The Mountain of the Lord

By Hollie Wells

Summer is a time for camping, and I have luckily been able to have some time to get away to spend some time in the beautiful mountains of Utah and Oregon. When I am out in God’s creations with panoramic paintings of views, I can’t help but think of instances in the scriptures where sacred things happen on top of a mountain. In most of these cases, there was no temple built, but God was providing His people with a temple-like experience. Anyone who spends some quiet time on God’s lofty creations knows that you can have temple-like experiences of spirituality there.  

Abraham 

I cannot imagine being Abraham, hiking up a dusty path with your God-promised son in toe, knowing what you were asked to do at the top of the path. I cannot imagine building the altar you would have to end his life on. But Abraham did it. On top of that mountain, he showed God and himself the lengths he was willing to go to to be obedient in all things. We, too, promise Heavenly Father that we will sacrifice all we have and are to Him and the building of His kingdom– no matter how rugged and heart wrenching that path is. 

Jesus & His disciples 

Gathered there on the Mount of Transfiguration, these men had an experience mimicked exactly in the Kirtland temple about 1800 years later. Priesthood keys are given and restored in temple-settings. 

Moses 

So many amazing things happened to Moses on mountain tops. Jehovah spoke to him in the burning bush, calling him to his prophetic ministry. He was endowed with power and came down with his face shining, hoping to give that same ordinance and knowledge to his fellow Israelites. He was given tablets with the Lord’s commandments etched on them. He was shown the promised land. He stood with his hands up, sustained by Aaron and Hur, as his people fought Amalek. 

The temple gives us closeness to God and perspective on this fallen world we are living in. 

Nephi 

Nephi had two notable temple-mountain-experiences: once he was translated to a mountaintop and another time he was prompted to climb to the mountain’s top. We often run into both instances in our temple worship. Sometimes we have an unexpected spiritual experience

where we are filled with awe and revelation. Sometimes we have to make the slow, grueling climb up the slope to receive mundane information about how to make tools or where to find ore. Both experiences are spiritual and valuable. 

Brother of Jared 

Upon a sacred mountain, before sailing to the new worlds, the Brother of Jared had one of the most sacred experiences recorded in scripture. He saw the premortal Christ in the flesh. He presented the Lord with a possible solution to his sea-crossing dilemma and received an answer and then some. His prepared stones were lit up and he saw Jehovah to the point that he “had faith no longer, for he knew, nothing doubting” (Ether 3:19) 

Whether you’re in the mountains or in the temple this summer, look to “liken” these scriptural mountaintop experiences to your own!