So, in my American Christianity class last week, we randomly began discussing architecture and how each building has a message and a deeper meaning. We began to examine Latter-day Saint temples that we were familiar with. In particular, we looked at the deep architectural meaning of the Salt Lake temple. For those of you who don't know, the mormons endured trial after trial as they moved further and further West. They had to leave multiple homes and relocate after many instances of intense persecution. With that in mind, my professor asked us what the Salt Lake temple reminded us of. After a handful of responses, Professor Fluhman said something like this:
"Buildings don't just happen by accident. The Salt Lake temple is a castle, a fortress. It wasn't going to go anywhere. It says something when you build a castle. It was almost as if the saints were saying, 'We are Mormons. Hear us roar!'
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This particular statement hit me. Especially as I began to develop this metaphor. In my church, we are taught that our bodies are temples. If our bodies are temples, then according to Professor Fluhman, no human being happens by accident. We all have a purpose here, we all have a statement to make, we all have something only we can do. We have the potential to build ourselves like a castle. But we have a choice. We can choose to be a wasteland of anger, misery, and sadness or we can choose to be a fortress of goodness, happiness, and righteousness. Each act of service, each time we refrain from gossip, each time we support a friend, we are fortifying our own personal castles. As our fortress of righteousness builds up, we have the power to combine against any trial that may come our way. Knowing that I am building my own fortress instills in me a power to keep fighting. I am a castle. I am a fortress. I am Jennifer Anne Marie McKay. Hear me roar!
And that's what Jenny thinks.
And that's what Jenny thinks.
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