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| The Sacred Grove |
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| The Upstairs Bedroom at Carthage Jail |
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| The Concord Bridge – Where the Revolutionary War Started |
These photos are from three places where the Spirit touched my heart in a very strong way. There are many more, and I’ll list a few so you get the idea:
• The Temple
• Adam Ondi Ahman
• Gettysburg Battlefield
• Liberty Jail
• Girl’s Camp
• Handcart Trek
• Our local chapel (Depending on the day)
• Hill Cumorah
• Many Cemeteries
I know you understand, There are just some geographic places and buildings that have a powerful spirit about them. We have all felt it.
So now I want to ask YOU a question that I am not sure I know the answer to. It is not a question that will impact my salvation, or yours, but it is something I have thought about often. I have been thinking about it even more lately because next week I am teaching about Joseph Smith’s First Vision, and the Sacred Grove.
Here is the question:
When we are on hallowed ground, do we feel the Holy Ghost more strongly because the Spirit dwells in that specific place, or because our hearts are more prepared to feel him because we know we are on hallowed ground?
Here is an example of why I ask: When I walked into the Sacred Grove for the first time, I could feel that I was somewhere sacred. It was enveloping, it was almost tangible. I had a strong spiritual witness regarding what had happened there – which I count as a great gift
But I am sure that some people who enter the Sacred Grove feel absolutely nothing.
Anyone who has spent time on the stand in Sacrament meeting has witnessed two people sitting next to each other – one is having an amazing spiritual feast and a life-alering experience, while the person sitting next to him is playing on his phone or sleeping – unfazed.
So when we say, “The Spirit is here with us today,” what does that mean? Does it mean the Spirit is in the chapel, or it is in the hearts of those who are prepared to feel him. (This would be in obvious contrast to the lights being on when everyone entered the chapel – everyone could see it. But the Spirit is different – he that hath ears…)
I know that some places are deemed “Holy” and are actually consecrated through priesthood authority. Does that mean there is a different sort of spirit about that location after that? If so, is it the Holy Ghost? How does that work.
Elder Dennis Neunschwander of the Seventy, gave a talk some years back entitled “Holy Place, Sacred Space.” It is an interesting read. LInk here.
That is my question to you. I know that many of you are well-read in the gospel, and many of you know much more than I do. I have some opinions about my question, but very little back up. Therefore, I am turning to you, my bright, witty and attractive readers, to help enlighten me.
I am not so much interested in your opinions. (I’ve got loads of those) I am interested in quotes, stories, talks or experiences that are documented or personal. This is a sacred topic, and I don’t care much for speculation, and please treat with care.
Thanks!
I want to add an experience of my family when I was growing up. We went on holiday to Holland and did a house swap with a family there. We were not members at the time. The family we swapped with were Christians, in fact the father was a priest. Although we did not normally say a prayer before our meals, while we stayed in that house we did. It just felt right to do so and I think it had something to do with the “spirit” of that house.
In some ways I feel that anywhere you feel the spirit is hallowed ground. But I do think that if we are in tune, there are special places where special things occurred, and we can feel the spirit more strongly because of it. But any other person who isn’t “tuned in” could walk there and not feel a thing. It’s the spiritual sensitivity that allows us to “tune in” to the spirit there.
Just two thoughts to add:
* Laman and Lemuel as well as Nephi stood in the presence of angels. But only Nephi was changed for the better long-term because of it. I would submit that the presence of the Spirit on hallowed ground is always there, but that some of us are more in tune to recognize it than others. Some, like Laman and Lemuel, are “past feeling.”
* There is something special about dedicated ground and dedicated buildings, including our homes. I wonder if a place can be changed just by virtue of how many prayers are said there.
Three thoughts:
1. We dedicate and consecrate holy places like temples and chapels and historical sites. The prayers around those dedications (Sec 109 is an example) make specific pleas to the benefit of those who visit / work there. I believe we would not dedicate those places if the dedication had no influence.
2. For me, my level of reverence is directly correlated to my feeling the spirit. When I am reverent at church, I am more likely to be edified than when I am not (and I am not reverent when my mind wanders or I drift off to sleep during a sacrament meeting talk, not just when I come close to disturbing another). Collective reverence (like in the temple) encourages my reverence and my spiritual sensitivity. But I’ve also felt that collective reverence at the Lincoln Memorial (one of the most spiritual non-church places I have personally been), for instance.
3. We know there are places the Holy Ghost will not dwell. If that is the case, then the corollary should be that there are places he may dwell, such as the holy places where we should stand.
I should also add that my personal experience relative to the Kirtland Temple and the Sacred Grove is not the same as some others have recounted. I felt the spirit quite strongly in the Kirtland Temple, being where the Savior appeared. That first trip of mine was as a young seminary teacher with a few students who successfully completed their study of church history. We had specifically prepared for the trip, and may have carried some of that spirit into the building with us, I suppose, but there was no denying it was there with us. (This was before the rebuilding of the LDS sites in Kirtland.)
My first trip to Palmyra was when I was younger, well before the development of the Palmyra sites. I felt very little there that visit. On subsequent visits, when I’ve been better prepared as an adult, it’s been a much more significant experience.
“We don’t go to Sabbath meetings to be entertained or even solely to be instructed. We go to worship the Lord. It is an individual responsibility, and regardless of what is said from the pulpit, if one wishes to worship the Lord in spirit and truth, he may do so by attending his meetings, partaking of the sacrament, and contemplating the beauties of the gospel. If the service is a failure to you, you have failed. No one can worship for you. You must do your own waiting upon the Lord.”
– President Spencer W. Kimball
I know this doesn’t apply directly to a place, but shouldn’t we be prepared to ‘wait upon the Lord’ ‘at all times and in all things and in all places’?
I took a news crew to do a piece on an archaeological dig on the banks of the Savannah river, never having been there before, I arrived early. I was astounded to feel the Spirit tell me that it was hallowed ground. I have visited the area several times since and feel that “Temple” feeling each time.
How I see it…
Like prayer, scripture study, and fasting are tools used to bring us more in tune with the spirit, these sacred places enhance our ability to feel the spirit. However, tools produce much different results depending on how they are used.
In 1995, President Packer gave a talk at BYU’s Annual University Conference. He entitled the talk, “The Snow-White Birds.”
In that talk he commented, “President Harold B. Lee told me once that inspiration comes easier when you can set foot on the site related to the need for it. With a very sincere desire to be guided in preparing what I should say to you, early Sunday morning, before you were about, I stood in the Maeser Building, and I found that President Lee was right.”
How does this idea play into your question?
I felt the spirit strongly on Ellis Island. I felt the sanctity of that place. I felt the hopes and dreams of the immigrants who went through the building coming to the promised land of America. Lehi remarks about America that “we have obtained a land of promise, a land which is choice above all other lands; a land which the Lord God hath covenanted with me should be a land for the inheritance of my seed. Yea, the Lord hath covenanted this land unto me, and to my children forever, and also all those who should be led out of other countries by the hand of the Lord.” (2 Nephi 1:5) I was very surprised to feel it there. However, it makes sense that I would feel it in the first piece of promised land some of my ancestors stepped on. I felt it more strongly there than I felt it in Nauvoo or in Carthage jail. Places where I thought I’d be knocked over by the spirit, but I wasn’t.
When I read your post, I immediately thought of the story of the Episcopal Priest who visited a Temple Open House. She wrote – “Like Dante, who saw God face to face but had no words to describe the encounter, I have few words to describe what I felt in that moment. But I can say this: While it did not convert me, nor did it make me want to be a Mormon, the silence and peace I felt reminded me of the many other times I’ve felt close to God, whether in an Episcopal cathedral, in a clear, warm ocean or in my ratty old car. And because of that, I came to understand why temples exist and why they are so important to Mormons across the world.” I know you didn’t want speculation or personal views but I would be remiss if I didn’t say that I believe that the Spirit dwells everywhere and like cell reception it depends sometimes on the network (the place), it sometimes depends on the phone (the person and their ability or willingness to receive the connection) and occasionally there are dead zones where reception can not be made no matter what due to the lack of coverage (where evil resides). — thanks for another stellar post!!
I know you asked for information and not just for opinion, how about I share a personal experience.
I have been to many of the church history sites, I have attended various LDS temples, I have had many wonderful spiritual experiences and felt the Spirit at various degrees at all those places mentioned. However one of the more profound, and unexpected experiences occurred at a Russian Orthadox Cathedral in St Petersburg Russia.
I was serving a mission there and had the opportunity to visit many of their cathedrals and palaces and many beautiful places. The day we visited the cathedral was nothing out of the ordinary, but as I reached the center of the cathedral I felt a very distinct and almost overwhelming feeling that I was standing on sacred ground. It really caught me off guard and at first I tried to shake and deny the feeling because how could this “museum” cathedral (it isn’t used for regular worship) contain such sacredness.
Once I accepted the feeling for what it was I just stood there for probably 10 or 15 minutes just feeling that sacred feeling. I do not know what it was about that place that would make that particular cathedral stand out from the many others I had visited, but there was no denying the sacred feeling.
I’m not sure my companion that was with me had that same experience on that day, so it’s not like everyone who entered had a profound feeling of sacredness touch their heart, but on the other hand I had done nothing out of the ordinary to prepare my mind or heart, nor was I even aware that it was possibly a sacred place.
I was lucky enough to serve a portion of my mission as a guide at the Kirtland Visitors center/sites and the John Johnson farm. It was always interesting to see how people reacted to feeling the spirit at those Holy places. I think it is a combination of both- to really feel the spirit and experience all that those places have to offer, we have to be prepared. On the days that I was feeling more selfish, or taking the experiences for granted I wouldnt feel the spirit. I had to fight everyday to make sure I was humble enough to be able to feel and learn all that was at those places.
I have a few personal experiences that give me some good idea’s on this but are too sacred to share in such a forum. But my opinions are experience driven. I don’t need to tell you to take them or leave them. I am appreciative of the question and I’m looking forward to reading more of the insights, opinions, scriptures and other findings.
We know from scriptures such as D&C 88:3 that the spirit can dwell in our hearts. Which to me does imply your second option. However, recently I was a tour guide for the Boise Idaho temple open house. There were many more tours that were walking rather than talking tours due to the amount of visitors. We were told that the things we would have said weren’t actually necessary because the spirit in the temple (even before the re-dedication) would do the teaching. I saw many cases where that was true. In this situation I feel that although the heart needs to accept what’s there, there is definitely a tangible spirit that dwells in certain locations not just the heart of those present. Why limit the Lord? I like both options.
I have a question to add. Feel free to answer or not- it’s your blog. Because different people feel different to us do you think it’s possible that some of the locations feel different between each other because there are actually different spirits in companionship to the Holy Ghost from time to time?
Having never been to Palmyra or the Sacred Grove, I can’t give experience related to a specific location like that, however, my own personal experience has been that the Spirit resides in the heart and soul of the one who seeks it. Regardless of location. Some of the times I have felt the Spirit the strongest, is not where one might expect it. The car, the mountains, campfire at girls camp, my bedroom, a neighbor’s living room, a hospital bed, the cemetary.
On the other hand, I have sat in a temple session completely oblivious to what is going on and allowing my mind to wander to something completley unrelated.
So, no opinion, simply my first hand experience is that the Spirit will be where one is worthy, seeking and open to receive It and It’s witness.
In answer to your question, I would say both. They are sacred places because of what happened there, but not everyone will feel it, or admit to feeling it, because they are distracted by the wrong spirit for some reason.I think those places carry a special spirit because of what occured there.
This past summer we went on a trek of the Martins Cove/ Rocky Ridge area where sacred moments happened as well as lives lost. I think there is always something sacred to a place where lives were lost or great sacrifices were made for a high purpose.
My husband and I also went on a Eastern Church History Tour of the Church sites from Boston to Kirtland. Lots of great things. When I walked in the sacred grove, you know that something sacred happened there. Like you said, it is such an enveloping feeling. I can’t imagine anyone not feeling something in the Sacred Grove. Another really spiritual place was Harmony Pennsylvania where the Priesthood was restored. That was a very hallowed sacred place.
And a surprise to me: The Kirtland Temple had an extremely sacred feeling to it. Many visions happened there and many visitations.
I learned that sacred sites are places where sacred things happened, and hallowed are places where Christ has been.
Palmyra was in my mission, and I spent a decent amount of time in the Sacred Grove. Something I learned, you are right, not everyone will automatically find it sacred. For example, young kids can run and shout all they want there. However, to someone looking for the Spirit, they will always find it, and often in a stronger way than they expected. I remember taking investigators there and after we left hearing comments like, “Wow! That feeling was so strong I thought my eyes were going to pop out!” or, “OH, so that is the Spirit you were talking about!” And it wasn’t limited to people investigating the Gospel. There were a few people of other faiths that would go to the Grove on a regular basis to pray just because they felt closer to God there.
We all know that you can make anywhere a sacred spot when the need arises. But I would say that places where Heavenly Father has been are automatically sacred in nature, but we have to choose if we will be open to that.
Sorry for the separate comments, but I was in a hurry last time. I do have an experience to relate. The church owns a piece of property in Bellingham, WA. It isn’t used for anything, it’s basically a field. One year the stake decided to go plant a garden out there. I decided my family needed to get in gear and help out so we trekked out to the garden. I had never been there before and it was actually a little hard to find. We pulled up in our van and as soon as I passed the gates I knew that there was supposed to be a temple there. It felt like it feels when you enter the grounds of the temple. There was only a broken down barbed wire fence and a rutted out dirt driveway, but it didn’t matter, the feeling was real. I didn’t mention it to anyone, we just got out weeded, picnicked, and left. Many months later I was talking to the Stake President and asked what the Church was planning to do with that property. He said there was going to be a temple there one day if we would ever be worthy enough.
Great experience. I have heard similar stories about temple sites, and how they radiate a different “Spirit” long before they are dedicated – which helps in the selection process as well.
Perhaps this video, just published, will add to these fine comments. The last few seconds are what I am referring to.
https://www.lds.org/youth/video/he-knows-me?lang=eng
I agree with the idea conveyed in this video that “Any place is a holy place,” if we are “holy.”
What it doesn’t address, and the basis of my question, is this: Are there places that the Spirit retains an influence – regardless of who is there.
My answer to this question (a bit different than the one in your post) is answered well by Paul below: those with priesthood keys direct that certain places are dedicated by the power of that priesthood. It seems certain that the Lord has His reasons for doing so and that the Spirit is felt due to certain principles, some of which are:
-ordinances (such as dedications) unleash power (D&C 84:20) and by extension the power of His spirit.
-priesthood + ordinances are required for mortals to experience the power of godliness (D&C 84:21)
-if we harden our hearts, we will not be able to endure His presence, losing His rest and the fulness of His glory. Surely we will not feel the Spirit if we are like this. (D&C 84:24)
-our minds are darkened by our vanity, unbelief and our light treatment of the Book of Mormon (D&C 84:54-57)
It seems then, that there are places where the Spirit dwells, independent of those present. These would be where priesthood ordinances have taken place. While we think of temples and chapels, we are allowed/encouraged to use our priesthood to dedicate our homes as well.
Ultimately, however, my opinion is that the most important question for us as individuals is answered by the verses cited above which refer to our own preparation. That preparation, combined with a priesthood-authorized dedication are the keys to feeling the Spirit and the blessings that flow therefrom.
I hope this last bit is not apocryphal, but is it too far fetched to wonder whether the Sacred Grove was dedicated prior to the First Vision? The Granite Mountain Vault in SLC was dedicated in 1966. Could Moroni have dedicated the resting place of the plates and perhaps other areas? It seems consistent.
This post has been on my mind all day, and I used it as a starting point for my personal study this morning. Having just filled an entire page trying to sort my thoughts out, I think I’ll stick with a couple basic thoughts and you can choose what you want to take from it. 🙂 My husband’s comment when he came out and saw me working on this was “Would you like your own blog, dear?”
– Article of Faith 10 says that “the earth will be renewed and receive its paradisaical glory”. Getting too much into the earth’s spirit and progress through the Plan of Salvation can verge on gospel extrinsics (http://www.mormoncartoonist.com/2011/05/gospel-extrinsics.html), but I think that as our natures are changed through regular exposure to the Holy Ghost, places that have been touched by divinity, like the physical presence of God in the sacred grove, are affected.
– When I went to the temple for the first time, the Temple President’s wife talked to us and told us the story of a young bride getting dressed after her temple wedding who took off her garments and said ‘Guess I won’t be needing these anymore.’ I don’t know how apocryphal that story was, but to me it just reiterates the point that’s already been made here that people can come to sacred places and have very different experiences.
– I saw a quote this morning during my study that especially stood out to me. It’s from “Learning and Latter Day Saints” by Elder Oaks and states: holy ground; he would acquire things sacred,” said President J. Reuben Clark Jr. (1871–1961)a member of the First Presidency, speaking at the inauguration of a new president of Brigham Young University. “We must come to this quest of truth—in all regions of human knowledge whatsoever, not only in reverence, but with a spirit of worship.” The significant phrase to me was “he would acquire things sacred.”
– I have been looking for an hour and can’t find the talk I have in mind, but a few years ago (pretty sure within the last 5 years) there was a conference talk about condensation occurring on a glass of water when there is a difference between the internal and external temperatures, when the glass has been prepared or changed beforehand. From D&C 121:45 “let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God; and the doctrine of the priesthood shall distil upon thy soul as the dews from heaven.’ My patriarchal blessing alludes to this scripture and says that the Lord can only communicate through virtue.
– Matthew 7:7 (and multiple other scriptures state) “knock, and it shall be opened unto you.” This scripture has always carried an implication of work to me, and in approaching sacred places and experiences, I think it’s the same. We ‘knock’ by preparing ourselves through study as Joseph Smith did before it was ‘The Sacred Grove’, by letting virtue ‘garnish [our] thoughts’, and seek to ‘acquire things sacred’, and this preparation can open the conduits of divine communication through the Holy Ghost that can make any place sacred ground.
Your final point seems to make the case that everywhere and nowhere is extra-spiritual, but that it is the heart of the person that matters. So the “Spirit” does not “dwell” in temples, or the Sacred Grove, etc?
Is that what you are saying?
I’ll try not to get long here. I think its about the nature of our spirits entirely. I think its about perhaps a way that realm of existence works. I know you didn’t want opinions so I’ll give you a few reasons that shape mine. There is a lengthy parable that basically points out that we are shaped by those around us. The example is of a basketball player who isn’t by any means exceptional, but when he plays with a team of equally ordinary players he fits right in. But as he played with experienced more impressive players he also found he was able to fit in, because he was enabled to be brought to their level. I think when we stand where holy men have stood or where the spirit has been before there is some spiritual footprint we tap into. For some reason i get a lot of inspiration in the car when I’m alone. That’s a holy place of mine. I think its a different thing to experience the places many of us treat as sacred because we carry MANY contrite spirits to those places, and I think there is something spiritual that lingers there simply from the attitudes that enter in.
Funny you should mention your car. My little spiritual zone is mowing the lawn. I know! But yours isn;t because the Holy Ghost resides in your car – it’s because you are there in a prepared setting, anticipating communication from the Spirit. Did I get that right?
Yes I think the Lord and I meet there to communicate. I think maybe in forget thought since this he does hallow places but he also hallows souls (ours our others) and i think the tandem is found in those kismet experiences. Hence why certain places have that repeatability.
I had a couple of thoughts while reading this, both of them backed up by definitions in the Bible Dictionary.
Holy Ghost:
“The Holy Ghost is manifested to men on the earth both as the power of the Holy Ghost and as the gift of the Holy Ghost. The power can come upon one before baptism, and is the convincing witness that the gospel is true. It gives one a testimony of Jesus Christ and of his work and the work of his servants upon the earth. The gift can come only after proper and authorized baptism, and is conferred by the laying on of hands, as in Acts 8:12–25 and Moroni 2:1–3. The gift of the Holy Ghost is the right to have, whenever one is worthy, the companionship of the Holy Ghost. More powerful than that which is available before baptism, it acts as a cleansing agent to purify a person and sanctify him from all sin. Thus it is often spoken of as “fire” (Matt. 3:11; 2 Ne. 31:17; D&C 19:31). The manifestation on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2) was the gift of the Holy Ghost that came upon the Twelve, without which they were not ready for their ministries to the world.”
Temple:
“A temple is literally a house of the Lord, a holy sanctuary in which sacred ceremonies and ordinances of the gospel are performed by and for the living and also in behalf of the dead. A place where the Lord may come, it is the most holy of any place of worship on the earth. Only the home can compare with the temple in sacredness.”
I think, based on these definitions, that there is a direct relationship between how strongly we feel the spirit and how prepared we are to be blessed by either the power or gift of the Holy Ghost. When we visit sacred places, I think that we generally are more prepared to feel the influences of the spirit. And for those who have been given the gift of the Holy Ghost, these experiences can provide a level of sanctification in addition to the testimony building power of the spirit. Because the spirit “gives one a testimony of Jesus Christ and of his work and the work of his servants upon the earth”, we are able to get specific spiritual confirmation of the reality of the people, places, and events in addition to being able to just feel of the spirit because we are prepared and expecting to when we visit places like the ones you listed in your post.
And, on a side note, if only the home is comparable to the temple in sacredness, then we should be able to have spiritual experiences in our homes that are comparable to those in the temple, right? Our homes should be places that are just as hallowed as the places you mentioned above and should be places where the spirit is felt just as strongly. I wish I could say that about my own home, but I know I have a long ways to go (we are occasionally blessed with those moments, but they don’t happen nearly often enough, which goes back to the principle of being spiritually prepared to enjoy the power and gift of the Holy Ghost).
Thanks for the great post/questions
Tom
Tom: Good thoughts and definitions. I adore that definition of the temple that mentions the home.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but I take it from what you put that you believe that the Spirit is in our hearts, not in the building or land.
So a “sacred” place does not necessarily equate to a place where the “Spirit” dwells?
According to D&C 8:2, D&C 130:22, 2 Timothy 1:14, Alma 18:35, and D&C 20:77-79 (and there are other scriptures as well), it does seem that the spirit dwells with us as long as we are worthy of it (as a temporary testimony prior to confirmation and as a constant companion after confirmation and renewed weekly with the sacrament covenants).
So yes, that’s what I believe. And when we visit sacred places, we have an opportunity to not only feel the influence of the spirit generally, but also specifically regarding the truthfulness of the people, events, etc that took place there-which is why I think we define that as feeling the spirit more strongly-it’s a double dose so to speak-one of just being more in tune spiritually and also having a specific witness of that particular place (and everything that took place there). Hope that makes sense?
Tom
As noted above, sited from D&C 131, spirit is matter. We are told throughout scripture, more specifically in Mosiah 2:37 and Helaman 4:24, that the Lord and the Spirit dwell not in unholy temples. I’ll come back to this.
When I was pregnant with my first child, my husband and I went with my in-laws on a church history trip focused along the Mississippi. We went to Nauvoo, Carthage, Liberty Jail, and a few other locals. Being pregnant and very sick at the time I went with an attitude of dragging my feet. This trip was important and a long time coming for my husband so I went. There were places that had the about the same feel as a chapel: a different Spirit present, but not overwhelming. There were other places, especially those around Nauvoo that felt like any other place. Totally normal. Standing in Carthage, the room where those valiant men gave their lives, there was a truly powerful presence. It went to the very core of me.
So, based on my experiences and what scripture tells us, the logical answer is that it is a combination of consecration and perception. If the Lord cannot dwell in unholy temples, then it stands to reason that an unholy individual in a holy place would feel much less or nothing. And those who prepare themselves will receive more. But in terms of what one location possesses verses another, it is my understanding that through consecration it is more difficult for a dark and evil spirit to take root or be present. We have been told by several prophets and I believe it is in the training materials that any unholiness of thought or feeling encountered in the temple is entirely what we bring in ourselves because unholy spritis cannot dwell in that sacred space. Nature abhors a vaccuumm, therefore, when evil is cast out of a place there can only be felt there the Holy Spirit. It won’t remain neutral. The Sacred Grove seems the ultimate example because evil was cast out of that place so completely and profoundly and that space has been maintained as a sacred space that it would feel different to anyone regardless of what they carried within, if only because what they have inside is interacting with the Spirit that is present there. I because I was cranky and pregnant and wanting to go home, was only really touched in the spaces that were most sacred. If I had been as prepared and eager as my husband was I am sure I would have felt more.
Good insight, but it leads me to another thought: If I am sitting next to you in the temple, thinking evil thoughts, you could be sitting there feeling the Spirit – so an unworthy person causes the Spirit to flee – but not necessarily from the room, but from the heart of the unworthy person.
I’m trying not to speculate, but it reminds me of the parable of the 10 Virgins. We can’t share the oil because it is something inside of us that we have learned.
I think there is a mix of the two: both the place and the person, depending on how spiritually prepared the person is and the type of place. I remember my first visit to Israel and preparing spiritually for that 3 week long experience prior to going. Orson Hyde dedicated the area in the 1800’s. Visiting the Garden Tomb was a highlight in my life and I still remember ducking down through the door and spending time…alone…in the empty tomb where President Spencer W. Kimball testified that this is where the Savior lay after He was crucified and is one of the most holiest of places on the earth. Tears flowed freely as I stood in that sacred place and thought of the Atonement and Resurrection, and what it meant for me. One on one. You just FEEL it. Same thing with visiting the Garden of Gethsemane. Incredible spirit there. But was it the powerful devotionals by my Church leaders at these sacred places that made me feel the spirit more strongly? The lack of tourists at these spots on those particular days? Was it that I was more spiritually prepared than usual? The place? Was it that Joseph of Arimathea is in my family history and I felt that? A combination of all, I believe.
As I walked away from the garden tomb that Sabbath morning, I knew—as so many who have visited Israel have come to realize—that the place itself neither provides nor withholds a spiritual experience. Sacred feelings won’t automatically be felt there; in fact, they may come at any place and at any time if we are receptive.
Some interesting thoughts on this holy place:
“Of all the places visited on President Kimball’s travels, the tomb where the body of Jesus was laid moved him the most. … ‘There was such a holy influence here that we stayed and stayed … knelt together and each had a solemn prayer – a prayer of gratitude that we know the Lord and know our Heavenly Father, and know that Jesus Christ lived and died and resurrected and rose and ascended and lives.” -Spencer W. Kimball
Biography, 1978, p. 331
When President Harold B. Lee visited the site, he gave a spiritual confirmation of this sacred place: “Something seemed to impress us as we stood there,” he said, “that this was the holiest place of all, and we fancied we could have witnessed the dramatic scene that took place there.” (Ensign, Apr. 1972, p. 6.)
Great examples. I hadn’t read the President Lee quote.
For some locations, it’s the Spirit that dwells strong.
Every time I go to the sacred grove, I feel the same way I felt the first time I went. I remember walking the grove the first time and thinking, somewhere in here, Christ and Heavenly Father stood.
Contrast that with my first visit to the Kirtland temple. In the Kirtland temple, Christ stood on the pulpit. I know of no other place on earth where you can say, somewhere in these 24 square feet, Christ definitely stood. But it did not feel like the Sacred Grove.
Once a location is dedicated, the Spirit can dwell there more strongly. When we go there and offer up prayers again and again, it is akin to rededicating. I believe the spirit is more frequently invited to the Sacred Grove, than to the Kirtland Temple. In other words, it’s not who stood there, it’s who is still there.
Other locations it’s the emotions that dwell strong, which can in turn make us more open to the spirit. The location I was Baptized. The Bishops office I first recognized the Presence of the Holy Ghost.
My thoughts are not as well organized as I could like, but there is my 2 cents.
Mosiah 18:30 “…yea, the place of Mormon, the waters of Mormon, the forest of Mormon, how beautiful are they to the eyes of them who there came to the knowledge of their Redeemer; yea, and how blessed are they, for they shall sing to his praise forever.”
The last three Sundays at church, as I exited the building to drive home, I felt tears welling up. Background: my husband is terminally ill and is only able to attend sacrament meeting, after which he goes home. So tears come and go at odd moments as we prepare for him to go Home. It has been a testimony to me that our meetinghouses truly can be holy ground, and that the Spirit can more easily keep me serene when I am surrounded by the friends and family who love us. I still feel beloved and protected in the parking lot, and on the drive home, but for me there is an extra measure of comfort and blessing when I step inside the building. I have also felt the Spirit at the Kennedy Memorial in downtown Dallas, and at ThanksGiving Square a few blocks farther east. There are places on this earth that may not have been formally dedicated and consecrated, but they are nonetheless hallowed by the faith of those who prayed there.
Thanks for being wiling to share that. I agree – hallowed ground is not always “consecrated” in a religious sense. I hope to visit Normandy one day, and I imagine it will carry that same holiness.
I can speak of my own experience… in feeling the lack of the Spirit’s presence in a place that was once consecrated, but isn’t anymore. I felt it walking into the Kirtland temple, both times I have been there. The second time was more profound, because I had learned a lot in the years between visits about the Spirit. I have been to most of the places you listed above. I do feel that you can go to those places and feel nothing, but most who make the effort to visit have prepared themselves. The same can be true with ‘ordinary’ locations. We can live in a manner prepared to feel the Spirit anywhere.
I agree with this. When I was a teenager I visited Nauvoo with my dad over summer break. When we got to Joseph and Hyrum’s graves I knew I should be feeling something profound. These were the resting places for two of the greatest men in church history! But the Spirit just wasn’t there.
I had a similar feeling when I visited the Kirkland temple years later. Knowing what had occurred in that building, I knew I should have been overcome with the Spirit but sadly I didn’t.
LOVE this topic! I have many, many opinions about it, but I will share only an experience, per your request.
18 years ago we were searching for a house. We found a property where a house, falling down in ruin, stood on a piece of farmground. I was overcome with a spirit of happiness, as if children were running and playing everywhere. It was as tangible as if I’d been there 100 years before. I commented that happy people had lived here, and the owner teared up. It had been in their family for generations, but nobody had wanted to live this far out of town, so the house had been uninhabited for more than 50 years. They mowed the grass twice a year, but that was the extent of the care the property had received. We walked all over the land as the owner told me stories of her grandparents. It was a divine and holy place where a family had been grown.
D&C 130 shares the prophets observations about spirit being matter of a finer sort, and I’ve always thought that our spirit clings to a place after we leave it – that the experiences we have there remain like a dust left behind us. I’ve also felt places where truly horrible things happened, so I know all sorts of spirits leave that matter. When holiness has occurred, as in temples or our own sacred groves, the spirit clings and all those with eyes to see this finer stuff feel it.
D&C 131:7-8 “There is no such thing as immaterial matter. All spirit is matter, but it is more fine or pure, and can only be discerned by purer eyes;
We cannot see it; but when our bodies are purified we shall see that it is all matter.”
Interesting scripture in this context. Thanks, Bonnie
Whoops! Sorry for the inaccurate reference – glad you found it.
Great comment! Personally, since we are eternal beings, I also think this works in reverse. For instance, when I first saw my next home (the one we will move into next month)…I saw it a few years ago and thought…there is something special about this house. I wasn’t looking for a new home and frankly you can barely see this one from the street. But the spirit hit me over the head that day. Years later, my husband found the house online, independent of me, and showed it to me. He had already fallen in love with it. And here we are moving into it. I am fully confident that it will be a “sacred grove” for our family. If you can follow me, I tend to think that “deja vu” is just our eternal selves having a hiccup…and remembering what is yet to be! I think that events, places, and moments in time can all be sacred places. I have a kitchen table that I acquired a few years ago that was special to the family who owned it before their family was torn apart by divorce. I can feel that this table was once sacred as generations of that family gathered around it…so as my family gathers around it, it’s sacred once more. I swear I can feel the special “spiritual matter” surrounding that table as well.
Well, I don’t have quotes or anything. So if this comment is not what you’re looking for, feel free to delete it.
Right now I’m at BYU-Idaho. The leaders here have been emphasizing how these classrooms, these meeting-places, have been consecrated. And I have noticed a different spirit here. I don’t know if it’s that my heart is softened, or if the Holy Ghost dwells stronger here. But based on what I know of my (exceptionally hardened) heart, I’m fairly certain it’s the latter. (Not that everyone here is feeling the Spirit here. But you have to harden your heart more to avoid it.)
I tend to agree that places do have a spiritual element – but how does that work?
I’m with you on this; I don’t know. Someone did suggest though, similar to what Bonnie said just below here, that part of what makes this place (and by extension, other places) special is the sacrifice that went into them.
Now that I think about it, I believe that it’s both the specific place and our own spiritual sensitivity. If we’re completely out of tune, we won’t be as likely to feel the special spirit in a place; but I believe now that a special place can break through very hardened hearts.
I’d like to share a story with you, however it would be more appropriate in an e-mail. I don’t have your address. Can I get it from you?
middleagedmormonman@gmail.com