I Stand in Holy Places

"But my disciples shall stand in holy places, and shall not be moved; but among the wicked, men shall lift up their voices and curse God and die"- D&C 45: 32

Have you ever been somewhere you knew that you shouldn't be? I found myself in that situation this weekend, because I didn't remember this scripture. I have now promised myself that it will not happen again, but here is the story...

Myself and a couple of friends decided that we were going to Park City to stay at a condo for the night. On the drive up I had an incredible talk about life and coming back to the gospel with my friend in the car. I felt the spirit very strong during this talk, and it felt like I was on fire. It was the first time I felt this way in a very long time.

When we finally got to the condo we were trying to decide what to do. The hot tub was open for another 30 minutes, and Main Street had some places to go as well. We decided to do both. We spent the time at the hot tubs and then headed up to the room to get redressed and ready to go out.

On our way out we decided to ask for a recommendation on where a lot of people would be. The girl that we talked to said, "Oh the Star Bar will be packed tonight! It's buck night."

My friend said, "What is buck night?"

"Oh drinks are only a buck! Lots of people will be there, you'll have a good time" she said.

So we got in the car and started up to Main Street in Park City. As we got to the Star Bar there were a lot of people there. As we went inside I knew this isn't where we should be. Everyone was drinking and half way gone by that point. Most girls were not dressed properly, and they were dancing in a way that was inappropriate. We only stayed for about 45 minutes and headed back to the hotel. It was a valuable experience as to why I don't do the bar scene.

Fast forward to last night. My friend Taryn came over and we decided that we would grab some yogurt and talk. During the course of this talk we decided that we would head up to the Draper temple. She hadn't been up to see it, and it's one of my favorite places to be now.

As we sat there and talked at the temple, you couldn't hear a thing. The peace around the temple grounds is simply amazing. We talked about getting married and what we were doing in life. It was really an amazing experience, because I knew it was where I should be. The lights are always on at the temple to remind us that Heavenly Father is always home. When you can see the temple you are never lost, you always know exactly where you are.

The contrast between the two nights is obvious. One night I was of the world, in a bar and surrounded by people that lived for today. The next night, I was in the world, but not of it. I was near my Father and with my best friend. It showed me the importance of standing in holy places. That can be anywhere, not just at the temple, but making sure that I am never in a situation that makes me feel uncomfortable is vital.

I now know there is a reason that we don't go to bars and why we don't participate in activities like that. I will now be more careful about what decide to do with my time, because it should be uplifting and wholesome. I will stand in holy places...