Standing in Holy Places

"Wherefore, stand ye in holy places, and be not moved..." (D&C 87:8)

Holy places include, but are not limited to the standard answers any given person on the street would think of.  A holy place is a location where you are not only safe to exercise what you believe, but are encouraged to do so.  Temples, churches, and other places of worship are obviously perfect examples of holy places.  Other holy places that we are familiar with, but may not have thought as holy places include our places of residence.  If your home can't be considered a holy place, perhaps there's something you can do about that...  One specifically I've had the privilege of experiencing are LDS Institutes of Religion, including Seminary for high school students.  When in high school, I attended seminary at 10 minutes to 6 every morning.  I didn't necessarily have such a firm dedication to seminary at the beginning, but I was never late to 1st period, so I didn't really complain.  But, my junior year, we were studying the New Testament, and I was so moved as we spoke of Jesus Christ every morning and all the miraculous things he did.  Then, my last year, we studied the Book of Mormon, and that piqued my interest, sparking a fire that grew almost uncontrollable on my mission.  I loved the Book of Mormon.  I loved the days I could just spend an hour reading it.

Since returning from Japan, I don't have quite as much time to dedicate to pouring over the scriptures as I used to.  However, I can still attend Institute.  I don't always agree with the instructors' teaching methods, or even how they present the material.  I have found that if I prepare myself and seek each lesson to learn something, I am guided to answers for my questions or new concepts I hadn't necessarily thought of.  One day in Institute, my teacher said that revelation was simply the product of meditation, scripture study, and prayer.  The mathematician in my brain kicked in, and I spent the next 10 minutes of class developing an equation to quantify revelation.  I've received sincere revelation as to what I need to do to change and become a better person.

For me, Institute has been my holy place I can stand when I'm not at church.  During the week, I spend so much time on homework and classes, that I have a hard time taking time away to read my scriptures.  Even when I do, it's never really a "quiet" place.  Stresses are still present.  Other influences still find their way in...unfortunately.  Institute, however, has always been different.  When I actually sign up for the class, I take that as dedicating myself to attend.  I take the time out of my schedule to go to institute and then when I'm there, everything else disappears.  I still have heaps of homework, but it doesn't seem as ominous.  I still have stress, but it isn't at the forefront of my mind.  Honestly, without the opportunity to go to that Holy Place, I would go insane.  We can make wherever we are a holy place by doing what we know is right.  But when we're too exhausted to hold our walls up against sin, we need help.  And that's exactly what Institute has offered me.