Throughout the centuries, many religious institutions—churches, synagogues, and sanctuaries—have served as places of refuge. Individuals and groups have fled to these sacred places during times of war and natural disaster, to seek political asylum, or to avoid arrest from officers of the law. Conceivably, these places of refuge emerged based on the concept of ancient, biblical cities of refuge (see Num. 35), where certain individuals could find refuge (see entry “High Priest, Death of, and the Cities of Refuge”).
In ways similar to ancient and medieval places of refuge, our modern temples function as a refuge to faithful Saints who seek the peace, calm, and tranquility that can only be found in the Lord’s house. For them, the temple is the ultimate safe haven from the confusion, chaos, and evil of the world.
A number of Church authorities have identified our temples as places of refuge. Elder Quentin L. Cook testified, “The temple is . . . a place of refuge. . . . Throughout my life it has been a place of tranquility and peace in a world that is literally in commotion. It is wonderful to leave the cares of the world behind in that sacred setting.”260 And President Gordon B. Hinckley’s words at the Portland Oregon Temple dedication (19 August 1989) have application to all of the Lord’s temples: “It is a place of peace and holiness, a refuge from the storms of life, a sanctuary in which to worship thee ‘in spirit and in truth.’”261
As an important sidenote, the Laie Hawaii Temple has been called a “temple of refuge” because “in ancient times, the area had served as a city of refuge for Hawaiians seeking protection from the tyrannical rulers of the kingdom.”262
Although temples serve as places of refuge, the Lord, of course, is our ultimate place of safety—He is “my refuge, my saviour” (2 Sam. 22:3); also, O Lord, “thou hast been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm” (Isa. 25:4).