Today's Favorite Verse: Genesis 28:12, 16-17
"And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it.
And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the Lord is in this place; and I knew it not.
And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven."
I wanted to understand what Jacob's ladder represented. I found a really nice quote by President Marion G. Romney.
“Jacob realized that the covenants he made with the Lord … were the rungs on the ladder that he himself would have to climb in order to obtain the promised blessings—blessings that would entitle him to enter heaven and associate with the Lord”
(Marion G. Romney, "Temples— The Gates to heaven," Ensign, Mar. 1971, 16)
Reading further in the Old Testament Seminary Student Manual I see that the reference "he was afraid" and "how dreadful is this place" refer to Jacob's feeling of reverence and awe. It indicates that Jacob understood the seriousness of entering the presence of God. He calls the place the "house of God" and "gate of heaven". The gate of heaven refers to the gateway of God's presence, through which we can receive the promise of eternal life. The place for this is in the House of God, or the latter-day temples. It is through making and keeping sacred covenants that we can gain eternal life. OK, this is making me a little homesick.
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