Flying Lesson No. Four

The Temple is Our Spiritual G Suit

G suits ‑ In aviation a "G" stands for gravity.  G suits (it would be more correct to refer to it as an anti G suit) perform an important function in helping a fighter pilot counteract the physical force of gravity. Gravitational force is greatly increased at high speeds and in steep turns. A G suit fits around the pilot's stomach and upper legs.  It consists of bladders that fill with air when gravitational forces increase.

One G is one times the force of gravity; two Gs is two times the force of gravity, and so on. An F‑16 can pull about 9 Gs. This means that a pilot who weighs 180 pounds if he were to pull 9 G's it would be 9 times 180 for a total G force of 1620 pounds. In other words a 180 pound pilot who pulls 9 Gs would weigh 1620 pounds. This is why fighter pilots must be very fit.

G Forces and Blackout ‑When G forces increase, blood is pulled out the pilots head and upper body into his abdomen and upper legs. The more Gs the more aggravated this problem becomes, and if not addressed the pilot would black out for lack of blood in his head. As G's are pulled, the G suit fills with air. The more Gs the greater the air pressure in the G suit and it becomes very tight. This air pressure around the upper legs and abdomen does not allow blood to be pulled down from the pilot's head and keeps him from passing out.

Lesson for Life ‑The temple acts as a G suite to counteract the pressure and adversity of mortality which weighs us down. Beginning at age twelve we are able to do baptisms for the dead and begin to worship and feel the Spirit of the Lord in the temple. When we go on a mission or get married we are able to more fully worship in the temple and receive greater understanding of the plan of salvation which further counteracts the pressures of this life. The more we know of the plan of salvation as taught in the temple the greater will be our eternal perspective and our ability to deal with life's pressures.

Testimony of the Temple ‑For some years I did not understand what the Lord meant when he called the temple "a house of fasting" (D&C 88: 119) especially when there is a cafeteria in the temple and usually when we go to the temple we are not fasting by going without food. Recently I was given to understand why the temple should be a house of fasting.  When we come to the temple we fast by leaving the world outside.

In this way we wait upon and serve the Lord. As we do this the Lord "giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength .... But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint" (Isaiah 40:29‑31).

I testify that in the temple the Lord renews our strength and we are able to refocus with an eternal perspective. The temple will loosen our grip on worldly things. It counteracts the pressures and adversity of mortality and provides an eternal perspective.