Types and Shadows – The Salt Lake City Temple closed at the beginning of the year for planned seismic upgrades that will take about 4 years to complete. The plan and the process provide parallels for our own lives.
"The renovation of the temple includes the installment of a base isolation system to help the building withstand a 7.2 magnitude earthquake. … this system connects the base with the temple roof through secure rods and cables in the towers to protect the building from further damage. We create a safe zone around the perimeter of the building where that building can move,. …It allows the building to move with the earthquake up to four or five feet in any one direction.” Paul Lawrence of Jacobsen Construction The temple’s stone foundation needs to be strengthened before the base isolation system can be installed.
Gary Stevenson talked about this strengthening of the foundation of the temple and likened it to our lives. “What are the foundational elements of my spiritual and emotional character that will allow me and my family to remain steadfast and immovable, even to withstand the earthshaking and tumultuous seismic events that will surely take place in our lives? These events, similar to an earthquake, are often difficult to predict and come in various levels of intensity—wrestling with questions or doubt, facing affliction or adversity, .... The best defense against these lies in our spiritual foundation. What might spiritual cornerstones of our personal and family lives be? They may be the simple, plain, and precious principles of gospel living—family prayer; scripture study, ... and gospel learning... "
Strong foundation and safe zone – I am designing and building in a way that I can withstand the seismic events that come my way.
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