Elder Ronald A. Rasband on standing in holy places to overcome fear

Elder Ronald A. Rasband (b. February 6, 1951) served as a Seventy beginning in 2000.  He was the senior president of the Seventy when he was called to the Quorum of Twelve Apostles in October 2015.

"When we stand in holy places—our righteous homes, our dedicated chapels, the consecrated temples—we feel the Spirit of the Lord with us. We find answers to questions that trouble us or the peace to simply set them aside. That is the Spirit in action. These sacred places in the kingdom of God on earth call for our reverence, our respect for others, our best selves in living the gospel, and our hopes to lay aside our fears and seek the healing power of Jesus Christ through His Atonement.

"There is no room for fear in these holy places of God or in the hearts of His children. Why? Because of love. God loves us—always—and we love Him. Our love of God counters all fears, and His love abounds in holy places. Think about it. When we are tentative in our commitments to the Lord, when we stray from His path leading to life eternal, when we question or doubt our significance in His divine design, when we allow fear to open the door to all its companions—discouragement, anger, frustration, disappointment—the Spirit leaves us, and we are without the Lord. If you know what that is like, you know it is not a good place to be. In contrast, when we stand in holy places, we can feel God’s love, and 'perfect love casteth out all fear' (Moroni 8:16)."

- Ronald A. Rasband, "Be Not Troubled," General Conference October 2018
Click here to read or listen to the full talk

Elder Rasband's message responded to the challenges and uncertainties we sometimes face in our lives that cause fear. We all have them from time to time, in different degrees and for varied reasons; but there are ways to compensate and overcome as we strive to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ. His first suggestion was to learn to find comfort and hope as we recognize and "stand" in the places in our lives that are holy—temples, chapels, homes.

Perhaps we would do well to evaluate whether our homes, in particular, provide the kind of sacred environment Elder Rasband is describing, where reverence, respect, and gospel living are the normal condition.

Holy places are filled with God's love, Elder Rasband teaches; and that love drives fears away. "Our love of God counters all fears, and His love abounds in holy places." But Elder Rasband warns of things that might cause the Lord's spirit to depart, leaving us with the fears of the world:

• when we are tentative in our commitments to the Lord
• when we stray from His path leading to life eternal
• when we question or doubt our significance in His divine design
• when we allow fear to open the door to all its companions—discouragement, anger, frustration, disappointment

A good warning for us all, to do the things that will enable us all to "stand in holy places and be not moved."

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2018)