Sabbath Delights: Integrity and the Temple

If you are ever looking for something to do on a Sunday, scroll through lds.org. It is full of inspiring and instructive messages. Today I watched a short video explain the significance of temples in the Mormon religion. It reminded me of an experience I had at school involving the temple. From this experience I gained a personal testimony that the spirit of the temple helps us to be a better person. Simple, but so important. Decisions between right and wrong become obvious, temptations more easily identified and avoided, greater love felt and then shared. Here is the account from my journal:

So I missed attending a required band performance from my Creative Arts class. The response paper I was supposed to write about it was worth 50 points. That was enough to make a meaningful dip in my grade if I didn't get it in. It is the end of the term, and I am barely holding on to an 'A' as it is. So, I wrote the response paper.. I spent a few hours researching the band online and watching various YouTube videos. I tried diligently to convince myself that this was just as good, if not better, than seeing the band live. My research helped me learn more about the culture of the music and the history of the band.  In the paper I never said I went to the performance, but I never mentioned that I didn't go either. Not letting myself think about, I turned it in. There was a little guilt involved, but I kept my various justifications close in hand. 

Over the next few days, as much as I tried to shake off the incident it was always hovering when my mind wasn't already preoccupied. Later that week I went to the Logan temple and my mind was cleared. There was no question anymore: I had to tell the truth. It wasn't even a scary thought, I just knew I had to do it. Upon leaving the temple there was no question in my mind that what I had done was wrong and needed to be fixed. So I wrote a comment explaining what had happened and posted it alongside the paper. And sure enough, I received a zero. This brought my grade down to an 'A-' the only blemish on my transcript for the semester. I was so mad that I was going to get the lowest grade in my easiest class, but so relieved I had told the truth. If I had not, my integrity, especially concerning schoolwork, would have been lowered for possibly the rest of my college career. If I did it once, what would stop me from doing it again?

There was still extra credit to be added to my grade, but I wasn't hopeful. It would take a lot to save my grade at this point. But a few weeks later the extra credit was posted and it took me up to an 'A'! I was so happy and so, so glad I hadn't cheated. Especially now when it was clear that it would have been unnecessary. I would be feeling awful right now, or even worse I may have been perfectly okay with what I did, but instead I am tasting of the joy of integrity. It is always better to be honest. I promise to myself to never again try and take a short cut.

I plan to stay true to that promise to myself :) 

The beautiful Logan temple.

Here is that video about temples. I love it because it explains so much so clearly.