Cover image via Gospel Media Library.
Last March, after many years of anticipation, my husband, Erik, and I found ourselves at the door of the Helsinki Finland Temple. Erik served as a missionary in Finland and Estonia in 1988-1990. Like many missionaries, he’s kept up with friends in Finland, insisted on eating fish stew, blueberry pie and salty licorice, and taught his children a dozen Finnish phrases.
When the Helsinki Temple was dedicated in 2006, we couldn’t cross the ocean with our houseful of darling babies. Still, we’ve talked about visiting the temple even since.
On this snowy day in March, we knew the temple was closed for cleaning and minor renovations, but just walking on the grounds, seeing it poised on the hill was balm for the soul. After we posed in front of the doors for a photo, Erik turned and– like a five year old– cupped his hands and looked through the glass door. The door swung open, and the kindest man, dressed all in white, enthusiastically invited us inside.
“The temple is closed,” he apologized, “but come on in. You need to see the temple.”
For my friends who attend the temple in the United States, you know his offer was unusual. When temples are open and you have a recommend, temple volunteers are gracious and welcoming. But when they are closed; they are CLOSED. A Utah temple would never open for someone to look around. Those rules make sense– there are just too many members in Utah and we would overwhelm the temples.
But not in Finland. This angelic Finnish volunteer proceeded to usher us through the lobby, the baptistry, the offices and waiting rooms, he pointed out favorite paintings, carvings of Finnish trees and flowers, the beautiful carpets, and chandeliers. He apologized that the building wasn’t open for patrons. “You should have called ahead! I would have set something up. We opened for a wedding just this morning.”
I’ve never been a VIP in the church or elsewhere, but this good man treated us like cherished, welcomed, beloved guests. Standing in that lobby, admiring the stained glass windows and the carved trees reaching up towards heaven, I felt a sense of belonging, peace, and a sure knowledge of the love of God for all His children.
If Jesus had opened the door of the temple, I believe He would have treated us similarly. Once he pulled us to our feet and wiped the tears from our eyes, He would have ushered us into the temple with love and enthusiasm. “Welcome to my home! Let me bless you; and if you’re ready to make covenants, I can bless you even more.”
Maybe you’ve heard the parable of the church as a three story building? On the first level, the doors are wide open and everyone who desires to learn more about Jesus can mingle, ask questions, serve each other, and develop bonds of friendship as they come closer to Christ.
The stairs to the second level require baptismal covenants. On the second level, church members enjoy greater communion with Christ, the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost, and countless opportunities to grow in knowledge and service to God.
The third level is reserved for those who are ready to make temple covenants and receive spiritual power by keeping Heavenly Father’s commandments, repenting with a broken heart and contrite spirit, loving God and thy neighbor as thyself, keeping the law of chastity, and dedicating their time talents and blessings to building up Jesus Christ’s Church on the earth.
Maybe,
perhaps,
sometimes,
as members striving to do good in God’s kingdom, do we lock the doors to the first level of the gospel simply because someone isn’t ready for baptismal or temple covenants?
How much happier, what kind of sense of belonging could we cultivate, if we opened our hearts to all of God’s children?
Among the saints, I see examples of this open heartedness several times a week as you care for your neighbors, clean up after natural disasters, volunteer at temple open houses, and treat everyone you meet as a child of God.
Still, I’d suggest we all have one more layer of judgment we could remove. What if we could fling the windows and doors of our hearts wide open, let the Spirit flow freely, and treat everyone as a beloved, precious child of God?
When Christ walked upon the earth He set the example for us; He opened the doors, the windows, even the roof. He wrapped his arms around sinners, lepers, those who were cast out and cast down. We are all cast down, we all need each other. Let’s open our hearts.
