Reverence

“Ye shall keep my sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary: I am the Lord” (Leviticus 19:30).

Recently, Elder Kenneth Johnson, a member of the First Quorum of the Seventy, was the visiting General Authority at our stake conference. It has long been my belief that the most spiritual of the general sessions at such conferences is the one held Saturday evening. It is viewed as an adult session to which generally the more faithful are in attendance. As such, the distractions from the proceedings are minimal allowing those present to enjoy a spiritual uplift.

When the usual opening for such a meeting was completed and the stake president had given his brief remarks, the remainder of the meeting was turned over to Elder Johnson. The first thing he did was to call all who were in attendance to repentance. In words that left no room for personal interpretation, he made clear that the noise we in the congregation had made prior to the start of the meeting was absolutely inappropriate. How he asked could we expect to receive personal revelation or inspiration from the proceedings if we were not reverent in preparation for and during the session? For almost two hours, he taught us what behavior on our part was necessary to receive the personal revelation that we must have if we hope to be successful in living the gospel in these wicked times. Here was a visiting authority who taught from the scriptures and left behind a very specific understanding of what we should change in our approach to all Church meetings if we expect to receive the desired benefits from our attendance.

Sister Linford and I have been more aware of the general irreverence we have experienced in the Church meetings we have attended since returning from our temple mission almost two years ago. Some with whom we have discussed this matter have outwardly assumed that our sensitivity stemmed from the fact that we spent five of every seven days laboring in a temple. But they have misunderstood. The congregations of German Saints with whom we worshipped each Sunday taught us that noise and confusion do not have to reign before and after our services and to continue to distract during the service itself. We were particularly impressed with the reverence we experienced in the congregations in Bernburg and Meerane. Quiet reverence reigns in their chapels beginning at least ten minutes before the beginning of their Sacrament Meetings. Even in the larger congregations located in Freiberg and Leipzig, for example, the reverence before the start of meetings would be a worthy example for most of the stateside congregations that we have visited in recent years. Clearly, irreverence is unnecessary and inappropriate in our worship services. True reverence requires thoughtful, overt action. It is not a passive activity.

What are some of the hallmarks of behavior that distinguish reverent from irreverent congregations? Reverence will improve when and where leaders [Priesthood leaders, auxiliary leaders, and classroom teachers] make it a priority and an expectation. Members generally follow their leaders’ instructions and examples. Reverence music is played before the beginning of our major services for a reason. We should take advantage of this time to make final personal preparations for that which is to follow. Unnecessary conversation during meetings is by definition unnecessary and disturbing to those sitting close by. How we address one another while at church is also a factor that contributes to or detracts from reverent behavior. When have we experienced President Thomas S. Monson stand to conduct a session of general conference and heard him say, “Good morning, you guys. It is great to see you all here this morning”? When did the use of “brothers and sisters” become passe’? We are addressed as “guys” from the pulpit, by teachers in classes, by quorum leaders, and full-time missionaries. Such a form of address is irreverent. More and more, investigators attending meetings are address by their given names, a practice that continues right through the ordinance by which they are confirmed members of the Church. Commencing meetings and classes late is another form of irreverence that is becoming more and more the accepted norm. If anyone is asking themselves why these actions are forms of irreverence, the answer is simple. All of these things and more are examples of behaviors that diminish the importance and sacredness of what we are about in the Lord’s Church.

In order to understand how we ought to reverently approach our religious meetings, we need only ask ourselves what steps we take to ensure that we receive the necessary inspiration while preparing to speak in sacrament meeting [not "sacrament"] or to teach a lesson in an auxiliary class. Not seeking such inspiration when we are preparing for such assignments is to court disaster.

We cannot expect to receive Inspiration in an inappropriate environment. We will most probably not receive heaven's direction while in the midst of watching or listening to inappropriate media. We need to have cleared our minds of all unworthy images and thoughts. Our creative setting should be a quiet one. Our effort should be prefaced with a prayer offered while on our knees and beseeching God for inspiration in order that we might accomplish our assigned task in a manner that would have His approval.

Possibly, these thoughts might provide hints as to the steps we might take as we prepare to attend our regular Sunday gathering, conference sessions, and firesides. Approaching these gatherings with prayerful preparation and reverent desires would better place us in a position to receive the inspiration we desire while in attendance at such gatherings with our fellow Saints.