Applying the Doctrine and Covenants to Your Life
Holiness: How We Can Protect Ourselves from the Storms of This World
Increased holiness can help us stay connected to Jesus Christ in this unholy world.
We had the chance to serve as mission leaders in Chile 10 years ago. Recently, one of our missionaries visited us while traveling through Utah with his family. We were excited to see him again and to meet his family. When we sat down together, we began to recount our memories of lessons learned and blessings bestowed over the two years we served together.
As the visit neared its end, we spoke of one of the greatest lessons we learned: the need to “stand in holy places” (Doctrine and Covenants 45:32)—the need to shield our lives from the winds of temptation and the storms of evil that surround all of us on every side and to build personal sanctuaries and refuges for our lives.
It was on this topic that our dear missionary asked an important question. He said:
“It was such a luxury as a full-time missionary to focus only on teaching the doctrine of Christ and serving others. But now, living in an increasingly evil world filled with conflict, hatred, and temptation, it’s getting more difficult to find a holy place, much less stand in it, especially with a family to take care of. There just seems to be no way to escape the evil around us. I feel stuck, with no way out of the mess the world is in right now.
“How do I shield my family from the evil in the world when holy places are so hard to find? How do I teach them to be disciples of Christ—to follow the Spirit and stand in holy places?”
At this point in the conversation, we were struck by inspiration.
The Shelter of a Home and Family
We asked our former missionary and his family to join us for a short walk around our yard. We showed them a small tree, barely three feet tall, and explained that the small tree was exposed to all the winter winds and snow that the mountains could throw at it. For that reason, its growth was stunted, and its appearance was tattered and worn.
We then walked to a place in our yard that was protected from storms by the strong walls of our home. Our home served as protection from the tempests and whirlwinds over the years, allowing the trees and flowers to flourish and thrive. The immense flowering tree in this part of the yard, with its beautiful branches and flowering blossoms, had been identical to the tattered, scrawny tree when we’d planted them on the very same day more than two decades before.
The shelter of a home and family can constitute a “holy place” that we all need. We testified that home, faith, and family provide the opportunities for growth and development experienced by the beautiful tree before us. Stormy days will surely come, but if we and our families have a shelter and sanctuary of faith in Jesus Christ and His restored gospel, we will flourish and thrive and we “shall not be moved” (Doctrine and Covenants 45:32).
Refuge from Strife and Temptation
Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles has shared inspiring thoughts about the importance of bringing holiness into our lives. He said: “Ours is a gospel of joy and holiness in everyday life. Holiness sets things apart for sacred purpose. But holiness also invites us to infuse daily living with the sacred—to rejoice in daily bread amidst this world’s thistles and thorns.”
If you want to flourish, make sure you enjoy the protection provided by the Lord’s covenant path. He will always lead you to stand in holy places, through church activity, meaningful service, and the temple. The stormy weather of political strife and the torments of temptation will continue to swirl around you, but you can find refuge in the guidance of prophets, seers, and revelators and the Holy Spirit.
Indeed, the “gathering together upon the land of Zion, and upon her stakes, may be for a defense, and for a refuge from the storm, and from wrath when it shall be poured out without mixture upon the whole earth” (Doctrine and Covenants 115:6).
When you invite the Lord and His holiness into your life, you will have nothing to fear.