"Standing in holy places is all about being in good company whether you are alone or with others," Sister Sharon G. Larsen said March 30, referring to the theme of the Young Women General Meeting.
Sister Larsen, second counselor in the Young Women general presidency, continued: "It's being where the Holy Ghost is our companion — alone or in a crowd. When we determine within ourselves that we will control our thoughts and our actions and be the best we can possibly be, the best of life can come to us."
Sister Larsen spoke of the prophet Moroni, who was alone in hiding for nearly 20 years after the destruction of the Nephite nation. "Imagine that kind of loneliness! Yet his exquisite testimony and counsel in the last few chapters of the Book of Mormon tell us he was in the company of angels and the Holy Ghost. He was not alone. The Holy Ghost can take away the gnawing, aching feeling of loneliness or isolation or rejection and fill us with peace. He is called the Comforter — and He is that!"
Continuing, Sister Larsen counseled young women to not "encourage a curiosity" about places where the Spirit cannot dwell. She shared the example of a young woman, Heather, who was invited to a party with popular people in her school. Hearing music blasting through the house and seeing friends disappearing into darkened rooms, the young woman related: "At the party I soon realized I had to make a choice: either these people or my standards. I couldn't have both. . . . I knew I did not belong there. As I was waiting for my mother to come and get me, I looked out the window in the darkened night and there shining on the hill like a beacon was the temple. It was like the Lord was reassuring me that I was doing the right thing."
Standing in holy places helps one become holy, said Sister Larsen, "but that is an acquired virtue that takes practice. Practice listening to the Spirit and being obedient. Practice being morally pure. Practice being reverent about sacred things. The Lord has told us to come unto Him and He can make us holy. (Doctrine and Covenants 60:7.) Let Him envelope you in love and forgiveness and peace. Regardless of what is going on around you, you can practice creating an environment of your own, filled with the Spirit of the Lord."
Sister Larsen explained that holy places can be wherever you are — "alone, in a crowd, with strangers, with friends. . . . There are things you can do to bring holiness to ordinary places: when you spend an afternoon with small children so a tired mother can rest, when you do the dishes for your brother even though it's his turn, when you clean house for an elderly friend, these things bring feelings of selflessness and sacrifice and holiness."
Holiness can also be easily missed, she added. "The resurrected Lord walked to Emmaus with two men who were so caught up in the events of His crucifixion and resurrection that they did not know it was the Lord Himself who was their walking companion."
Sister Larsen shared a personal experience from years ago when she was singing Handel's Messiah with a group of people from different faiths. "For a moment the 300 other voices became a whisper and I felt like I was all alone with the Lord. I felt His love and reassurance that He had carried the griefs and the sorrows of my teenage heart, and through my obedience, He would continue to walk with me for the rest of my life.
"To feel that blessing and comfort and complete love from the Lord is worth any price," she said. "Once you understand what holy places are, then you know where to be."
