I have learned a new word.  Murmuration is the astonishing display of aerobatics of thousands of starlings flying in perfect synchronization.  Each individual bird in a dense cloud of starlings flies just inches away from its neighbors as the cloud twists, turns, ascends, descends, spirals, folds back on itself, and forms constantly-changing shapes.  Somehow every bird knows precisely when to turn and which direction to go with never a mistake which would cause it to collide with a bird beside it.

How do they do it?  Why do they do it?

No one knows.  It’s breathtaking to watch.  I’m sure it’s satisfying to be a participant.

Some theorize that flying in such a dense, ever-changing flock is a defense mechanism that prevents hawks or other predators from singling out individual birds.  But if it is simply a defense mechanism, why does the flock circle back and forth over the same area for such a long time?

I think they’re doing it for fun.  They are very obviously enjoying what they’re doing.

As I pulled into the Meridian Temple parking lot at 10:00 on a Wednesday morning, I saw another example of murmuration.  There were hundreds of cars there.  The neighbors who drive by must wonder what the draw is that brings hundreds of people to that stately building every day when they could be doing so many other interesting and productive things.

Inside that building were hundreds of people acting in a beautiful synchronization of activity.  Each individual knew his part, and all were acting in harmony to accomplish a magnificent thing.  Their activity, combined with the identical activities simultaneously occurring in scores of other temples around the world, creates an astonishing murmuration that has no equal anywhere in the world.  Thousands upon thousands of Latter-day Saints are daily acting in unison to accomplish the greatest, most far-reaching endeavor the human race has ever known.  They’re working to bring every human being who has ever lived on earth into a perfect, unified, murmuration where everyone has the opportunity to come together in joy and harmony.

How do they do it?  Why do they do it?

Are they doing it for fun?

That’s not their motivation, but their work does give them feelings of joy, satisfaction, and accomplishment that are not available in any other endeavor.

And it’s breathtaking to be a participant when one contemplates the breadth of what is being attempted.  Providing crucial ordinance work for every soul who has ever lived is, on the face of things, an impossible task.

But the Saints say, “We’ll do it anyway.”  And name by name, individual by individual, they’re doing it.

A unification of earthly and heavenly efforts (a colossal, heavenly murmuration, if you will) will be necessary to finally accomplish the task, but it will be accomplished.

This murmuration of temple workers and patrons is not the only cloud in the sky.  It’s paralleled with a murmuration of 70,000 missionaries who are in sync with the temple murmuration.  Both have the same goal of bringing crucial ordinances and eternal joy to every soul.

A third murmuration is formed by hundreds of thousands of teachers and leaders who are working in the Primary, Sunday School, Young Men, Young Women, Relief Society, and Priesthood organizations of the Church.  Their goal is the same as that of the temple workers and of the missionaries.

It’s a beautiful thing to watch and to contemplate and to be a part of.  I’m grateful to be flying in sync with people who share these common goals.   Murmuration is a beautiful thing whether being done by starlings or saints.