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A
Welcome to follow him. Favorites. This is where John and I are sharing a single story to go with each week's Come follow me. Lesson, John. We are in sections 133 and 34. This week you've told me that you have a story.
B
Yeah, and it's one of my dear friends whose name is Bob. Bob's dad was a temple president in the southern United States. Bob loves to golf. You love to golf, too, right, Hank?
A
I do enjoy golf.
B
Your dad was a golf pro?
A
He was.
B
Bob and his dad were golfing. One day, all of a sudden, his dad, the temple president, his phone rang. The firemen, we're calling the fire department. We've got a fire alarm at the temple now. We respect the building. We're here. It looks okay. But before we leave, somebody's got to go through the building and make sure everything's okay. They had to quit the golf game, run to the temple. My friend Bob says, I was wearing a blue shirt and black Bermuda shorts. If I remember right, he said I had to go through the temple and said, dad, we're not really dressed. Hey, we've got to do it. We've got to make sure. He told me the feeling he had walking in the celestial room dressed like that. Just even thinking about it kind of makes me laugh.
A
It felt off. Yeah.
B
Yeah, it felt off. He said, but everything checked out. We're so grateful the fire department came and let us just go through the building. So it was a false alarm of some kind. He said, I got back in the car with my dad, and I said, dad, that felt really. That was tough going in the celestial room dressed the way I was. And his dad said, yeah, what do you think that means? It was a great learning moment. I'm reading this verse that says, be clean, that bear the vessels of the Lord. In this case, it's beautiful. Appropriately dressed.
A
Well, it was probably a great lesson for him.
B
It was an awesome. It's a lesson for me. I just thinking about it going, oh, I understand how you would feel. Like I'm in this holy place. I should dress in a way that reflects that. But he had to go in and check it out. So it was one of those ox in the mire type things. It teaches me something. Yeah, you want to be appropriately dressed.
A
I definitely would feel uncomfortable if I'm in my shorts and my golf shirt. And I'm just gonna, hey, can you just walk around the celestial room, go check things? And John, obviously, the lord's not offended. This has to be done. Reminds me of Isaiah 60:1. He has clothed me in the garments of salvation. He has wrapped me in the robe of righteousness. It's not about how you're dressed, but there is a feeling of being covered. Like you would say, the appropriate clothing for the sacredness of the place.
B
Yeah. This scripture, be ye clean that bear the vessels of the Lord. If I remember right, Hank, he was talking about carrying the implements of the temple, the vessels of the Lord. But here it just made me think of how we want to feel clean as we go into a place like that and just simply appropriately dressed. There's something to say for feeling like I'm going to the presence of the Lord. I want to be appropriately dressed.
A
Yeah, it was a clothing lesson, but more it was a spiritual lesson.
B
Lesson. Yeah.
A
For him. I know Bob. He's a great guy. He's wonderful. John, Like I said, we are in section 133 and 34. This week on Follow Him. We're with brother Alvin Jackson. A lot of them call him President Alvin Jackson out in Washington, D.C. he's wonderful. He's going to take these sections apart in ways that you and I had never seen. So join us over there and then come back next week. We'll do another Follow him favorites.
Podcast: followHIM
Hosts: Hank Smith & John Bytheway
Episode: From the Clubhouse to the Lord's House • followHIM Favorites • November 17-23 • Come Follow Me
Date: November 13, 2025
This "followHIM Favorites" mini-episode features hosts Hank Smith and John Bytheway sharing a memorable story that ties into the week’s "Come, Follow Me" study covering Doctrine and Covenants sections 133 and 134. They reflect on reverence, preparation, and spiritual readiness, drawing from practical experience and scriptural insight. The conversation is candid, warm, and focused on making gospel lessons relatable and impactful for listeners.
John shares a story about his friend Bob, whose father was a temple president.
Entering the Temple in Casual Clothes
Reflecting on Reverence & Being Prepared
Doctrine & Covenants 133: “Be Clean That Bear the Vessels of the Lord”
Isaiah 61:10 Reference
Spiritual vs. Physical Preparation
Reverence for Sacred Spaces
Making Gospel Lessons Relatable
On the experience:
On the spiritual lesson:
Scripture connection:
The episode is conversational, light-hearted, and inviting, yet delivers a resonant message about spiritual preparation and reverence. The hosts conclude by encouraging listeners to tune in for the full episode with guest Alvin Jackson for deeper insights into these doctrinal sections.