The Temple and the Home

The Nauvoo Temple of the Church Of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

At the beginning of the Gospels in the New Testament the Angel Gabriel visited both Zacharias and Mary to announce their coming children and the miraculous circumstances of their pregnancies. Both cases are different of course, and in those differences, there are many lessons to be learned and many writings to study. The difference in the places where the visitations happened, I believe are a message of both similarities as well as differences. I think this is something we should notice and learn from.

The angel visited Zacharias in the Temple. The visit happened at a very sacred place in the temple as well. The incense that was kept burning just outside the Holy of Holy's was meant to represent the prayers of Israel as they were lifted to heaven. This was such a sacred place that each priest has a very small chance of having this honor and if they do have the opportunity, it is only once in their lifetime.

The angel visited Mary in her home. This was probably a fairly normal, or humble Galilean cottage. I'm sure Mary and Joseph both lead lives or righteousness and their home or homes would have reflected that and been a place that included daily humble worship.

It feels to me that both places should be equal in the way we think about them. They should be the same at least in the way we need to be working to use these places in order to experience the spirit of the Lord as freely as possible.

Our homes should be small temples as we work to become closer and closer to the Lord, and we should feel more and more at home in the temple as we visits often.

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