BYUH students share motivations that pull them toward the temple and how devotion and meaning can be found in repetition. Behind the stillness of their service is a kind of devotion that is rarely seen—quiet, personal and deeply lived
Finding a reason to stay
For Jhon Leo Parilla, a sophomore double-majoring in social work and intercultural peacebuilding from the Philippines, the quiet devotion began when he became the first in his family to join the Church. While his mission in the Philippines Olongapo Mission paved the way for constant, genuine connections, the transition to BYU–Hawaii brought a different challenge. Without his name tag, he went from “Elder Parilla” to just another student on campus, navigating the weight of starting over.
While the rest of campus buzzed with the excitement of forming friends and attending campus events, Parilla’s first semester was confined within the four walls of his room. “I had a lot of insecurities about myself; I had fears,” Parilla said. For him, starting over was not just about fitting in or earning a degree; it was a search for a reason to keep going.
Beyond the weight of deadlines and the ache of isolation, Parilla found solace within the walls of the temple, volunteering as a worker. Even as he dedicated himself to his shifts, the internal battle was mounting. However, His love for God and the people motivates him to show up to his shifts.
I remind myself that I need to focus on the purpose of why I’m doing it. I know the Lord needs the whole me, not the half me.
After nearly a year of early mornings and reverent service, Parilla’s face lights up when he speaks of the temple and the love he feels for Heavenly Father. “I’m here doing [His] work,” he smiled, “and I want to show [Heavenly Father] that [He] can count on me whenever [He] needs me.” Parilla recalls a moment of despair; he was pushed to a breaking point where “ending it and resting forever” felt like his only escape. However, while in the hospital bed, he came to a profound realization that his life was worth saving. “Sometimes God allows hard things to happen,” he reflects, “for us to learn lessons that we need.”
Today, Parilla refuses to trade his temple shift for anything. He views his service as a quiet partnership in the Lord’s work that transformed his life. Parilla has seen the fulfillment of President Ezra Taft Benson’s promises; as he serves, he feels the Lord has “deepen[ed] [his] joys, expand[ed] [his] vision and comfort[ed] [his] soul.”
Reflecting on his journey from his darkest moments to his newfound purpose, Parilla’s perspective has changed. To the person he was a year ago, Parilla offers a simple promise: “Hold on—things will get better.”
The lifeline of routine
Dayna Dickson, a sophomore majoring in elementary education from Washington, sees the temple as a lifeline, rather than a burden. After health struggles cut her mission in Orem, Utah, short, her weekly temple attendance has kept her grounded. “There have been days when I’ve had a really hard day,” Dickson admitted, “but the temple has not made it harder. The temple has made it easier. The temple is what allows me to be able to complete all my tasks.”
Back home, the temple was a ninety-minute drive away; today, it’s just a few blocks away from her hale. For Dickson, studying at BYUH allowed her to devote her time to the temple. “I just feel really thankful to be able to spend time with my Heavenly Father,” she said. “That was my motivation.”
For Dickson, every temple shift begins with a quick check of her internal battery. “I struggle with chronic fatigue, so it is really hard for me to get through a day. Some people start their batteries at a hundred percent; my battery starts at 54% on a good day,” she explained. Yet she always finds the endurance to finish every single shift. On her harder days, she sees glimpses of God’s mercy: “It was a little miracle. I was able to complete my shift and He was able to help me take care of myself.”
For many students, the quest for finding a perfect balance can be the weight of an impossible scale. Dickson, however, used her temple shifts and training to break the spiral of worry. “Focusing on the people we get to serve in the temple and praying to see individuals the way Heavenly Father sees them,” she noted, helps to overcome the shadows of doubts as she continues to “find Christ in the temple.”
Dickson remembered feeling buried under the pressure during finals week. “I was really stressed and I went to the temple. I prayed and asked Heavenly Father to help me study. I felt confident in knowing that my time was used effectively.”
In a world that shouts for attention, Dickson found a hum of peace in her service in the temple. She shared that the temple invites her to “learn to be invisible or be reflective of His light.” “I love Jesus and I love the temple,” she said with a soft conviction.
Make some time for the Lord, and He will make time for you.
For Dickson, the sacred rhythm of the temple ordinances is far from a hollow habit; it is a classroom for the soul. Looking back at the person she used to be, Dickson offered a promise, “You’re becoming better—more like Him. Your efforts are seen. Just keep going. You’re becoming who Heavenly Father needs you to be.”
A sanctuary for the soul
Henao Rarua Hota, a freshman majoring in psychology from Papua New Guinea, is no stranger to the ache of distance. After three years at Fiji LDS Church College, an 18-month mission at the Philippines Antipolo mission and now at BYUH, Hota realized that the temple is one place that feels exactly like home.
However, weeks before arriving on campus, Hota lost her grandfather—a loss that made every step feel harder as she tried to keep up with life on campus. “For me, serving in the temple is a way to stay connected to him. It feels like we’re working together,” said Hota. Losing her grandfather shook the ground beneath her feet. “My testimony felt unbalanced. I felt guilty for struggling because I know the gospel is true, but lately it has been hard. I keep asking why He takes away people we love,” said Hota.
Hota remembered a specific week right before finals during her first semester. With the noise of upcoming exams in her mind, she was contemplating skipping her temple shift. “I was so tired. I wanted to feel the Spirit, but I was not feeling it.” A heavy tug-of-war took hold as she stood outside the temple door. “I thought of turning around. I didn’t have to go in. They wouldn’t miss me,” said Hota.
Choosing to stay, Hota showed up to her shift. By the end, she was surprised to find herself thinking, “How did I think this was going to be hard? I really thought coming to the temple would feel like a burden, but it didn’t. I had a very real change of heart,” said Hota.
Once you’re in the temple, everything changes.
Working in the temple was more than “just checking off a box." The temple provides an escape from the noise and relentless weight of self-expectations. Hota fears being too casual about her temple shifts, “I don’t want to wake up one day and just go through the motions without meaning.”
To the person who is striving to become, Hota said, "I wouldn’t say that everything is completely healed but I am definitely at a place where I have not been before." She leans on a simple reminder: “One day it will make sense.”