41. This Life Is the Time to Prepare

An experience Claudia related in the fall of 1974, which was after both she and I had graduated from Brigham Young University. Because I was serving as a counselor in a student branch presidency, Claudia and I were members of the BYU 11th Branch. Soon after the school year began, the branch sponsored a trip to the Provo Utah Temple. This account also appears as chapter 12 in Claudia, An Elect Lady. As with the previous chapter, this account represents an expression of Claudia’s testimony and seems to fit comfortably as a part of this collection.

Amulek in the Book of Mormon bears testimony of many important and eternal truths as he speaks to the people. Among his words we find this message: “For behold, this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God; yea, behold the day of this life is the day for men to perform their labors” (Alma 34:32). The vital nature of this life in relation to eternity was further impressed upon me by an experience I had once while going to the temple.

It all began at an earlier time when Dean and I had gone to see some friends of ours sealed in marriage. Coming home, my recommend didn’t get put in its usual place; so when our branch went to the temple again later, I went without my recommend. We hoped I could get through on an oral recommendation from our branch president, since he would be going through with us and had interviewed me for my recommend. Such was not the case.

Upon entering the temple and explaining the situation, I was quickly ushered into President Clark’s office (he was the temple president) with Dean and our branch president by my side. President Clark then explained the rules the First Presidency had given all temple presidents to follow in dealing with such situations. The rules were simple and I knew I was no exception to them, for the Lord doesn’t consider exceptions.

“I, the Lord am bound when ye do what I say; but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise” (D&C 82:10).

The temple policy was this: If you were from far away and that was your only chance to go through that particular temple, they would just call a member of your stake presidency and get a verbal okay. But if you were from within the temple district (and I was) and could come again (and I could), you had to have your temple recommend with you. He said, however, that if my branch president would sign a recommend for me right there and if a member of the stake presidency would come to the temple and sign it also—I could go through with everyone else.

At this point I was in a state of tears. More than anything I wanted to be deeper within the walls of that sacred house, to be where the Spirit of the Lord and peace could be found. Dean could easily go without me—he had his recommend—as could all the others. Oh, how I longed to be there with them!

My branch president signed the new recommend, and President Clark tried to get a hold of a member of the stake presidency—the stake president was out of town, one counselor wasn’t home and was unable to be located, while the other one’s line was busy.

It occurred to me then and I was further impressed with it again during the session (we finally got hold of one of the counselors) that the temple experience was somewhat like the eternities, though different in certain ways. There are certain qualifications we will have to meet before we can enter into the joy of our Lord and celestial glory. Unlike the temple recommend, however, we won’t be able to get it just right then—our qualifications are something we will bring with us from our earthly experience.

Again Amulek says: “Therefore I beseech of you that ye do not procrastinate the day of your repentance until the end; for after this day of life, which is given us to prepare for eternity, behold if we do not improve our time while in this life, then cometh the night of darkness wherein there can be no labor performed” (Alma 34:33).

If this same situation occurred in the eternities, Dean would have his “recommend” and this time he wouldn’t wait for me. I can think of nothing sadder nor more tragic than to hear the Lord say, “I am sorry, but those are the rules, and you just didn’t qualify.” And then to see your loved ones enter into the celestial kingdom while you stood beyond on the outside. To me there could be nothing so tragic as being eternally separated from the people I truly love. Families and loved ones are what the gospel’s all about and are the basis of eternity.

This experience made me realize even more deeply the importance of this earth life and of the things we do here. I love Dean and all of you more than I can express; and though it was but a type and shadow of a greater eternal sorrow, I never want to feel even the loss I felt there in the temple without a recommend. Like Amulek, I bear you my witness that this life is indeed the time to prepare to meet God—it is the only time we have to do so.