August 21, 2026

In Psalm 26 David asks the Lord to "try my reins and my heart". This simple statement about following the Lord's will had two levels of depth. The first, like a horse with reigns, and possibly a bit in its mouth, represents obedience. It represents going where the Lord wants us to go, and doing what He wants us to do, even if we don't want it ourselves. The second is the heart, symbolizing alignment, our desire and will matching that of our Savior's. It starts with obedience, and when practiced, obedience allows God to give us a new heart that beats with His.

Psalm 27 is just so beautiful. The peace and trust it inspired in the Lord and the description of the temple and the desire to be there, "to behold the beauty of the Lord"... Is that how we see the temple? It is where we can experience the most beautiful things the Lord has to offer?

David also talks about the Lord setting him upon a rock when in trouble. And we know that I love the symbolism of rocks in the scriptures. This also leads beautifully into Psalm 28 where the first verse says "O Lord my rock".

Psalm 29 says "worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness". We know that the temple entrance says "holiness to the Lord, the house of the Lord", and back in Psalm 27 David says we behold the beauty of the Lord in the temple. I read this as another reminder to go to the temple. I never realized how deeply the temple ran through the verses of the Old Testament. This church is truly the restored history of the Old Testament and the New.

This Psalm goes on to give many examples of how powerful and wonderful the voice of the Lord is. Where do we see His greatest power? Where does He complete the pinnacle of His work and glory? Holiness to the Lord. The house of the Lord.

2 Nephi 9:14

Wherefore, we shall have a perfect knowledge of all our guilt, and our uncleanness, and our nakedness; and the righteous shall have a perfect knowledge of their enjoyment, and their righteousness, being clothed with purity, yea, even with the robe of righteousness.

This verse caught my eye a week ago and I wrote it down because I knew I wanted to ponder more on it. I've looked at it each day and then focused back on the Psalms. Today I felt it was time to really look at this verse.

I know I've used the word beautiful a lot, but the word of God is beautiful. As such, I didn't mind repeating - this is such a beautiful verse.

This verse connects me to our first parents, Adam and Eve. I see hear they're story, our story, see the endowment, the great plan of salvation, the Atonement of our Savior, Jesus Christ, and the protection and symbolism of the garment of the holy priesthood.

When our first parents partook of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, their eyes were open and they had a perfect knowledge of their nakedness (symbolic of being subject to sin without protection or redemption). In the Fall, they realized their state, as will all of God's children one day have their eyes open to their own nakedness, uncleanliness, and guilt. What an awful feeling that we all will experience, to recognize the compounded sorrow of all of our mistakes and wrong choices. As Alma said when experiencing this himself, he was "racked with eternal tournament" and wished the he "could be banished and become extinct both soul and body". To exist in that state would be hell. But as Lehi taught, "it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things".

If the word of God is true, which it is, then we will all feel this hell, at least for a moment, but for those who who have entered into a convenant relationship with the Savior and kept their covenants, that depth will be swallowed up and covered by the robes of righteousness, the garment, and more literally the Atonement of Jesus Christ. We will be brought from our lowest point of sorrow to the highest attainment of joy, and that contrast will finally teach us all the true power and joy of our Savior's sacrifice and gift.

The power of the destroyer is sin. He offers one thread at a time until the waxen cord is too strong to break alone. But in truth, even one thread is too much for us free ourselves from. Our garment is a protection against this awful power, not because the clothe has power, but because in honoring the garment we take upon ourselves the name, Atonement, and covenant relationship of our Redeemer. I love the opportunity to wear the garment of the holy priesthood. What a gift! It represents being covered by the blood of Christ and being clothed in purity.

As our first parents went from learning their nakedness to making covenants with God and learning of the plan for a Savior, we too will experience that swelling of eternal joy as we strive to keep our covenants and become what our Father knows we can become.

If the woman stricken of blood could touch the hem of the Savior's robe and be healed, how much more power is there in wearing His garment which represents His atoning sacrifice for us?