Covenant Relationships and the Mozambique Fireside with Aly Brandon

What would you say to a group of young adults who are preparing for the temple, but live days away from the nearest one? In this episode, we are joined by Aly Brandon, President of Care for Life, who shares her experience leading a powerful fireside in Mozambique, Africa.

Aly dives deep into why the temple matters even when we aren't physically inside its walls. We explore the transition from viewing covenants as "contracts" to seeing them as a living covenant relationship with a God who knows us, loves us, and wants to help us. Whether you are preparing for your first time or have been attending for decades, this conversation offers a beautiful, foundational perspective on how the temple is meant to change our hearts and our everyday lives.

In This Episode, We Discuss:

• The Mozambique Experience: The unique spiritual landscape of Beira and the hunger of the young adults there for temple connection.
• Covenants vs. Contracts: Why President Nelson’s teachings on hesed (covenant love) shift the way we view our promises to God.
• The Three Elements of the Temple (Jeremiah 31:33):
  1. Establishing a Covenant Relationship.
  2. Receiving God’s Law in our inward parts.
  3. Being Changed and made holy.
• A Simple Way to Remember: Aly shares a clever hand-gesture tool to remember the five main covenants of the endowment.
• The Temple-Sacrament Connection: How the weekly sacrament acts as a "return and report" session for our temple commitments.
• Building Capacity: Aly explains the Care for Life philosophy of "layered leadership" and how helping others solve their own problems mirrors the way God empowers us.

What is one way the Lord wants you to prepare for the blessings of the temple right now, regardless of how close you live to one? Take a moment to write down the impression that comes to your heart.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:05

Welcome back to Temple Bound. Today I'm joined by Ellie Brandon. She found herself in a unique situation recently when she was in Mozambique, Africa, and she had to give a fireside to a group of young adults preparing to go to the temple down the road. But here's the thing: not only had they never been, they lived days away from one. What would you say to a group of saints to make it meaningful and connected when you know that they're not going to go in the near future? So, what happened was a fireside that transcended physical attendance of the temple. It was a sacred discussion about covenants, connection, and becoming, how the temple can bless our lives even when we're not able to go to one on a regular basis. Together, we're going to explore why temples matter and why covenants are less about contracts and more about the relationships. How the real work of the temple happens when we carry it with us wherever we are in everyday life. So whether you live five minutes from a temple or thousands of miles away, this conversation will deepen your understanding of how God knows you, loves you, and is actively working in your life. Enjoy the show. Well, okay, Allie, I am so excited to hear about your trip to Mozambique. So yeah, let's start with that. Why were you going to Mozambique in the first place?

SPEAKER_03 1:21

Okay. So I was headed out there because I'm the president of Care for Life, which you're familiar with this organization.

SPEAKER_00 1:27

I am on the board. Proud to be on the board for sure.

SPEAKER_03 1:30

Yes. So we were headed out there to do some training with staff and then also just um observing the program there in action, boots on the ground to see how it's going.

SPEAKER_00 1:39

Was that your first time to go visit the continent of Africa? Yes.

SPEAKER_03 1:42

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:42

So what was your impression of Mozambique in particular?

SPEAKER_03 1:46

I I feel like one thing that surprised me was just how familiar the people felt to me, which I was surprised because I've never met them. But it was fantastic to be there with them and to be making eye contact with them and seeing them and being seen. It felt like, no, I know you. I love you. So that was my favorite, was how not different it felt. Except the roads. The roads were totally weird for me.

SPEAKER_00 2:14

Yeah, that was a different experience for sure. Um, Heather and I sure loved our experience there as well, had a very similar experience of like feeling like you knew the people.

SPEAKER_02 2:22

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 2:23

And also dealing with the fact that you're in a developing country that has unique developmental struggles there. Um and you had a chance to speak to some young adults who are members of the church.

SPEAKER_01 2:34

I did.

SPEAKER_00 2:34

And talk about the temple. So how did that occur? Like how did that set come to be?

SPEAKER_03 2:38

Yeah. So the group that we were going with, we had a BYU professor that joined us and four of her students. We had two PhD students and two master's students. And before we went, um, one of them had asked, hey, is there a service project we can do? Could we paint a school or something? And you're familiar with that's not quite the way we approach humanitarian work. We don't paint something that they can do for themselves.

Rethinking Service: Capacity Over Projects

SPEAKER_00 3:06

But can we can we can we double-click on that for a second? Because I think that's actually a very important point that the audience might be surprised to hear. This was shocking to me.

unknown 3:14

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 3:14

You know, why is it that uh Care for Life isn't going in and painting walls and handing out food and those types of things?

SPEAKER_03 3:21

Yeah. Um So when we go in, our focus at Care for Life is building capacity, which means giving them the skills, the tools, and helping them build the relationship networks that they need to be able to climb out of poverty on their own, even after we have left, which doesn't look like us going in then and doing service projects that they are able to do. There is a time and a place for those responses, but it just isn't Care for Life's approach because what we're looking at is the long run and the outcome down the road. Do they have the ability to face their challenges in the future? That's what Care for Life is focusing on. And so when that question was posed of could we paint a school or something, um, I said, let me think about that. Uh and what came to me was, are you familiar with Sister Eubank? Um, she gave a talk called I Pray He'll Use Us.

SPEAKER_00 4:20

Yes.

Planning A Temple Fireside For YSAs

SPEAKER_03 4:21

And in that talk, she talks about when we can get away from this idea that it has to be about stuff. And instead, we are the gift, the relationship, the connection, the support, and the love that we can give one another in helping each other turn to Christ. That is how we minister. That is when God can really use us. So, with that in mind, um, we were thinking about well, how can we support people in Mozambique? What service project are we uniquely positioned to offer? And one of the thoughts that came was all of us live within an hour of a temple. We know what it is to have a temple, but there in Bera, they are anticipating having a temple built. It's been announced, but they're not going to be familiar with that. So the idea was can we can we do a fireside and just kind of share, okay, this is what the temple means to us, and this is how we make sure that the temple is at the center of our lives. And so I brought that up with Solomon, who is Care for Life's director, and he's one of the state presidents there in Barra. And he said, Yeah, that's a great idea. Who do you want to meet with? And I said, Well, you're the one with stewardship. Who do you think needs that message? And he said, We've been focusing on the young adults. How many young adults do you want to meet with? I said, How many young adults do you want to come? Like whatever you feel like that's what we want to do is support the saints there, however, you feel like they need the support around the temple and the blessings of the temple. And he said, I want to keep it small and just invite certain young adults that I'm thinking I'm interesting.

SPEAKER_00 6:04

I didn't realize that part of it. I would have thought he would have wanted as many as possible to be there.

SPEAKER_03 6:08

No, because he wanted, he said, I want them to be able to ask questions and to be able to get answers and be a small group. So it was about 15 to 20 individuals. Um and it was so great. We just sat in a big circle and got to present and share about the temple. And then it went into this question and answer time that actually went on and on once they really kind of felt comfortable and felt like they could open up and ask questions.

Why Temples: The Core Question

SPEAKER_00 6:36

So by the way, I love the way that you went back to Solomon and asked for guidance. It reminded me of Nephi going to his father, like, yeah, where am I supposed to hunt for food? It's like, well, I've got the bow, I've got the service, I'm ready to go, but where do you want me to serve? And it really put him in a position of like reflection around, let's go a mile deep with these young adults. And so let's talk about that message. And the reason I think that's so important for our listeners is because we are at a stage in the church as we are revealing and developing all of these temples that I think members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who live stateside tend to like not be self-aware around the gradual learning that's happened most, if not their whole lives. And so, for example, when we went to Kenya, we were uh just a few, you know, last month, we were taking some members to the church to the temple for their first time, and we were coming out, and one of the men was with us, he was just like, wow, that was so great. I just, you know, I'll never forget that. He was talking about it like this really, I'm like, you know, you can go back. He goes, I can. I'm like, okay, so what did we miss in that journey for him to know those elements? And there were so many fundamental things that we wouldn't even think to ask that as members of the church who are in these developing areas, you know, we could really help them. So this message really struck home to me because, you know, as we look at the simple things, the the the very foundational things of the temple, those are the things that matter most. So I am really curious. I'm sure you were very prayerful about this. What a what a great responsibility to talk to these young adults. So um in general, give us the the overview of what it is that you decided to share with them. Of all the messages you could have shared. What was what was the the thought for this?

SPEAKER_03 8:21

Yeah. So um our focus was why temples? Um, and just why do temples matter? Why is it exciting that they're gonna have a temple be built right there? Which it really was right there, like the stake center that we met in.

SPEAKER_00 8:39

Yes, I have been there.

SPEAKER_03 8:40

Yeah, so I Is that where the temple's going? Well, it's Solomon's Stake Center, is that where you were? Yeah. So not by our offices, no, but across town.

SPEAKER_00 8:47

Where you go to church when you go. Where's that difference?

SPEAKER_03 8:49

Not that one.

SPEAKER_00 8:50

So no, I I've never been there.

SPEAKER_03 8:51

Okay, okay. Um, so this one is in Solomon's Stake. And so as I was asking them, I said, now where is the temple gonna be? And they said, Outside. I said, Yeah, but like where is it gonna be? And they said, No, like right there. I was like, oh right there. It's like right there. So so fun to just think like, oh, the the feelings that I have about temples being here, they're gonna have that right here. But then also to realize, but maybe they don't know what that feels like yet if they haven't had that experience of being right there on the temple grounds, looking at it and knowing just that familiar feeling that we have. So I want us to focus on why temples? Why does it matter? What impact is it going to have that this new building is going to be built? And why is it important that our Heavenly Father is wanting us to receive these blessings from the temple that they're being built all around the world? Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 9:56

I love that inspiration. Uh, listeners, as Ali was talking, I wanted to just highlight a couple things here. So if you are new to the church or newer in the church and you're listening to this or newer to the temple, this is gonna be great information what we're about to go over. If you are a member who's been going to the temple for years and you could teach this podcast better than me, let's pay close attention because how we can teach these found foundational doctrines to this newer generation of the church is a key element of how we're gonna grow the gospel. So let's get right into it. Let's talk about the share share with us some of the concepts that you shared with them.

SPEAKER_03 10:34

All right, so we started with Jeremiah, the scripture in the Old Testament, um, which is a beautiful place to start because the Old Testament is where we see that covenant relationship really unfolding. So in Jeremiah chapter 31, verse 33, it says, But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel. After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts, and will be their God, and they shall be my people. Now, I feel like that verse gives us three elements of why temples, three things that God is saying this matters. And the first part is it's for this covenant, so it's for the covenant to be extended to God's children. And then it continues on. It's not just a covenant, but rather I will be their God and they will be my people. So it's a covenant relationship, and that's important. I think a lot of times we define covenant as it's a two-way promise between us and God, and that just sounds so contractual.

SPEAKER_00 11:52

Yes.

SPEAKER_03 11:53

Yes, it is eternal and it is between us and God, and it is a promise and a binding covenant, but it is a relationship, and I think we're missing something if we don't put that together as covenant relationship is an important why of the temple. Another part, he says, I will put my law within them. So in the temple, we receive God's laws, and then the last part, I will write it on their hearts. That to me speaks about being changed. So the three things that stand out to me is covenant relationship, receiving God's law, and then to be changed or to be made holy and to become as God. So those are the three whys of the temple that I see in that specific verse.

SPEAKER_00 12:46

I love that. It's an interesting shift to think about the difference between a contract and a transaction versus a relationship and a transformation.

SPEAKER_03 12:54

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 12:54

And that's what you're talking about as you're speaking into this. One of my uh previous guests explained, especially talking about God's law. She mentioned how, you know, we hear the law, there's five laws that we're looking at your daughter as we're talking, there's five laws that we cover when we receive our endowments. And she's like, don't hear it as the law of chastity, hear it as the love of chastity, hear it as the love of obedience. And so we hear law because it's like gravity, it's this thing that just exists, not this like controlling thing. It's more like, hey, these are these are forces that when we love and appreciate them, allow the savior to write in our hearts at a greater degree, you know, that relationship. So I love how you cover that, that covenant relationship. Um, you uh you have a great quote from President Nelson. Is that something you'd like to share?

SPEAKER_03 13:41

Yeah, do you want to go?

SPEAKER_00 13:42

I actually kind of wanted to, thank you. Um, President Nelson says in here in your presentation, it says, Once you and I have made covenant, a covenant with God, our relationship with him becomes much closer than before our covenant. Now we are bound together. Because of our covenant with God, he will never tire in his effort to help us. And we will never exhaust his merciful patience with us. I want to read that one more time for the audience. We will never exhaust his merciful patience with us. Each of us has a special place in God's heart. Why did you pick that quote?

From Law To Love: Five Temple Covenants

SPEAKER_03 14:17

Um, because I think it speaks to that covenant relationship, you know, that um understanding and love that is a part of real relationships. When so my youngest is now nine, but um she was probably about I don't know, four or five when I finally started catching on that hey, President Nelson is really wanting us to understand what it means to be in covenant with God. And so I was diving into that a little bit more, and we were discussing it a lot more at family scripture study, and and one day I realized, Penny, do you know what a covenant relationship is? And she said, No. I realized we need to break this down. Some things are going over the head here. So I said, Well, do you know what a relationship is? She said, No. I said, Penny, you and I have a relationship. And what that means is I know you and you know me, and I love you, and you love me, and I want to help you, and you want to help me. All of those things are true, right? She said, Yeah. I said we have a relationship, and that's what a relationship is. I said, a covenant relationship is that relationship that we can have when we make promises with God because he knows us and we know him. He loves us and we love him, and he wants to help us, and we want to help him. That's to me a covenant relationship, and it's true in the terms of a four-year-old, but it's true when I think about it in the terms of my own life. The fact that he knows me, loves me, and wants to help me, that that helps keep that covenant a real and living relationship. And then the fact that I know him, I love him, and I want to help him. Well, that's what it looks like when I am living my covenants. So to me, that's just kind of become that definition of this is what I want my temple experience to look like. This is what I want living my temple covenants to look like in my life, not as a set of rules, but a set of love or that knowing, loving, helping, and working together with God.

SPEAKER_00 16:53

I I wish this could be so broadcast the way you describe the relationship with Heavenly Father to the rest of the world. Because the adversary takes that message and he twists it. It's about control and laws and strictness and all these things, and this judgmental God who's, you know, pointing a finger and angry and frustrated and all these things. And it couldn't be further from the truth as you describe it. And I think there's going back to explaining these beautiful concepts on a foundational level, it's so cool to hear how you said that to your child because I learned a lot from what you just said. I did. I learned that really deepened that understanding. So, as newer members of the church are hearing this, I think that's going to help them understand that the temple is us just where we make those promises to develop that relationship in there in his house.

SPEAKER_03 17:44

Yeah. And that reality that it's not that we go to the temple and have this experience and it's isolated and stays packaged up in the temple, right? Only to be had there. But rather it's meant to be coming with us, which is that that last part to be changed, right? But the experiences that we have there, that coming to know God doesn't only happen there. It continues when we leave the temple and then live in covenant relationship with God, to be connecting and impacting us every day.

SPEAKER_00 18:23

Yes, and we see beautiful metaphors describing what you just said in the Old Testament from Moses to even the Savior, it's the ascending of the mountain. You know, the mountain is such a great symbol of temples, and when we don't have physical temples, the Lord uses nature and mountains in particular historically. There's this ascension, this purification and revelation, and then there's a descension, a condescension that comes down with all this information that ends up being disseminated and how we get transformed in this. It's a cycle, not a not a location that we go and attend once. It's a it's a pattern, like we learn so often. So Ali, let's get right into the next the next concept.

SPEAKER_03 19:00

Yeah. So our second point from Jeremiah 31 is to receive God's laws. We want to receive God's laws, and that is part of the why of the temple. And as you mentioned earlier, there's five main laws, or I don't know how to how was your previous guest. Loves, yeah, five types of love or laws that you give. We receive, right? And I have a good friend, and I love how she teaches this, and maybe it'll be helpful. Um here's her five ways of how to remember those five basic covenants. So the first one and the second one go together. The first one is the law of sacrifice, and then together it makes an O with your pointer finger coming together. And so that is the law of obedience. So first and second go together.

Becoming Different: Taking The Temple With You

SPEAKER_00 19:53

So for those of you who aren't who are not watching this, she's putting her thumb out as the first, and then the pointer finger comes out and touches that, like she's saying okay, and that creates the O, like an okay sign, and that's the obedience. So thumbs sacrifice, then it's the O for obedience.

SPEAKER_03 20:08

Exactly. And then the next one is your biggest finger, and it's big. It's the law of the gospel. The longest one, yes, and and very encompassing, right? Totally. Like that doctrine of Christ that we read about in the scriptures of faith and repentance and making and keeping covenants and receiving the Holy Ghost and being sanctified by it. All of that is in that third law of the gospel covenant that we make. Our fourth one is on our ring finger, so it can remind us of the law of chastity. Now, the law of chastity is gonna be so much more than just sexual purity, right?

SPEAKER_02 20:50

Sure.

SPEAKER_03 20:51

But it is a good way to remember that law of chastity associated with being chase and our ring finger and an eternal sealed relationship. And then the fifth one brings it all together with the law of consecration. So she has the law of obedience or the law of sacrifice and the law of obedience coming together. And then the biggest one being the law of the gospel. Not that it's more important, but that it's all encompassing, the law of chastity with our ring finger, and then the fifth one that brings it all together, the law of consecration, which really pulls and ties all of it as all of those covenants are building up to living a consecrated life.

SPEAKER_00 21:35

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 21:35

And I just love that way of remembering it.

SPEAKER_00 21:38

So I'm dyslexic, and I will always confuse, I've always have always confused sacrifice and obedience because they are so similar and they do tend to go together in a similar way. I will never forget that again. And I love that that um that hand gesture. It's a great reminder. Um so what a powerful way to rem remember that. And it just for for the people. People who are listening who've heard other episodes to remind people if you want to go deeper on the law of consecration, please make sure you check out Peter Sturgeon's episode on that piece. And then, yeah, I think when it comes down to understanding these covenants, it's a reminder that they're not that different than what we promise at baptism. It's just a much deeper commitment to the Lord in that vein because we're going deeper by forming that covenant relationship. And the way that one of our guests explained it was, you know, there's threads of rope. It's just a it's still rope. It's like having a string versus a thicker thread. When we're baptized, we're connected to the Savior. So we're not promising different, very different things. It's very similar. They're in the same vein, but they're just deeper because that relationship going to your language, that relationship becomes more uh intentional.

SPEAKER_03 22:50

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 22:50

And starts following that word that President Nelson used, a sed.

SPEAKER_03 22:54

Yeah, Hasid.

SPEAKER_00 22:55

Hasid. Yeah. Yeah. So thank you. It's a really cool uh way that you help remember people receive God's law. So let's now bridge now into the to-be changed side of things.

SPEAKER_03 23:06

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 23:07

Yeah.

Preparing Hearts: Coachable And Action-Oriented

SPEAKER_03 23:08

So um I had an experience one time where, and this isn't it shouldn't be life-changing at the same time, it should be life-changing. And it was. Sure. I was sitting in the temple and um and where I live up in northeastern Arizona, we experience drought a lot, which then creates fire danger. And our state president had asked us to be um worshiping in the temple more, yeah. To be showing that obedience and faith and pairing that with our prayers for more rain. And I had gone to the temple and had some thoughts about um just reaching outward and making sure that I was sharing God's love with others whenever I had the opportunity. And after that, I went to the grocery store and I saw someone that I knew and had the feeling of I don't feel like talking today. And I wanted to just go the other way and like for no reason, they were wonderful, lovely people, but I just didn't feel like I wanted to look outward. And in that moment, the thought that came was I don't need you just going to the temple, I need you bringing the temple outside of the temple with you and letting it change you. And my promptings earlier that day had been about looking outward and sharing God's love. And it was as if the spirit was reminding me. It wasn't as if the spirit was reminding me in that moment. This is what I'm talking about. You went to the temple, you were given revelation. Now that you're outside of the temple, implement it. You should be changed by the experiences that you're having there. I turned around and it was a wonderful conversation. It was good to connect, and it was good also for me to just be reminded that in the temple, we don't just go and just be reminded of our covenants, but also we are taught and we are instructed on how to become more like our savior. And then we come outside of the temple where that practice ground can take place. But that means we have to be acting on those things.

SPEAKER_00 25:33

Right. Hearing and feeling is one thing. What we choose to do with that is a completely separate thing and definitely a lot more of an indication of our commitment because, you know, that's where the rubber meets the road. In the professional executive coaching world, it's really funny. And this is true for sports coaches as well. You know, what does what's the role of a coach? The coach is the one directing, right? They're the ones overseeing the the big picture, helping the star of the team execute, or the owner of the company direct. And so I was told this by so many different coaches over the years. There's only two things that a coach needs to be successful. And when we go to the temple, when you were describing that, I felt like a coaching relationship between the Holy Ghost and our spirit. And those two things that every coach needs is someone who is uh willing to learn. They call it coachable, but like someone who's just willing to learn. Like, what does that mean? I think going to the temple is that coachability. And there's different degrees of our intentionality. I know for me there's times where I'm checking a box. Like I have a commitment, I'm gonna go X number of times, and I'm just going. But in that going, there's still a softening that occurs. And the more I even stay focused, it transitions from a checked box to like a transformation for me. But the bigger challenge is the second thing that coaches say: take action. Coachable and take action. You can be as coachable, I know, and I have had I used to coach, I used to be an executive coach. I've worked with lots of great men and women and powerful leaders who would just eat up information and learn, and we would look at and dissect their their situation and come up with solutions. And then I'd get back on a call and I'd go, what happened? And they'd say, Oh, nothing. I just I got busy. And it's always, by the way, that's always the number one answer. And I think it's relative to what you said, Allie. I got busy. You know, why aren't why aren't we taking action? Because we fill our time, especially in this Western world, with so many other things. And I'm not here to judge it or make people feel bad. I'm just saying it gets in the way.

SPEAKER_01 27:35

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 27:35

And it's hard because, like you said, if if we come down the mountain, that's where the change takes place, it sounds like from your perspective, is after we take action on what we've learned.

Sacrament As Weekly Temple Alignment

SPEAKER_03 27:43

Yeah. Yeah. I think um it's also really important to be able to, before you go, think about and kind of prepare yourself to receive that instruction. Um, I think this might be a great question for any to think about, but let's put it back in the context of that covenant relationship. Got it. Because I think there is power that comes when we make sure that we are bringing God in to any question or thought or preparation that we're trying to do. So let's go back to I know God and God knows me. Okay. So what is it that God knows I need to do to prepare and to ask and to be open? Because you know me, what do you need me to do to be in the right frame of mind, to be coachable, to be able to receive and then do it? And then I love God and God loves me. I want to help God and God wants to help me. So if we bring that covenant relationship back into it, I feel like my motivation comes alive in, okay, this wasn't just, well, God is unaware and I was receiving some sort of revelation, but who really cares if I follow up on it or not? No. He's trying to talk with me, he's trying to help me grow closer to him and as a person help me be more used and helpful among his children. So if I make sure that I'm bringing that covenant relationship back into it, my desire to act on those impressions is so much stronger than when it's, oh, well, that was just a good idea that happened that I'm not really accountable for following through on, but rather, no, that was a conversation between you and God. And are you gonna listen? Are you gonna just brush it off?

Practical Prep: Personal Revelation And Writing It Down

SPEAKER_00 29:50

Yeah, I think there's power in understanding the depth of that and that there is a degree of accountability. It's not just a nice to have, it's part of what the other side is trying to communicate. One thing that's become clear to me in this temple-bound journey for me is that it's not like when we go to the temple to receive revelation that there's some good ideas waiting for us. In fact, there are people on the other side, family members, who see the big picture because they're not limited by the veil. And so they represent and they know the savior and they know us and they know the bigger picture, and they're there to the spirit is there to communicate to us what is needed urgently and importantly in our lives, not just for us, but for all the people that we impact and affect. We know we're not, we're not individuals, we're more like fingers in a glove, right? We're all connected through this family. And so when we are impacted positively, we heal the world. You've heard that phrase, hurt people, hurt people. But healed people heal people. So as we go to get our healing, that veil is like I can only imagine how that must be a trial for them for the spirits on the other side who are representatives and trying to help be our spirits. Like they see the full picture and they're like, just come and learn and oh, why didn't you add, you know, that kind of thing. But at the same time, it's a beautiful reminder that there's a bigger picture that we get to be a part of and to feel that connection to the spirit when we go.

The Fourth Why: Offering Covenants To Others

SPEAKER_03 31:14

I also think it's remarkable and just a testament of a loving God who is so wise. Um because as you mentioned, it can be easy to feel like we're busy, right? And to be distracted. So even those best of intentions when you're in the beautiful temple walls, we can sometimes forget as we are back outside them again. And one thing that was really impactful for me is when I started to connect my temple experience with my sacrament experience. Tell me about that. I feel like all of it can be connected. I mean, our sacrament is helping us renew those covenants. And I knew that as a primary answer, but when I started to experience that, I recognized the wisdom of God that He gives us the sacrament each week. And so as I would be in the temple and receive promptings, and I think there are so many different ways that we can go about this. There's no one way to receiving revelation. God knows each of us are so individualized. But for me, as I focused on, all right, what is the one thing you want me to get today in this experience? And hold on to that. Like what is what is my call to action in that one temple experience? And then as I would be taking the sacrament, to take that as a time to reflect back, to return and report and be accountable for all right, I've had three days, how's that going? Or I can recommit. This can be a renewal of what I received there and my commitment to it, and and to let it be a connected experience so that then I was recommitted, and then it was when I went back to the temple again the next time, it wasn't okay, I'm here in a new isolated experience, but rather it was building upon my previous learning and then experiences of living covenant outside of the temple and then coming back to receive more. And then it just continues on, and the sacrament is that anchoring and bringing me back into focus with Jesus Christ and his atonement and being yoked with my savior. It just became this lovely structure and pattern that God gives us that if we aren't careful, can just become repetition, but if we are intentional, it can be so empowering and an experience of growth.

SPEAKER_00 34:21

I've never thought of the sacrament as a way to really renew those covenants that we make in the temple, but it really makes sense. And ironically, I guess I was gonna say ironically, then coincidentally, which I don't believe in coincidence anymore. So recently I was thinking about while I was doing an initiatory for the dead, right? So I was in there going through the process and you're hearing those wonderful promises of blessings and being, you know, purified and anointed and all these things. And my thought was just like, man, I wish I could do this all again. I literally had the thought, I wish I could do this for me all over again. And then the thought occurred to me, it's like, well, yeah, that's the sacrament. So it was interesting that that was my most recent temple experience. And now you're explaining how you really connect the temple to sacrament, because it's true. When we're there in in our sacrament, we are renewing everything. We are renewing. And then, as you say, when we go to the temple, it's that cycle of learning and then coming back and reporting and getting more, or you know, renewing what we missed and just keep going forward. I think that's a beautiful connection there.

SPEAKER_02 35:16

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 35:17

So as you were looking things up, Allie, your niece, who happens to be in the room, who's preparing to go to the temple for the first time, shared an experience. I think this would be great as we're talking about preparation, the mindset, how she was in Nicaragua and was able to watch how members of the church were preparing to go to the temple for the first time, and now their gong is there, and he's interacting with people. And the things he's asking, what are you doing to prepare? These weren't very complicated things. I think, I think that was a beautiful moment for us while you were looking up this quote that we're going to talk about, to remind ourselves that like preparing for the temple in places where the church has been established for a long time becomes so commonplace that we might take it for granted. But this is a very sacred, special opportunity, whether you're teaching people in Mozambique or you're visiting people out of country who are preparing for the temple for the first time. So, with that mindset you know in place, would you mind sharing what your thoughts are in that quote when you have a second?

Living Far From A Temple: What Still Matters

SPEAKER_03 36:11

Yeah, so I was thinking about this in as it connects to the temple and sacrament and the way that they connect. So Elder Holland gave a really wonderful speech at BYU called Of Souls, Symbols, and Sacraments. And in it he says, For our purpose here today, a sacrament could be any one of a number of gestures or acts or ordinances that unite us with God and his limitless powers.

SPEAKER_02 36:42

Wow.

SPEAKER_03 36:42

We are imperfect and mortal. He is perfect and immortal, but from time to time, indeed, as often as possible and appropriate, we find ways and go to places and create circumstances where we can unite symbolically with him and in so doing gain access to his power. Those special moments of union with God are sacramental moments. I don't know a better way than to say exactly that when we're at the temple. Those are sacramental moments when we are coming to know God, when we are coming to know in a covenant relationship that He knows us, He loves us, He wants to help us, and that we also can know Him, love Him, and help Him. That is a sacrament time. And so to be able to view the sacrament that happens each Sabbath as a sacrament time, a time when we can once again reconnect with God like we have in the temple, and hopefully like we have outside of the temple, and then to have an ordinance that is set aside to help us really ponder and solidify our commitment and our recognition of his promises to us in that covenant relationship. What a brilliant layout that he has given us in life.

SPEAKER_00 38:13

It is. Elder Holland.

SPEAKER_03 38:45

Elder Holland. Brigham Young University.

SPEAKER_00 38:48

That title alone you can tell is from Elder Holland. He's he's articulate in that way.

SPEAKER_03 38:51

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 38:52

So you gave you so you gave this presentation, or not presentation, you gave this fireside in Mozambique to these young in the church members of the church, young adults as well. Um let's talk about how you also talked to them about preparing for the temple physically that was coming their way.

SPEAKER_01 39:08

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 39:08

You asked them the question is that what this question is right here? What is one way he wants you to prepare for having a temple in your city? So what was that like when you shared that, when you asked that question?

Care For Life: Work As Ministry

SPEAKER_03 39:20

Um, so that one we actually I didn't ask for them to be able to do. Oh, that wasn't to the audience. No, it was. But I think one of the most powerful things we can do is ask a question and then give time to the spirit to teach. And so I invited them to, if they had a phone, take out their phone and write it down. If they didn't, pull out a piece of paper and we had that available. And so just for them to receive and acknowledge receipt of personal revelation. Um, but I think it is worth asking for any of us, whether that temple is newly coming or long established and here, to ask ourselves from a God who knows me, loves me, and wants to help me, what is he asking me to do to be well prepared for the blessings that he has in store? That is a great way to prepare. And then especially if we will be willing to write it down. I think there is um additional revelation that can come when we show the Lord, I'm serious about wanting to know and trust your will. I want to write it down, I want to follow through, I want to be teachable, and then I want to act on that.

SPEAKER_00 40:45

It's a I think that's the beginning of acting is writing it down. You know, that's why we're so church and temple and family history is such a link together because it's the documentation of these life experiences where a lot of the learning and a lot of the processing occurs from what's happened to us, and most importantly, where it gets put down in a way that stays in our family lineage for for time. So I love that you asked that question. Um, anything else about that that particular experience you wanted to share or anything else that you haven't covered that you'd like to talk about?

SPEAKER_03 41:16

So one of the things that we talked about was this was a fourth why of the temple. And it doesn't come from that verse in Jeremiah, but I think it comes from those first three points of covenant relationship, receiving God's laws, and being changed. That reality that God knows us, loves us, wants to help us, that we can know Him, love Him, and help Him. I feel like the natural outgrowth of that is to then offer that covenant relationship to God's children. That that is a part we can play. So while we can be learning, growing, and receiving ourselves each time we return to the temple, that it isn't just about us. It is also about offering that opportunity for knowing, loving, and helping covenant relationship to all of God's children. And that's so important that we have both sides of it, right? That it is for the benefit and love of all of God's children and it's personal. It's also that God knows, loves, and benefits, wants to help and bless me grow and change. And that both of those things with a completely perfect God are true. It's about everyone and it's about me all at the same time.

SPEAKER_00 42:46

I love that. It reminds me of that, you know, finger in a glove kind of situation where we're all together connected. So that last step after we've been changed, after we've descended from the mountain and we've shared, we've applied and taken action, the next thing is to share. And that helps bring it's like the rising tide of Christ's love. We just bring that tide up and everyone grows together. So, Ali, you know that over half of our audience is in developing parts of the country of the world where churches, the church is new, there's new temples coming, and those types of things. So, as people are learning from this, and I'm so glad that we have this discussion because it was useful for all groups. What ideas do you have if people don't live close to a temple? If they don't live close to a temple, how are they to keep their covenant relationship the center of their lives?

SPEAKER_03 43:32

Yeah. So I think a big part is something that we just finished talking about, right? Our sacrament, that renewal of baptismal covenants. And baptism takes place not just inside the temple, but for us personally, while we're here alive on earth, it can take place in meeting houses, sometimes outdoors.

SPEAKER_00 43:55

Sure.

Guided Leadership And Layered Impact

SPEAKER_03 43:56

Um, but that at baptism, that is when We first enter into a covenant relationship with God. So while the temple is important, so important, and it's part of, like you mentioned, that deepening of covenant relationship, that covenant relationship is still available, even if a temple isn't right close by. And it's something that we can still be focusing on as we are coming to know God, love God, want to help Him, and deepen our own testimony and knowledge of how much He knows us, loves us, and wants to help us. We can focus on that in our homes. Um, and then really being intentional every Sunday as we're able to be taking the sacrament and let that be a time of deepening that covenant relationship.

SPEAKER_00 44:49

Yeah, what a great way to explain that. Ultimately, the Lord loves us, his mercy has no bounds, his grace is infinite. So if we're in a position where we're not geographically close to a temple, we are not going to be excluded from that deepening relationship with our Savior. Because at the end, it's not about the building. The Lord has operated his church successfully multiple times in the course of humanity without a single physical building of a temple. He's used mountains like you mentioned. So these are just ways that we are able to connect to the Savior and your comment of how we can deepen that relationship with what we have is what matters most.

SPEAKER_03 45:31

Yeah. I think another way that is really great is to be looking for God's covenant in the scriptures. Obviously, we know it's all over the Old Testament. We're familiar and recognize it there. Um, but I think when we look for it, we can also recognize it so much in the Book of Mormon. In the Book of Mormon, we read that we are part of the house of Israel, right? And we come to understand and read how many times in the Book of Mormon that God will remember his promises.

SPEAKER_02 46:08

Right.

SPEAKER_03 46:08

That is referencing his covenant that he made with the house of Israel before. And so I think as we learn to seek it out, then we are able to recognize it more in Old Testament and then in New Testament, and then in the Book of Mormon, and then beautifully in the doctrine and covenants that we can read even more.

SPEAKER_00 46:33

Yeah, great. So as president of Care for Life, I wonder, you know, everyone who's listening has different degrees of professional work life, right? Yours is an interesting one because what you do professionally is so aligned with what we do in terms of, you know, helping the Lord gather Israel. How does your work for Care for Life connect you to your covenant relationship with God?

How To Help: Vetting And Donating

SPEAKER_03 46:56

So um you're familiar with the fact that I recently, like in the beginning of 2025, stepped in as president of Care for Life. And on a personal note, that was extremely intimidating to me. Um but it was it was in trusting that God knows, loves, and wants to help me, and my desire to better follow Him by knowing, loving, and helping Him, that I entered into this role of president of Care for Life. And it has been remarkable to see the ways in which he is guiding me in this work. Um I have no doubt that our loving Heavenly Father and our Savior Jesus Christ is aware of our brothers and sisters in Mozambique, that they know them and that they are wanting to, well, they are knowing, loving, and wanting to help them. And there have been some interesting experiences as I am serving in the temple. I actually work in the temple, and um one of my favorite places to be is positioned in the snowflake temple at the top of the stairs. There is a large uh portrait of Jesus Christ. And when I'm standing there, and it isn't as people are coming into a session, it's actually a pretty quiet location to be positioned. And it's not very often that you just stand in the temple face to face with a life-size portrait of Jesus Christ, except every time I work and get to stand there. And I've had experiences there where I am prayerfully seeking guidance and trying to understand I know that you know the people, you know the communities and the individuals who need to learn the skills and the leadership and the capacity building that Care for Life's program can bring because they are going to be your future leaders in wards and stakes and in the gospel. So where do we need to go next? And to be able to feel God's guidance in those questions as I am seeking and recognizing, like Alma teaches to pray over your flocks and your fields, that we don't need to separate work and spirit. In fact, when we bring it together, we see just how much they all fit and how much God is involved in it. So to be able to seek and ask him for guidance and inspiration and and then to receive it and to feel that confirmation that he knows these people. Um I recently was in Mozambique, like we were discussing, and uh as I walked in one of the communities that we were trying to figure out, is this our next, is this the next community for us to go into? And previously had thought, I'm not sure that it is, I don't know that that's the right choice. But as I walked there, overwhelmingly the feeling that I had was we're not done yet. There's people here. And he knows them, he loves them, he wants to help them. And care for life is one of the ways that we can do that, that we can help God's children.

SPEAKER_00 51:07

I we have the same experience. I've I think everyone I've ever met in the states who's you know, members of the church, not members of the church, irrelevant. There's the most of the people I've ever met are very generous and want to do something for others. But we get so blinded by our daily living that it's not until we're physically there. And we were talking about this before we recorded this thing, was how once you go and you see the people, we need them as much as they need us. There's a healing that occurs in both directions and a clarity that definitely starts to become present of like we have to do something because we can do something on those on the physical needs. So it's interesting how that deepens your covenant relationship with the Lord because it just feels like the more children of God you meet in various circumstances, the more you know Him. And as you have been in this leadership role receiving guidance as someone on the board who's been so grateful for you to do that, I've known you've been guided. I through your emails and the changes that I've seen, it's very clear, and I've said this to my wife, how you are being directed in this capacity. And it is such an important work. I also appreciate you saying how there is no separation between work and church. I had a very good friend of mine tell me, who's not of our faith, who's a very strong Christian, say, you know, my work is my ministry. And I'd never thought of that before. I had categorized things prior, but ever since I combined the two, I've been able to receive better revelation. So I hope as people are listening to this, they recognize that whatever they're doing, if it matters to you, it matters to the Lord. And in the case where you're wondering if you can help and serve and and help these people overseas, there's so many different ways to get involved. If someone was listening to this and just thought, man, I really feel compelled to want to do something for those members in Africa or someone suffering in in a different country, where do we because I think where most people don't move forward is they just don't know what to do. What first steps would you recommend to them?

SPEAKER_03 53:04

Yeah. Um I would say most important, do your homework and make sure that um that you can find an organization that you believe in not just their mission, but also their methods and the way that they go about achieving that mission. That's really important. Um, that is one thing that drew me to Care for Life.

SPEAKER_00 53:31

Me too.

SPEAKER_03 53:32

Is the way that Care for Life does it is it is about building people, building capacity, um, not just solving problems because we can say, Oh, there's a hole in the dike and I have the finger or the money to plug it up, but rather saying, but that only works so long as I'm standing here. What's better is those people that are around the hole to say, hey, there's a hole here, you guys know it, but let me teach you how to plug it.

SPEAKER_02 54:03

Yes.

SPEAKER_03 54:04

And to be empowering them so that maybe I move on to the next thing, but the next holes, the next struggles that come up, they have that ability to address those problems. I love that about Care for Life. Care for Life comes into communities, but they're only there for three years and then they leave because a solution is only sustainable if it's one that can continue on after you have left. Right. Not once you come in as the solution to all the problems.

Final Witness: God Knows, Loves, And Helps You

SPEAKER_00 54:39

Yes. And there's so many great resources you can do. When you said get do research, uh Jen uh Brewer, who's a great friend of ours and a part of Care for Life, had me watch a uh TED talk called When Helping Hurts, I think was the name of the show. I'll I'll put the link to that in the show notes. Um it's please go watch that because at the end of the day, there's a number of great organizations out there. There's a number of organizations that are like Care for Life that are truly focused on solving, helping people solve their own problems, which is building more than a solution, it's building a people. It's building self-reliance. And that's why we were drawn to join the board despite not thinking we had time to do so, because we couldn't help. After we go and we see firsthand, there's this natural instinct to be like, oh, I can do something here. And you can, it's very easy. So let's just talk about Care for Life as one example. What if people wanted to support Care for Life specifically? What could they do?

SPEAKER_03 55:35

Okay. Um, so if you go to careforlife.org, you can learn more about Care for Life. You can learn about our programs as well as our data that um backs up what are we doing and what is the impact and is it sustainable? You can also donate. There is a donate button in the top right hand corner, and that is huge because the reality is no money, no mission. Yeah, no profit, no purpose, all the things.

SPEAKER_00 56:05

Yeah, that's true for business as well as a charity.

SPEAKER_03 56:07

Yes, it really is. Um, and the other beautiful thing is for anyone who feels like, oh, I would love to do it, but I don't have the time to, when you become a donor or a supporter of a well-planned cause, you become a part of that family. That story becomes your story. You then are supporting the good that is happening. In fact, you're playing a crucial role in it. One of the ways that I love, Will, that you talk about care for life is through the term layered leadership. I love that. And when I went to Mozambique, I saw it everywhere. And it was something that was just so exciting to me to see because those layers of leadership are the things that make it so that even when our layer of staff is no longer there in the community because that community has graduated, there's still leadership that continues on. And as I was thinking about this through my time there in Mozambique, I thought there's another layer that I hadn't considered before, and it is the sponsor or donor layer. It's crucial. Like it starts with the donors saying, Yes, I care about this. This is successful, and I want to see it grow and scale and impact more people. And so when we have that layer of donors, and then we have the operations team that goes down to the in-country staff, that goes to the local leadership and promoters, that goes down to the families and the individuals, all of them are layers and layers that make it strong and sustainable. And it is so crucial that we have that layer of donors and financial support to be able to pay the expenses that it is to teach and empower people and have employees that are going to come back for three whole years, week after week, and walk that path of growth that makes it sustainable beyond the three years.

SPEAKER_00 58:14

Yes. And you know, I another thing that drew me to this organization, I didn't learn this until afterwards, was that for one year the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints worked with Care for Life to uh provide those um what are they called? The gift machines in the holidays, the I'm getting the name wrong. The giving machines. The giving machines. Yes. So when someone was buying things, it was Care for Life that was fulfilling on that. So you can do it year-round. You don't have to wait for the giving machines. You could do it through Care for Life at any time. And what I would recommend to people as well, if you're feeling inspired by this, please go donate. This is money. Every penny of it matters. And if you'd like to just learn more about the organization, call me. I will personally talk to you about it. Since I'm on the board, I feel like I'm authorized to be able to at least have a conversation. And um, if you want to learn more about how to get to Africa, Care for Life has some pretty life-changing, and by pretty I'm putting it in quotes because it's very life-changing experiences to go. So if you're considering, like, well, maybe I'd even want to go, man, that's how we got started in this whole journey. My family is a different family because of it. My relationship with my heavenly father is different because of it. And so, Allie, thank you so much for taking time to be on Temple Bound. My final question for you is the same I give to everyone, which is you know, this is a one-part temple, one part family history. This is a recording that will be there for in generations for you. So your kids, your grandkids, all your descendants are going to hear this. What would you want them to know about what we talked about today?

SPEAKER_03 59:43

I don't think it would be new. I think it would just be to reiterate. That God knows you. God loves you, and God wants to help you. And that happiness is found when you come to know God and love God and help him as well.

Outro And Instagram Invite

SPEAKER_00 1:00:14

Thank you, Allie. We sure appreciate you being on the show. Thanks again for listening to today's episode of Temple Bound. If you enjoyed today's show, make sure to join us over on Instagram at Temple Bound Podcast to receive additional information as well as previews of our upcoming episodes. See you over there.