuminates a pattern for us to follow. We see it in the early scriptures when prophets go to a high mountain (see 1 Nephi 11:1, Moses 1:1, and many others) to speak with God. In modern scriptures, prophets are referred to as watchmen. These watchmen are on a tower, which again symbolizes them in a high place (see D&C 101:43-62 and others). And, in these verses, Isaiah tells us the temple will be established in the "top of the mountains." Establishing this imagery was important so he can teach us an important truth.
Think about it; nothing flows up a mountain. Everything flows downhill away from the mountain. What I believe Isaiah is saying here is our church is unique, and it goes against what seems to be the natural course (or flowing downhill away from the mountain). The Church grows because it is the true church of Jesus Christ.
Preston had a great desire to go to the Ghana Temple prior to leaving West African to return home from his mission. So, on our trip to pick him up, we planned to drive from Lome, Togo to Accra, Ghana to attend the temple prior to leaving. This trip is only 190 km, or 118 miles, which is a shorter distance than it is from my home in Ponte Vedra to the Orlando Temple (which is 139 miles). Travel in West Africa is often tortuous because of road conditions, and this trip of 118 miles took us over 7 hours. (The two hours and I-4 to Orlando seem much more palatable following this.) This tortuous trip was exacerbated for me as I started with symptoms of Montezuma's Revenge as we waited to cross the border into Ghana. As we pulled into the parking lot late that evening, the sight of the temple bathed in lights brought such comfort following a difficult day of travel.
 |
| The Ghana Temple lit up that night as we pulled in |
We had made arrangements to meet the family of one of the missionaries sharing Preston's last apartment the following morning. Standing visiting with them in the parking lot of the temple at 6:30 the following morning, what we witnessed was a grand example of this uphill flowing Isaiah describes. Van after van began pulling into the temple parking lot. Africans do not travel as Americans do, and these vans were stuffed full with people literally hanging out the windows so they would fit. The temple sessions did not begin until 8:00 a.m., and one of us commented on how amazing it was that they were arriving so early. The family we were visiting with gently reminded us of the tortuous traveling conditions when they simply stated that most of them had probably left around 3:00 a.m. in order to arrive in time to spend every minute they could in the temple that day. They would begin the long drive back home when the temple closed that evening. I can honestly say I have never left my home at 3:00 a.m. to attend the temple, nor have I sacrificed an entire Saturday to be in the temple from the time it opened until they closed the doors for the day.
 |
| With the Korentang family and Bro. Kazotti in front of the Ghana Temple that morning |
We finished our visit with our new friends a little after 7:00 a.m. and returned to patron housing to get something to eat before attending the temple. We had been told when we checked in the night before there was a kitchen we could use. Walking in, the large room was full and busy. There were two full kitchens with multiple families cooking in each. We had been given a watermelon on one of our visits the day before and had purchased a couple of baguettes waiting to cross the border. This was all the food we had for breakfast. Sitting and eating our simple meal at the only table we could find, we witnessed an outpouring of love as person after person came over offering to share something from their meal with us. At 7:25 a.m. it was almost as if a bell had been rung. We watched as every person in the room, children as well as adults, stood up and began cleaning the room. The kitchens were cleaned, chairs were stacked and tables wiped off, and the floors were swept. And then at precisely 7:30 a.m., everyone filed out of the patron housing building and began to line up to enter the temple. The line wound all throughout the parking lot, waiting for them to open the doors of the temple.
 |
| The Ghana Temple grounds - you can see the chapel building to the left with the crane from the new MTC construction behind it, and patron housing and the area offices in the two buildings to the right of the temple. |
Our family entered the temple at 7:40 a.m., and the baptismal font was already going. As we walked by on our way to get clothing, the person escorting us made the comment that the font would be busy all day. It took us about ten minutes to get our clothing from the matron's office and get changed. We entered the ordinance room about 7:50 a.m. and took the seats they had been holding for us. Every seat was full, chairs had been brought in and put in the aisles, and the patrons reverently prepared to be taught God's ways and how to walk in His paths.
I think we often get discouraged when the path of discipleship flows uphill instead of taking the path of least resistance downhill. The beautiful African Saints taught me the importance of flowing uphill that morning through their shining examples of discipleship. The "law" recently has come forth from Zion when President Nelson invited us to establish a pattern of regular temple attendance. "This may require a little more sacrifice in your life," a little more flowing uphill. And then He promised, "More regular time in the temple will allow the Lord to teach you how to draw upon His priesthood power with which you have been endowed in His temple" (GC, Oct 2018). This promise is the same one Isaiah has promised: "he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths."
Now, more than ever, we need following the shining example of the African saints and make the sacrifices needed to flow uphill to the temple. While he was speaking to sisters, I believe Pres. Nelson's words apply to all of us.
“My dear sisters, you have spiritual gifts and propensities. … I urge you, with all the hope of my heart, to pray to understand your spiritual gifts—to cultivate, use, and expand them, even more than you ever have. You will change the world as you do. ...
"My dear sisters, we need you! We need your strength, your conversion, your conviction, your ability to lead, your wisdom, and your voices” (GC, Oct 2018).
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