Renovations

I am a perfectionist. Which means, among many things, I worry that when things don’t work out exactly how I hoped they would that it means I did something wrong—that I somehow failed. Maybe you can relate.

The problem is, sometimes God sends us trials. Big ones. Small ones. Uniquely tailored ones. And sometimes as I try steering the boat that God gave me, watching the waves get choppy and the winds begin to howl, I call out for His aid. I ask Jesus to calm the storm like He did for His disciples long ago. But He doesn’t. It seems the heavens have gone silent as the rest of the world remains in chaos. I feel abandoned, forced to weather the storm.

Sometimes when trials come to stay, I wonder, “What did I do wrong? How did I fail so grandly to deserve this punishment? Why doesn’t God love me anymore?”

I’ve come to realize that the answer is: “Nothing. God still loves you very much. These trials, as odd as it may seem, are in fact a manifestation of His love.”

How? How could the act of ripping up so many beautiful things in your life be an act of love? The answer came to me while pondering the renovation of the Salt Lake Temple.

Recently, the general Young Men’s and Young Women’s presidents stood in front of the Salt Lake Temple with Elder Stevenson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. The beautiful temple, which took the original pioneer settlers 40 years to complete, is under renovation. Temple Square has become a construction zone through and through. It looks nothing like the peaceful temple grounds I remember from growing up. Instead, it is covered in scaffolding, the flowerbeds and pathways are torn up and replaced with gapping holes, and noisy construction machinery rolls around the dusty trenches. It is fascinating, but somewhat ugly and definitely a stark contrast to the temple I know and love. It has been like this for years now.

Why are they doing this massive renovation on the Salt Lake Temple? Previous generations already spent decades perfecting the grand building to the best of their abilities. Is the temple somehow flawed? Did they fail in their sincere sacrifices to construct a House unto the Lord?

No. The Salt Lake Temple really is a masterpiece. And for over a hundred years it fulfilled its purpose wonderfully. The current renovations are in no way trying to chastise or slight the original pioneer builders. Instead, they are meant to show respect by preserving the temple.

We know that in the last days before Jesus Christ’s return there will be wars and disasters, including earthquakes that could destroy the historic Salt Lake Temple if it were left as is. The pioneers built the strongest foundation that they knew how (after their first attempt using sandstone cracked). But now we have better building techniques. The current renovations are adding an isolated foundation that will make the temple earthquake-proof, a task that was literally impossible in the era when the temple was first built. If anything, this is a form of praise of the pioneers’ efforts. This renovation, as ugly as it looks at the moment, is only happening because they did it right. They did a good job. This is an addition, building on top of (or I guess in the case, building below) the worthy sacrifice that they already made.

Thinking of the trials and refinements that Christ calls me to walk through, I realized that it is like this temple. He’s not telling me I did something wrong or that I’m broken or that I need to fix some egregious error in the very makeup of my soul. No, instead He wants me to build upon the worthy sacrifices that I have already made so that He can preserve them. He is showing respect and love for me, my choices, and my progress.

So next time you wonder what hard times mean, think of the Salt Lake Temple. It may still go through a few more “ugly” years, but those hard times are because we love it. We want it strong enough to survive the coming days. In an even grander sense, Jesus loves you and wants you preserved for His kingdom. So hold on, hope for better days ahead, and “know that all things work together for good to them that love God.” (Romans 8:28)

Thoughts about Jesus Christ—our Advocate, our Savior, and our Friend.

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Questions To Ponder On

What did I do wrong to deserve these trials in my life?

Sometimes when trials come to stay, I wonder, “What did I do wrong? How did I fail so grandly to deserve this punishment?” But the answer is: “Nothing. God still loves you very much. These trials, as odd as it may seem, are in fact a manifestation of His love.”

How can painful life changes be an expression of God’s love?

It might seem strange, but trials in your life can actually be a form of love. Just like the Salt Lake Temple’s renovation, these changes aren’t punishment—they’re a way of preserving what’s already good and building something even stronger.

Does going through hard times mean I’ve failed spiritually?

No, it doesn’t mean you did something wrong or that you’re broken. It means Christ trusts you to build upon the worthy sacrifices you’ve already made. He is showing respect and love for you, your choices, and your progress.

What can the renovation of the Salt Lake Temple teach me about personal trials?

Like the temple, you are not being torn down because of failure. The renovation is only happening because the original builders did a good job and we want to protect the beautiful structure that they created. Similarly, your trials may be Christ’s way of strengthening and preserving you—making you strong enough to survive the coming days, because He loves you.