Line Upon Line

By Lauren Madsen

As a lifelong resident of Utah, I’ve had the chance to attend many temple open houses over the years. One of my favorite parts of being able to tour new temples before they are dedicated is seeing the beautiful artwork throughout! There are paintings depicting scripture stories, church history, the local landscape, and Christ himself.

As a temple worker, I’ve become very familiar with several of the paintings in the temple I serve in. A few weeks back I found myself standing at the same post I’ve stood at many times before and I was amazed that there were still things in the painting I hadn’t noticed before. I thought about how even though I’ve been blessed to be able to be in the temple weekly for years now, I often come away with new insights—ideas I’ve never thought of before. 

The Spirit whispered to me: Remember the pattern? Line upon line.

This prompting led me to go home and study more about this phrase and principle that is found in The Old Testament, The Book of Mormon, and the Doctrine and Covenants. I discovered that it applies to so many parts of gospel living. Here are a few.

What about strengthening our testimonies and conversion? Remember the pattern—line upon line. 

Elder David A. Bednar said: “For many of us, conversion is an ongoing process and not a onetime event that results from a powerful or dramatic experience. Line upon line and precept upon precept, gradually and almost imperceptibly, our motives, our thoughts, our words, and our deeds become aligned with the will of God. Conversion unto the Lord requires both persistence and patience.”

What about teaching the rising generation? Remember the pattern—line upon line.  

Sister Joy D. Jones taught: “‘Line upon line, precept upon precept,’ we help children taste success in small bites. As they keep their promises, they feel the Spirit in their lives.” 

Sister Cheryl A. Esplin explained: “Learning to fully understand the doctrines of the gospel is a process of a lifetime and comes ‘line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little’ (2 Nephi 28:30). As children learn and act upon what they learn their understanding is expanded, which leads to more learning, more action, and an even greater and more enduring understanding.”

What about finding answers to our questions through personal revelation? Remember the pattern—line upon line. 

Sister Tracy Y. Browning said: “The Lord’s method of teaching is ‘line upon line, precept upon precept.’ We may be required to ‘wait upon the Lord’ in the space between our current line of understanding and the next yet to be delivered. This sacred space can be a place where our greatest spiritual conditioning can occur.”

What about becoming more like God? Remember the pattern—line upon line. 

Elder Bruce R. McConkie explained: “I believe the Lord meant just what he said: that we should be perfect, as our Father in heaven is perfect. That will not come all at once, but line upon line, and precept upon precept, example upon example, and even then not as long as we live in this mortal life, for we will have to go even beyond the grave before we reach that perfection and shall be like God.”

Elder Larry R. Lawrence encouraged: “The Holy Ghost doesn’t tell us to improve everything at once. If He did, we would become discouraged and give up. The Spirit works with us at our own speed, one step at a time, or as the Lord has taught, ‘line upon line, precept upon precept … for unto him that receiveth I will give more.’”

What about desiring less darkness and more light in our lives? Remember the pattern—line upon line. 

Dieter F. Uchtdorf invited: “If you open your mind and heart to receive the Light of Christ and humbly follow the Savior, you will receive more light. Line upon line, here a little and there a little, you will gather more light and truth into your souls until darkness has been banished from your life.”

What about increasing our understanding of the temple endowment? Remember the pattern—line upon line. 

J. Anette Dennis taught: “Everything we do in the temple points to our Father’s plan for us, at the heart of which is the Savior and His atoning sacrifice. The Lord will teach us line upon line through the symbolism of the ordinances and covenants as we open our hearts and prayerfully seek to understand the deeper meanings.”

It becomes more and more clear to me why we do so many things in the church over and over again. We take the sacrament, we attend our Sunday meetings, we worship in the temple. We can’t learn or comprehend or become everything all at once. Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ mercifully give us opportunity after opportunity to slowly and steadily progress through this life. What a gift to experience the joy of gospel line upon line.