Today's Favorite Verse: Psalms 134:1-2

Today's Favorite Verse: Psalms 134:1-2

"Behold, bless ye the LORD, all ye servants of the LORD, which by night stand in the house of the LORD.

Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless the LORD."

This reminded me of the two times that I am aware of the temples being opened day and night, so saints could receive their endowments. The first was prior to the saints leaving Nauvoo, and the second before the temples closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Elder Bednar's spoke at a BYU Devotional of the miracles of temples being open day and night to accommodate the saints before they needed to close. The full talk is even better than these quotes from the article.

"Elder Bednar pointed to miracles experienced by Latter-day Saints in the second week of November 2020 in several temples in North America. On November 10, government officials in a large jurisdiction announced a new wave of pandemic-induced restrictions that would be implemented three days later and would suspend religious gatherings for a minimum of three weeks.

Wanting to give as many people as possible the opportunity to worship in temples before they closed, these temple leaders prayerfully decided to keep their temples operating — doors open, lights on, night and day, nonstop — until they would close on Friday, November 13, at midnight. Making this around-the-clock operation a reality would require meticulous planning and ample volunteers from local Latter-day Saints.

Elder Bednar shared comments from eight Church members that give insight into what they viewed as the miraculous nature of that 72-hour period inside these temples.

Some described miracles in making appointments for so many people in so little time. “When I started calling patrons … I completely expected to leave messages,” one person said. “Almost everyone answered their phone. To me, [this was] a miracle. Almost all available time slots were filled in less than a day and a half.”

“There was miracle after miracle,” another said, “miracles in scheduling, miracles in obtaining necessary paperwork to have ordinances [rites and ceremonies] completed, miracles in having one available appointment time precisely at the only time a patron was able to come.”

Others spoke of the look reflected on the faces of those who, instead of being weary from serving all night and morning, were miraculously full of joy and light.“

As I arrived at the temple on Thursday morning around 5:00 a.m., I saw ordinance workers who had served all night long still smiling as they served,” one person said. “One brother stayed at the temple day and night, not going home for three days. His service was invaluable and needed in so many ways.”

(David A. Bednar, "Elder Bednar Tells of Temple Miracles During Covid-19", Church Newsroom, 19 Jan 2021)

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