Not Just for Me

By Becca Lee Jensen

I have always been eager to have my spiritual cup filled and my personal testimony refreshed. That’s why I have always looked forward to doing baptisms for the dead. Sitting inside the house of the Lord brings peace into my life.

One evening as I sat in the baptistry in the temple, my scriptures in my lap, I felt an impression to turn to D&C 128, a letter from Joseph Smith to the Saints concerning baptism for the dead. Verse 15 struck me particularly. It talks about those beyond the veil: “They without us cannot be made perfect—neither can we without our dead be made perfect.”

As I pondered these words, I suddenly realized that going to the temple wasn’t just for me. Going to the temple is an opportunity to serve those who are no longer living. I came to understand that in attending the temple, I am serving my fellowmen, and in doing so, I am serving the Lord (see Mosiah 2:17).

As I listened to the names being read for baptisms, I thought of the people receiving the gospel beyond the veil, of their smiling faces, and of their happy families. It filled me with incredible joy and gratitude.

Now going to the temple is no longer about what I can get from it; it’s about service. It is about joining families together in the gospel for all eternity. It is doing something for someone that they can’t do for themselves. I am so grateful for the temple, and I strive to always be worthy to serve there.

Illustration by Dilleen Marsh