A few weeks ago I had a scary and thought provoking experience. I was driving all alone on a two lane road in rural central Utah, several hours away from both our northern home and southern vacation home. It seemed from out of nowhere a violent summer thunder and lightning storm hit, and almost immediately the road became a raging river covering up the center and side dividing lines. The black clouds were so low and the rain was coming down so fast and hard that my car was engulfed in thick sheets of water so dense and dark that my headlights were useless. I could not see the headlights of oncoming cars or where the side of the road was, in order to pull off. The only light came from continuous streaks of lightning very low and all around me. The claps of thunder accompanying the lightning were close, loud and frightening. Not daring to turn right or left or stop in the middle of the road, I crept along at about 5 mph for about 15 minutes and was grateful I didn't run into anything or off the road.
Then after what seemed like forever, the storm relented a bit, the clouds lifted briefly, and for a minute I could see to the far end of the valley. And there it was! Sitting majestically on top of a hill, glowing in the horizontal rays of evening sunlight, was a beacon to help me find my way to safety; the beautiful Manti Temple! I have always loved the picturesque setting of this exquisite temple, positioned to be seen for miles away and acting as a sentinel over this part of Utah, but it had never looked so beautiful and welcoming as it did to me on this day.
For me, temples are a reminder of my faith and hope in Jesus Christ. When the storms of life gather around and seem ready to overtake and envelop me, I can always look to my Heavenly Father and His son Jesus Christ to beckon and guide me back to safety.
