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Elder and Sister Jaggi: Find Healing Power and Peace in Modern ‘Mountains’ — the Temple

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Elder-Jaggi-Devo
Elder Jeremy R. Jaggi, General Authority Seventy, and his wife, Sister Amy Jaggi, speak during a BYU–Idaho devotional broadcast on June 15, 2021. Screenshot courtesy of Church News.All rights reserved.

This story appears here courtesy of TheChurchNews.com. It is not for use by other media.

By Valerie Walton, Church News
 

Elder Jeremy R. Jaggi and his wife, Sister Amy Jaggi, have spent a lot of time outdoors — walking, biking and enjoying nature, as well as hiking and climbing many different mountains. In particular, the red rock canyons of Capital Reef, Bryce Canyon and Zions national parks in Utah have been difficult, yet satisfying.

“With sheer surfaces, narrow crevices and sliding rocks, some mountains are just hard to climb,” said the General Authority Seventy during a Brigham Young University–Idaho (BYU–Idaho) devotional broadcast on Tuesday, June 15. “Climbing mountains is symbolic of our sometimes overwhelming yet joyful journey towards deity.”

Elder and Sister Jaggi, standing side-by-side at the pulpit, spoke on the Lord­’s commandment to “Arise, and get thee into the mountain” (1 Nephi 17:7) and the importance of attending the temple.

“The scriptures are replete with references to prophetic visits to mountains,” Elder Jaggi said.

For example, Moses’ first interaction with God in a mountain was encountering the burning bush (Exodus 3).

“The Brother of Jared also had a beautiful experience in the mountain,” Sister Jaggi said (Ether 3). He had gone up to the mount Shelem with 16 white stones for the Lord to touch and make light.

“He had prepared stones through a process of moltening rock that may be symbolic of our own spiritual refining before going up to the mountain to commune with God,” she said.

While enjoying the fruits of the land Bountiful following an eight-year journey in the wilderness, Nephi was also commanded to go to the mountain.

“We are likewise commanded to ‘get thee into the mountain’ (1 Nephi 17:7), even our modern-day mountain, the temple,” Elder Jaggi said.

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Elder-Jaggi-Devo
An image depicting Nephi climbing a mountain to speak with the Lord was shown during a BYU–Idaho devotional broadcast on June 15, 2021. 2021 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.

Sister Jaggi shared an experience she had when her mother was having some difficult health challenges a few years ago. “For our family, this mountain of a challenge seemed like an impossible peak,” she said. They found help through counseling, individual and collective prayer, study and fasting, but more help was still needed.

One night, Sister Jaggi tearfully pleaded in prayer on her mother’s behalf, asking Heavenly Father how she could help her mother. “The Spirit simply whispered, ‘Bring her to me so I can heal her.’”

Over the next few days and weeks, she studied how her mother could better access the healing power of Christ’s Atonement. She soon was led to realize that her mother’s illness had disrupted her once-regular temple attendance and family history work.

Sister Jaggi and her mother soon began attending the temple together weekly. “We cannot refute the healing that resulted by degrees, week after week for both of us in mind, body and spirit as we spent cherished time in the temple participating in the initiatory, endowment and sealing ordinances in proxy for our ancestors,” Sister Jaggi said.

“The temple is a sanctuary of healing and a haven of rejoicing,” Elder Jaggi said.

In 2001, Elder and Sister Jaggi’s son Stewart was born and lived for just a few minutes. As they prepared their son for burial in Salt Lake City, “our souls were ailing,” he said. “Sister Jaggi and I yearned for spirit and light.”—

During that time, Sister Jaggi was able to participate in an initiatory session at the St. George Utah Temple. “She experienced definite and immediate blessings that day,” Elder Jaggi said. “We rejoiced together as she came out of the temple renewed, edified and strengthened.”

“As we prepare to receive the gift of power found in the temple ordinances, the Lord confirms the temple is a place of holiness,” Sister Jaggi said. “As we prepare, we may experience more abundant peace.”

Elder and Sister Jaggi have helped their children prepare for the ordinances and covenants made in the temple by visiting temple grounds so they could feel its power and by singing Primary songs to them.

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Elder-Jaggi-Devo
A photo of Elder Jeremy R. Jaggi with four of his children holding copies of the Los Angeles California Temple schedule is shown during the BYU–Idaho devotional broadcast on June 15, 2021. Screenshot courtesy of Church News.All rights reserved.

“From their earliest years, our children have learned that temple attendance has a profound influence for good on our minds, bodies and spirits,” Elder Jaggi said. “We calculate we must have sung ‘I Love to See the Temple’ over 22,000 times during their childhood. Preparation to ‘get into the mountain’ is critical.”

In addition to ropes and other climbing equipment, the best security a climber has is the belayer, a trusted partner who controls the safety rope of the climber.

“Who is your trusted partner, friend or family member in your preparation to ‘get into the mountain’?” Elder Jaggi asked. He counseled listeners to find good friends and family members through prayer and faithful action, and remember that the Holy Ghost is their constant companion and greatest belayer.

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Elder-Jaggi-Devo
A photo of a rock climber is shown during the BYU–Idaho devotional broadcast on June 15, 2021. Screenshot courtesy of Church News.All rights reserved.

Those who gather in the temples of the Lord have been promised that “they shall not be beaten down by the storm at the last day; yea, neither shall they be harrowed up by the whirlwinds; but when the storm cometh they shall be gathered together in their place, that the storm cannot penetrate to them; yea, neither shall they be driven with fierce winds whithersoever the enemy listeth to carry them” (Alma 26:5-6).

“When we gather with trusted friends and family, the Lord blesses us to overcome our storms and whirlwinds while climbing our mountains,” Sister Jaggi said.

Throughout the pandemic, Church members have been gathering in new and different ways. Elder and Sister Jaggi’s extended family and friends gather each Sunday via videoconference to study the most recent “Come, Follow Me” lesson.

People worldwide have been engaging with each other more through various social media platforms. Although these virtual gatherings have brought laughter and entertainment, Elder Jaggi warned that “when our online engagement becomes excessive, overindulgent and distracting from our climb up the mountain, we may lose our beloved belayer companion, the Holy Ghost. He cannot dwell in dark places.”

In closing, Elder and Sister Jaggi bore testimony of the healing power of the Savior and the temple.

“The endowment in sacred temples provides power only the Savior can provide,” Elder Jaggi said. “With Him, we plead with you, our brothers and sisters, to ‘arise, and get thee into the mountain.’”

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