North...

Standing outside the Salt Lake City temple last week, I overheard a woman talking to her son.  She said,

"Now here's something not everyone notices about the temple.  Look above the second window.  You'll see the big dipper."  She was right.

Later I asked a friend why this was.  He said he didn't know the original reason why they put this on the temple, but that President Hinckley once gave a talk using the same idea.  He explained how this constellation pointed to the North Star, and how in our lives we should always be facing true North, which is our Savior Jesus Christ. 

Well, the past few days I have been thinking about the direction my life will be going.  This idea of heading North rested in the back of my mind until I listened to an R.E.M. song today.  The song, called "Stand", goes like this.

Stand in the place where you live
Now face North
Think about direction
Wonder why you haven't before

Now stand in the place where you work
Now face west
Think about the place where you live
Wonder why you haven't before. 

If you are confused check with the sun
Carry a compass to help you along
Your feet are going to be on the ground
Your head is there to move you around

If wishes were trees the trees would be falling
Listen to reason
Season is calling

I think the general direction of my life has been mastered by my wishes of the moment, which is wishing for my best friends to never leave me.  But reason doesn't always agree with my wishes, and in order to position myself to face true North, I have to sometimes let the wishes go.

I think its about time to let reason rule my life's direction.