I had the most wonderful experience the other day.
I was traveling for work in San Diego and the trip didn’t start out so well. I was dropped off by Delta Airlines in Los Angeles at 1 AM and told to find my own way to San Diego. I didn’t let that slow me down. I was determined to get to where I needed to be. Ultimately, I ended up at my hotel at 4 AM after a long middle of the night taxi ride.
One of the things I wanted to do was go through a session at the San Diego Temple. But I found out when I went to schedule an appointment shortly before leaving that it was closed. I had even booked my hotel near the temple so I could visit. I had taken a shirt and tie with me so I could make this visit. Unfortunately, it was not going to happen.
The conference I was attending didn’t start until 11 AM on Sunday so I thought I would visit a local ward. I visited the Del Mar Chapel at 9 AM. It felt just like church back home in Utah except the member to missionary ratio was a lot different. I loved seeing the sister missionaries there. As soon as I walked in, it reminded me of being in the mission field. What an awesome experience.
It was fast and testimony meeting because it was the week after General Conference. The testimonies were interesting too and reminded me of things I would hear in the mission field. A very zealous member who had repented of lots of sins and an elderly woman who wanted everyone to know she still preferred “home teachers” over “ministers”. They were followed by a few kids.
Then this sweet young sister missionary got up saying if she didn’t stand, she felt she would die. Without going into too much detail she explained how she had been struggling and gone in to meet with the mission president. After explaining her struggles to her mission president, he asked her to read the following scripture:
Doctrine and Covenants 88 67-68
67 And if your eye be single to my glory, your whole bodies shall be filled with light, and there shall be no darkness in you; and that body which is filled with light comprehendeth all things.
68 Therefore, sanctify yourselves that your minds become single to God, and the days will come that you shall see him; for he will unveil his face unto you, and it shall be in his own time, and in his own way, and according to his own will.
As this good sister missionary read this scripture, my heart burned within me. I had been struggling with something and as I listened to her, I realized this was an answer to me. I was blown away realizing I had not been there expecting anything. I was just doing what I thought was right by going to church.
God had put this struggling missionary in a distant place with the right issue causing her to go talk to her mission president, then having felt the urgency to share that message that day, all so I could hear it. [mind blown]
I left the chapel rejoicing.
To expound on this just a little more. I watched this sister missionary stand up and start talking. There wasn’t anything different about her or the situation. As she started to rehearse her experience, I found myself engaging with interest. I remember my experiences meeting with President Bailey. They were amazing. I loved those few moments I had with him. He was so incredibly wise, and I knew he was guided by the hand of God. So much so, I took seriously everything that he said. As she started to read the scriptures my mind was filled with answers it was almost like seeing a complete puzzle put together, not a one single piece. So much so that I even felt I heard different words than what the scripture says. As I felt the holy ghost I acknowledged in my heart and mind that this was an answer from God and the feeling burned even stronger upon my heart.
Did it solve all of my problems? No. But it left me with be desired to continue, with the hope that things would work out. And with an answer to my journey to Zion. To be worthy of Zion, is to have an “eye single to the Glory of God.”
If my eye is single to the glory of God, what will I do? I will follow the commandments of God. I will put all my faith and hope upon him. I will love God and love my neighbor. I will have charity. In otherwards, if all my decisions are made with the intent of Glorifying God, I will be making choices in life that will make me worthy of Zion.
This is a side note. I thought about this quite a bit. I remember driving to my destination and having the thought come to mind. The Salt Lake Temple has an eye on it. It is the “All Seeing Eye of God.” I think it was originally designed to represent Gods ability to see all things past present and future, or his omnipresence. Could it not also mean to have one’s eye single to God’s glory? The purpose of the temple if for us to keep our eye upon God. Like all things, that symbol could have dual meaning.
