Celestial Therapy

I recently listened to a book on CD by Wendy Watson Nelson that really makes me think and then I checked my blog to see what all I have posted by her.  I couldn’t believe that the only thing I have posted is a quote (but it’s great) on this post So I’m gonna be posting several about her. I have listened to so many great talks that I haven’t yet blogged about, but wanna share.

Have you heard of Wendy Watson Nelson? She has a PhD in family therapy and gerontology and was a professor of marriage and family therapy for 25 years before she married Elder Russell M. Nelson in 2006. She is the author of several books, including Rock Solid Relationships, and several talks on CD, including Things Are Not Always As They Appear. She is Sheri Dew’s friend and they even look a bit alike and sound similar. Both very strong, powerful women who encourage us to be better.

After listening to the talk on CD, I searched for her talks online and found this beautiful one from 2000 BYU Women’s Conference (so she spoke to the audience of women, but it is just as applicable to men). I can’t remember if I’ve heard it before or not, but it left quite an impression at this time in my life. It’s called "That Thy Outgoings May Be in the Name of the Lord": Solving Our Marriage and Family Problems through Celestial Therapy. 

You’ve heard of going in to talk to a therapist to help you through a difficult time or to overcome a certain negative behavior. Psychoanalysis, cognitive-behavioral…, but what is Celestial Therapy?

“Celestial Therapy involves regularly participating in temple worship and temple service. It involves keeping our sacred temple covenants with increasing precision and depth. Celestial Therapy is the only therapy that will make a difference—not only to how we live in this world but how and where we live in the next. And while Celestial Therapy is truly out of this world, it is available at a temple near you.”

I am not recommending that people give up their therapy or any medications if they are benefiting from anything like that. But this is a holy assistance that we all need and can strengthen our ability to see ourselves as the Lord sees us and to do so much more in our lives. And who could be better therapist than the Lord?

Attending the temple regularly was once a weakness of mine and I don’t know why. It took me a while to really feel the blessings of it and to have a testimony of attending. I had a special experience long ago while praying for a testimony of it that helped me. I’m grateful that I have overcome that weakness (plenty of others to work on). The Spirit and clear promptings I’ve had in the temple over many years will always stay with me. The temple has been where I have run to for solace, peace and comfort over the past few years of emotional roller coasters.

I will include a bit of her talk here (taken from different parts), but reading the whole thing is worth every minute! It will make you re-think the way and reason you worship in the temple. It has helped me to see more clearly the blessings I receive from it. I love the part below which outlines the priesthood blessings that the scriptures promise us from true and consistent temple worship.

“The best location of any temple is not a matter of geography. It is a matter of our faith and focus. And our faith and focus are a matter of life and death—if we want eternal relationships.

“These are days that require us to wake up to the realities of an ever-darkening world. An apostle of the Lord recently warned, ‘As the forces around us increase in intensity, whatever spiritual strength was once sufficient will not be enough.’ I’m grateful for Elder Henry B. Eyring’s words. They have haunted me ever since I first heard them.

“The forces around us are wreaking havoc with our marriages and families—and we as women are typically the first to identify the problems. But what then? What do we do about the problems in our lives, once we discover them?

“As we look for solutions to our problems, I’m afraid that far too many of us are far too content to live beneath our privileges as women of covenant. Arise is a holy and familiar word for covenant-making women. Sisters, as we seek to heal our hearts and homes, it’s time to arise and benefit from the privileges of the temple. In fact, I believe it’s time for each of us to make sure we are engaged in what could be called ‘Celestial Therapy.’

Celestial Therapy is the only kind of therapy we want never to have end.

"Why would we ever want it to end when it brings us priesthood blessings, blessings we can neither quite fully comprehend nor deny? In Doctrine and Covenants 109:22, the Lord tells us of four priesthood blessings that accompany faithful keeping of temple covenants. He promises that when we go forth from His house we can leave

1. armed with His power,

2. with His name upon us,

3. with His glory round about us, and

4. with His angels having charge over us.

"Through these blessings, we can do the otherwise impossible in our lives, so that we can build marriages and families that will build Zion. That’s the power of Celestial Therapy.

I offer three ways Celestial Therapy heals our hearts and homes:

1. It frees us,

2. It comforts us.

3. It reveals to us things we have never before considered about ourselves and others."