Arms of Safety

This entry is part of my general conference application series.
Priesthood Session

Arms of Safety, by Elder Jay E. Jensen
Of the Presidency of the Seventy


I took a drafting course as an undergraduate at BYU where we formed groups and worked on a final CAD design project for much of the semester. While other groups worked on hotels, recreation centers, casinos (at BYU?), etc., we chose to recreate the Kirtland Temple. We enjoyed reviewing the history of the first temple of this dispensation while we made two- and three-dimensional representations.

As part of our presentation, in addition to showing items of architectural interest, we discussed visions and revelations, and showed where they occurred in our 3D rendered images. These included the vision of the Celestial Kingdom shown to Joseph Smith where he saw prophets of old and his elder brother Alvin (see D&C 137), the visits of Moses, Elias, and Elijah who each restored priesthood keys (see D&C 110), and, most impressive of all, the visit of the Lord Jesus Christ to accept the temple (see D&C 110).

I thought of that semester's experiences as Elder Jensen made a connection between the sacrament and these Kirtland experiences which I probably hadn't made before. He reminded that it was after having administered and partaken of the sacrament that the visits of Christ, Moses, Elias, and Elijah occurred.

As part of sacrament preparation, we do our best to become clean through repentance and mental preparation. How fitting, then, to have the Savior's words pronounced upon Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery, moments after the sacrament, a cleansing ordinance:

Behold, your sins are forgiven you; you are clean before me; therefore, lift up your heads and rejoice. (D&C 110:5)

I'm grateful for the privilege of having sins forgiven through the power of the Atonement. I'm grateful for the reminder of Christ and the covenant of the sacrament. I'm grateful for the charge to "lift up your heads and rejoice," and I hope to rejoice in Christ more now, and every week through worthily partaking of the sacrament.


Incidentally, the rejoicing aspect of sacrament reminded me of the sacrament preparation dream I had two weeks ago. Feel free to read about it here.