CULTIVATING THE GIFT OF REVERENCE
Dr. Debi Gilmore LMFT
When reverence is present, the world stops and people listen. Reverence opens our hearts and minds to clarity, enables truth to be revealed, and leads us to personal revelation. Reverence paves the way for us to experience the power of the Holy Spirit. Reverence unlocks our access to the powers of heaven.
According to Ulisses Soares, (Soares, 2025) “As disciples of Christ, we are invited to cultivate the gift of reverence.” This invitation appears to be a call to action. It seems he is suggesting that reverence is a spiritual gift, which we know come from God. As such, we are expected to strengthen, expand, and utilize spiritual gifts that assist us in doing The Lord’s work. Spiritual gifts also help us, at times, to participate in miracles in our own lives and the lives of our loved ones and those we serve.
There is a closely related Latin verb, “revereri,” which means “to stand in awe of” (Merriam-Webster, 2025). This comparison suggests that reverence is not just about being quiet, it is an action we take, an attitude can assume, and an essential tool we can use to access the powers of heaven. This power of reverence allows us to rise up and become who the Lord needs us to be, and embrace our divine identity.
What Do You Hold in Reverence?
As I ponder on the question, “What is it that I hold in deep reverence?” I am reminded of a profound experience I had several months ago. This memorable experience was stunning, and caused me to pause and reflect on my reverence for soldiers who have died while defending our country. I quickly am overcome with emotion as I review in my mind and heart my experience of that day. I will do my best to attempt to recreate the memorable and sacred moments that filled my heart and soul with gratitude for those who sacrifice their lives to protect our safety and freedom.
I had the opportunity to witness a “Dignified Transfer Ceremony.” This solemn ceremony is offered to the families of U.S. military members who die in the line of duty overseas. The process brings the fallen service member's remains from the location of death to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, where they are transferred from an aircraft to a waiting vehicle. The ceremony is the military’s way to honor the fallen service member's sacrifice and is often attended by the President or other high-ranking officials.
Once the plane lands and taxis in, the family and loved ones are escorted by military officers to stand by the side of the military plane. The ramp of the plane is lowered, and a carry team of 7 soldiers from the same branch as the fallen soldier walk up the ramp to surround the casket. One stands at the feet of the soldier, and the other six flank the casket.
At this point, a military chaplain approaches the casket and offers a prayer. At this point in the ceremony I witnessed, I felt a sudden rush of the spirit that enveloped me as I noticed all who were there bowed their heads in a moment of reverence. It occurred to me that the silence, the bowing of our heads, and the utter silence of that moment invited a stronger presence of the Spirit. I was filled with awe and gratitude for the chaplain’s request for the Lord’s comfort, for his witness of Christ’s atoning Sacrifice, and the reverent respect being shown this amazing fallen soldier.
The ceremony continues as the officer in charge calls out, “Present arms!” The 6 members of the carry team proceed to lift the casket in a very slow, 4-second movement. Time seems to stop… the slow pace is poignant. The officer in charge calls out “Attention!” All uniformed military personnel raise their arm in a solemn, 4-second salute and remain in that position until the soldier has been removed from the plane.
As the casket is carried off the plane, the silence is thick, distinct, and powerful. It was stunning in the contrast of our noisy world. It is as if the world has stopped, and I am certain the silence pierced the hearts of all in attendance that day. The only sound I could hear were the faint taps of the carry team’s footsteps down the ramp and onto the pavement of the tarmac. Each soldier gently walked in unison with each other and made their way to the hanger where the transport vehicle was waiting.
When they approach the vehicle, the carry team slowly placed the casket, feet first into the back of the vehicle. The flag, draped over the casket is always placed with the field of stars over the heart of the fallen soldier. The officer in charge called out, “Order! Arms!” All uniformed officers raised their arm in a final salute, 4 seconds up, and 4 seconds down.
Graveside Ceremony
The ceremony continues at the graveside, where a firing squad shoots off 3 shots in a salute to the fallen soldier. Taps is played. The meaning of the song "Taps" is twofold: it serves as the "lights out" bugle call to signal the end of the day on military bases and is a somber, official "Song of Remembrance" in the United States to honor fallen military members at funerals and memorial ceremonies. The simple, 24-note melody, originating during the Civil War, has become a poignant symbol of farewell, peace, and the profound sacrifice of those who served.
13 Folds of Glory Ceremony
At this point, and in a precise and solemn manner, the 13 Folds of Glory Ceremony begins. The United States flag is folded in 13 folds, each one representing something sacred. The following outlines the meaning of each fold (Military.com, n.d.)
FIRST FOLD: Mortal Life
SECOND FOLD: Belief in Eternal Life
THIRD FOLD: Honors Veterans who died in service to the country
FOURTH FOLD: Trust in God for guidance
FIFTH FOLD: Tribute to the United States
SIXTH FOLD: Pledging allegiance to the flag
SEVENTH FOLD: Tribute to armed forces
EIGHTH FOLD: Honors the one who died
NINTH FOLD: Tribute to womanhood
TENTH FOLD: Honors Fathers who gave their sons and daughters in defense of country
ELEVENTH FOLD: Emblem of eternity—glorifies God
TWELFTH FOLD: The heritage and wisdom of King David and King Solomon
THIRTEENTH FOLD: Stars = “In God We Trust”
When the final 13th fold is complete, the officer in charge takes the flag, approaches the loved one who will receive it, kneels before them, and offers the following statement:
“On behalf of the President of the United States, the United States Military, and a grateful nation, please accept this flag as a symbol of our appreciation for your loved one’s honorable and faithful service.”
The moment the loved one receives and takes possession of the folded flag is also significant. The flag draped the fallen soldier’s casket on the final trip home. The flag represents the purpose of the fallen soldier’s sacrifice, it is symbolic of all 13 sacred things, and can always serve as a reminder of the solemn and reverent ceremony.
Why is the ceremony done with such exactness and reverence? It is done with precision and perfection because this is the one time the family members will see their loved one being carried off the plane and honored for their service. It is critical that everything is done with reverence for sacrifice, with utmost and sacred precision, and with extreme grace.
Growing Irreverence in the World
In contrast to the sweet, moving, and memorable experiences of reverence, irreverence disrupts the presence of the Spirit. In fact, it disrupts clarity, clouds our minds with confusion, and in some cases causes danger to our very lives.
When our military soldiers are planning to attack the enemy while at war, their first task is to disrupt the lines of communication of their foe. This causes utter chaos in the enemy, detracts from their organized defenses, and weakens them to the point that they are a much more vulnerable and easier target.
It is interesting to note that the adversary uses exact same tactic when working to distract us from our connection with the Spirit. In fact, he is quite skillful and cunning in his strategy and it is easy to get caught in irreverence without us even being aware. Ulisses Soares said: “Irreverence suits the purposes of the adversary by obstructing the delicate channels of revelation in both mind and spirit. Irreverence toward sacred things furthers the adversary’s aims by disrupting our sensitive channels of revelation, which are crucial for our spiritual survival in our day.”
Jonathan Sacks, Britain’s chief rabbi (Sacks, 2011) discussed his concern for the loss of values and morals of society. He said: The Judeo-Christian moral code has been changed to [Do] whatever works for you. The Ten Commandments are being rewritten as the “Ten Creative Suggestions.” There are large parts of [the world] where religion is a thing of the past and there is no counter-voice to the culture of buy it, spend it, wear it, flaunt it, because you’re worth it. The message is that morality is passé, conscience is for wimps, and the single overriding command is ‘Thou shalt not be found out.”
Sacks is suggesting that our relaxed morals and desire to avoid restrictions and discipline is distorting and disrupts the order of a moral society. Integrity is being replaced with the idea that rules and guidelines are an annoyance and should be avoided at all costs. This attitude, however, creates a barrier to true and lasting happiness, and can blind the masses and eventually bring an entire society down into ruin.
Cultivating Reverence—Unlocking the Powers of Heaven
Ulisses Soares emphasized the importance of respect and reverence for the sacred, and suggested that this “fosters genuine gratitude, expands true happiness, leads our minds to revelation, and brings greater joy to our lives. He went on to teach that “the absence of respect for the sacred produces an increasing casualness in attitude and carelessness in conduct, which can rapidly spiral one generation into apathy and catapult the next generation into misery.”
Increasingly, we are warned that the time will come when we must find the courage to take a stand, openly express our faith in the Lord, Jesus Christ, and combat irreverence. It has even been suggested that persecution for our faith and beliefs will become the norm as we speak up and speak out. However, the Light of Christ will always outshine and overrule the darkness of evil. The powers of heaven are available to us and we can have confidence that we are never alone in our faith and quest for goodness and righteousness. The time is now to utilize the power we have access to as we exercise our spiritual gift of reverence in every walk of our life.
When disrespect and unkindness steps in our way, do we have the courage to resist the temptation to fight back and jump into the fire? Can we replace that tendency with a constant reverence for sacred things, which Elder Soares suggests “is the greatest manifestation of a vital spiritual quality; it is a by-product of our connection to holiness and reflects our love for and proximity to our Heavenly Father and our Savior, Jesus Christ.”
What are the Sacred Things?
There are specific things we are to place in highest priority as we examine our lives and recommit to reverencing sacred things. Those most important things include:
· Reverence for Heavenly Father, and His Son, Jesus Christ
· Reverence in Worship
· Reverence for Personal Revelation
· Reverence for Eternal Relationships
However, to exercise the power of reverence, we need to understand how to silence the noise and distractions of the world and reject the attempts of the adversary to disrupt the lines of communication with heaven.
A Recipe for Cultivating Reverence and Accessing Personal Revelation
President Russel M. Nelson, President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints offers a very simple, step-by-step recipe for this call to cultivate reverence in our lives (Nelson, 2018). First, let’s review his statement and then highlight the steps:
“What wisdom do you lack? What do you feel an urgent need to know or understand? Follow the example of the Prophet Joseph. Find a quiet place where you can regularly go. Humble yourself before God. Pour out your heart to your Heavenly Father. Turn to Him for answers and for comfort.
Pray in the name of Jesus Christ about your concerns, your fears, your weaknesses—yes, the very longings of your heart. And then listen! Write the thoughts that come to your mind. Record your feelings and follow through with actions that you are prompted to take. As you repeat this process day after day, month after month, year after year, you will “grow into the principle of revelation.”
This beautiful quote contains comforting counsel that no matter what our fears are, no matter what our longings may be, there is nothing too heavy to bring to our loving Heavenly Father. We are encouraged to place those worries, longings, fears, and weaknesses at the feet of our Savior, with confidence that our Father in Heaven cares deeply, watches over us, and wants us to find peace and healing. All we must do is follow the simple steps outlined below:
1. Find a quiet place
2. Humble yourself before God
3. Pour out your heart to Heavenly Father
4. Pray in the name of Jesus Christ
5. Listen!
6. Write your thoughts—record your feelings
7. Follow through with actions you are prompted to take
8. Repeat daily
Ulisses Soares said that “reverence for the sacred fosters gratitude, expands true happiness, leads our minds to revelation, and brings greater joy to our lives. It places our feet on holy ground and lifts our hearts to deity.”
The first step to lasting change is awareness. In summary, we have learned that reverence is not just being quiet. Reverence is a verb or action word. It involves intentional focus on values, morals, and things that truly matter. It is an attitude of gratitude, and something that when exercised, unlocks the powers of heaven enabling us to combat irreverence and leads us to the clarity and understanding of who we really are. Reverence allows us to see ourselves the way God sees us and to embrace the reality of our divine identity. May this be our quest as we strive to refine our spiritual gift of reverence.
References
Military.com. (n.d.). The meaning behind the 13 folds of Old Glory. Military.com. https://www.military.com/flag-day/meaning-behind-13-flag-folds.html
Merriam-Webster. (2025). Reverie. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. Retrieved September 15, 2025, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reverie
Nelson, R. M. (2018, April). Revelation for the Church, Revelation for Our Lives [General Conference talk]. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2018/04/revelation-for-the-church-revelation-for-our-lives?lang=eng
Sacks, J. (2011, August 20). Reversing the decay of London undone. The Wall Street Journal.
Soares, U. (2025, April 6). Reverence for sacred things [General Conference talk]. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
