In this week’s lesson, we were encouraged to look for things in our reading that help us “be not troubled” about the last days. One of those things is imagining living in a place as described in 45:66, “… a land of peace, a city of refuge, a place of safety for the saints …” It sounds so lovely. Maybe that place (Zion) isn’t prepared yet, but that doesn’t mean we can’t start building Zion where we are. We can practice living as we imagine we would live there, and we can start at home.
In April conference President Holland (with emphasis) said, “Everyone has the right to be loved, to feel peaceful, and to find safety at home. Please, may we try to maintain that environment there.” As we try, even small daily changes can help our homes become holy places. In 45:32 Christ says, His “disciples shall stand in holy places, and shall not be moved…”
President Nelson in the same conference encouragingly said: “You may feel that there is still more you need to do to make your home truly a sanctuary of faith. If so, please do it! … There are few pursuits more important than this. Between now and the time the Lord comes again, we all need our homes to be places of serenity and security.” In a footnote to this comment, he points us to Alma 50:4. “And he caused towers to be erected that overlooked those works of pickets, and he caused places of security to be built upon those towers, that the stones and the arrows of the Lamanites could not hurt them.”
President Nelson is likely not suggesting we literally build towers in an effort to make our homes more safe, peaceful and holy. But perhaps we can learn from the initiative of this leader and consider ways we can be like a “watchman on a tower” for those we love as we build our own Zion, our own refuge, place of peace, … even holy ground.
Finding the Family in Come, Follow Me: Doctrine & Covenants 45
