Home and Body

Alma 6:5-6

"Now I would that ye should understand that the word of God was liberal unto all, that none were deprived of the privilege of assembling themselves together to hear the word of God.

Nevertheless the children of God were commanded that they should gather themselves together oft, and join in fasting and mighty prayer in behalf of the welfare of the souls of those who knew not God."

One thing that has been on my mind lately is how I should be living my every-day life. What types of things should I be doing when it comes to the things that most people would deem inconsequential to the overall path of one's life? Well, two things have presented themselves to my mind in a union that I'd never thought about before as being connected. Those 2 things are the need to be inner-driven, and the requirement to live according to the Celestial Law. 

If we desire to live in the Celestial Kingdom, shouldn't we be attempting to live our lives currently as though we were there right now? What do we imagine that place will be like? Will there be things scattered across the floor? Dirty laundry thrown everywhere? Do you imagine the Celestial Kingdom goes undusted and un polished? When I think of the Celestial Kingdom, I imagine a wonderfully beautiful place that is clean, organized, and holy. Shouldn't we pattern our own lives after that? 

Picture the temple. It is always immaculately clean, and whenever you go there, for any reason, you can't help but marvel at the beauty and the holiness that is felt there. Well, in reality, there are 2 other "places" on this earth that are just as sacred and holy to the Lord as the temples are. Those 2 things are our homes and our bodies. 

We need to strive to keep our homes as unspotted from the world as possible. Our home is where our family dwells, and where we rear our young ones, where our family congregates, where we do the majority of our worshipping and growing, it's where we develop. Should we not treat it as though it were a literal temple of the Lord? Could you imagine the Lord walking into your home or *gasp* your room? If he did so what would your reaction be? Would you ask him to wait outside for a few minutes whilst you tidied up and made the place look clean? If a stranger were to walk into your home, would they feel something special and sacred upon doing so? Or would it feel the same as if they had simply walked into any other building? 

The same goes for our bodies. The Lord cannot dwell in any unclean place - that includes US. We must be vigilant about maintaining the holiness of our bodies. Chastity, morality, unhealthy diets, narcotics, and so forth - these are things that easily qualify us for the fleeting of the spirit from us. And not only until our bodies are made clean again can he reside within us. How terrible a feeling would that be to not have the Lord with you at all times? I know the feeling, it is awful and it simply makes you feel worthless. But oh the joy and comfort of knowing that you have kept your body unspotted from the world (there's that phrase again), of knowing that the Holy Spirit resides within you because you are worthy and clean enough for him to do so. 

I need to do a better job of those things, and the only way to accomplish those things is to have an inner desire to do so. Those are not things that the world as a whole will support you on, will agree with, or will even understand. That is the reason that it is only able to be accomplished and maintained through a desire that comes from within, and a testimony of such sanctity to match your desire.