A simple sense of sacredness in coming before the Lord in prayer, in the Sacrament, in the Temple Like Moses on Mount Sinai, we need to symbolically remove our shoes, let go of the world. There is something of pride in shoes, a lingering reminder of the prideful status competition of the world. Shoes are symbols of action, of movement, of always going from place to place in a rush, without purpose, without divine direction, and without a rudder or the Spirit to guide us. They supposedly protect us, but more often in the name of style and pride of ownership, they hurt our feet. They ruin our ability to go and do the Lord’s will, and cause painful bunion reminders. We would rather pay exquisite attention to the fleeting opinions of others on our stylishness, lavishness, bargain hunting savvy than the steady love and support of God who is able clothe us like the lilies of the field.
So we take them off, like Moses on Mount Sinai, not able to stand before the power and glory of the Lord. We kneel as we do symbolically in D&C 20:76 during the sacrament and in other sacred places. When we are not caught up in the worldliness of shoes, our feet are shorn with the gospel of peace as the apostle Paul said so eloquently. Our humble and softened hearts, not bound by tightly cramped shoe-like ideas, are now open to be filled with His love.