The Holy Secret by James L. Ferrell

Kathy in Bismarck gave me a beautifully inscribed copy of this book after I asked her if I could borrow hers. I heard her talk about it one evening and she was so positive about it, I wanted to read it. She mentioned having read it multiple times, so I thought it was one I needed to read, even though I suspected I had already read it at some point in my past. I was so enthused about C. Terry Warner, and the Arbinger institute that he founded, that I read a lot of their books probably 8 or 10 years ago. Ferrell is president of Arbinger, and I had read one of his earlier books for sure, The Peacegiver. They build on Warner's ideas, but are more allegorical. They don't resonate particularly well for me, and I'm not sure why. Warner is much more understandable to me and just makes sense. Ferrell tells stories, and they all seem pretty contrived. But his point isn't the story, it's the message.

As in other books of his, this one is a story. This particular one is about two men talking and learning together. I think in order to get more out of it, I need to read it again with my scriptures and try to trace the thinking in the examples. I did get a lot out of it, and am still thinking about his assertion that we need to learn to LOVE what is holy and that often, we do not. In particular, he believes we need to learn to love three things that will increase our holiness: the scriptures, the temple, and the sabbath.

A quote that stopped me in my tracks is this one, in the preface:

"If we do not enjoy holiness here, we will not have the opportunity to experience it there."

Another thought I liked is that we need to apply the cleansing agent of holiness. It reminds me of applying the atonement or of seeking and finding grace. All of these create a similar impulse and result, I think.

In his section on loving the holy scriptures, Ferrell's example of from the Book of Mormon is particularly fascinating and accurate. He explicates why Nephi continually mentions that his family dwelt in a TENT. And then explores all the implications of this and it really opens up the story more. It's a great example of how increased understanding really does enlighten the meaning and potential application. It helps me slow down when I read the scriptures and to ask more questions. The answers come easily in this book, and not so easy when I'm on my own! It's a worthy pursuit, however, and I have been trying more, especially during my scripture study opportunities in the quiet baptistry of the temple.

I definitely need to explore more the examples of holiness through temple worship and sabbath day observance. And I will!

The Development of Temple Doctrine by Jennifer Ann Mackley

This amazing book was a real eye-opener. I usually have to fight to stay with a history book, but this one was fascinating to read. I don't think it would hold much interest for a non-LDS person, but perhaps it would. Most of it focuses on temple worship and the context for how that developed in the early days of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

The author exhaustively researched and documented her sources. Most of it comes from Wilford Woodruff's journals. He was a thorough journaler, and his early work in the St. George Temple is recorded in detail. There are other sources as well, and the notes section of the book gives even more background.

This book was recommended to me by Lolly Osguthorpe, who is a good friend and served as a Temple Matron. I trust her judgment, and her recommendations. It helped me understand that our temple work and ordinances have developed and changed over time, and will continue to. President Woodruff was pretty clear that this would be an on-going development. He was able to focus on gathering his own family history and doing his family's work while serving in the St. George temple for 13 (?) years. When he became president of the church, he had all of this experience to inform his leadership. A VERY worthwhile read!

Refuge and Reality by John H. Groberg

Lidvin Kjerengtroen recommended this book to me, so I ordered it used on Amazon. I have enjoyed many of Elder Groberg's talks, so I expected to really like this book. And I did. Except for the minor irritation that it feels a little inappropriate to share how he personally counseled many people and brought them to tears and meaningful insights. I need to read it again and see if I can't value what I read more; maybe view it with softer eyes. Our presidency has been so clear about NOT sharing anything about the temple or about our own thoughts, so we're at the other extreme. I need to give this one another chance. And I will.

Refuge and Reality by John H. Groberg

This book came highly-recommended by Lidvin Kjerengtroen, during a discussion we hosted at Empty Nesters about resources that helped enhance people's temple worship. Plus, I'm a big fan of some of Elder Groberg's talks and ideas, so I was ready to enjoy this book.

This book chronicles some of the special experiences he had in the Idaho Falls Temple from 2005 to 2008 when he and his wife served as Temple President and Matron.

My big take-away from this book is something I've thought about from time to time. People often say, "I hate going back to the real world," after spending time in the temple. I have felt that way too. Elder Groberg wrote a wonderful chapter explaining how the temple is the REAL, real world. It's eternal and constant. Our "reality" here on earth is just temporal and not real at all...I need to review that chapter and remember why else I liked that thinking so much.

Actually, I need to reread the whole book, because maybe I was just in the wrong spirit. I kept noticing how he was the hero who always said the right things in all of his stories and these words changed lives. I hate that. But maybe I was just in a bad mood when I read it . I will definitely give this book another try.

House of Learning by M. Richard and Kathleen H. Walker

I believe I first heard about this book from Renee Nordquist. Len and I were leading an "Empty Nesters" group activity. We made a Jeopardy-style game about temples and I asked people to also bring resources to share that had enhanced people's temple worship. I believe this is the book that Renee recommended. I ordered it right away.

The authors served as Temple President and Matron of the Salt Lake Temple from 2005 to 2008. This book is a reflection of their learning there and over the years as temple-goers. They share experiences with their workers and their patrons. They also offer some advice on how to learn in the temple. Their simple formula is: The Principle, the Savior, and Me...

Step One - in any part of the temple, including the baptisry, listen for the doctrinal principles that are being taught.

Step Two - Once you've identified the principle, ask, "How does this principle relate to the Savior?" Everything in the temple relates directly to the Savior, his divinity, and his atonement.

Step Three- Then ask, "What does this mean to me, and how do I apply it in my life?"

They give some helpful ideas to practice these three steps. They are very accessible examples and call on us to think deeply and to ask the Spirit for clarity.

Besides these helpful suggestions and this pattern for deepening my temple experience, there are inspiring stories and experiences. These make the reading enjoyable and uplifting. I also enjoyed comparing the experiences they had in a HUGE temple with our little Bismarck temple. The contrast in some areas were striking, yet the possibilities for spiritual experiences are big in both.

The Holy Invitation by Anthony Sweat

My friend and mentor in all things temple, Lolly Osguthorpe, recommended this book to me when I mentioned I wished I got more out of my temple worship, especially the endowment. She said it's now her "go to" book for members about to go to the temple for the first time and that her granddaughters really valued it. That was good enough for me! I ordered it right away. Lolly was right--it's simple and straightforward and very helpful.

What I found most helpful was the metaphor in Part 2, called "The Commoner and the King." It helped me understand, right away, more about the ceremony and clothing used in the endowment. It gave me "softer eyes" to view all aspects of that experience, which I needed!

In Part 3, the author recommends applying what prophets have taught when learning about God: use our mind (know), our heart (feel), and our actions (do). He recommends asking myself:

What does the Lord want me to KNOW from this experience?
What does the Lord want me to FEEL from this experience?
What does the Lord want me to DO because of this experience?

The author suggests other questions as well, and I like them. His overriding advice is to be meek and humble when asking for help in understanding. He reminds us that the endowment is teaching people of different cultures all over the world, and thus the teaching must be symbolic to cross cultures. It takes mental effort to understand symbolic teaching. It is helping me be more patient...This is a short little book but has rich references too. Worth multiple reads and study.