This week I decided to try to attend all the LDS temples in Utah. It was an awesome experience! We didn't make it down to St. George and the Ogden temple is under renovation, so I'm still missing two. But we sure spent a lot of time in the temple this last week! (And a lot of time in the car.) And a lot of time in the temple! And it was really fun. The more you attend the temple the more you'll want to go. I read an article written by a woman who is an episcopal priest and attended an LDS temple open house. In her
article she describes sitting in the Celestial room and catching "a glimpse of heaven." I thought about that a lot as I did work in each of the temples. I didn't have anything like an earth shattering revelation. Instead I had ample opportunity to ponder my questions surrounded by the spirit, and was blessed with dozens of small impressions. Elder Bednar might call these impressions tender mercies, as they are difficult to describe and might not mean anything to anyone but me. But my vision was certainly expanded. I do believe in the temple, and that it is there that we can catch at least a glimpse of heaven.
 |
| DRAPER TEMPLE |
|
|
This was only my second time going though the Draper temple. The ordinances are the same in every temple, but they all look a little bit different and have their own personality. This temple will always feel like my temple.
 |
BOUNTIFUL TEMPLE
 |
JORDAN RIVER TEMPLE
|
|
 |
| JORDAN RIVER TEMPLE |
 |
| I
loved the Oquirrh Mountain Temple. It was subtle and charming and made
me feel the way I do when I'm up in the mountains. My brother was sealed
to his wife in this temple, and I babysat out in the waiting room
thinking all the time how much I'd rather be inside. Turns out I was
right! The outside of the temple is beautiful. And the waiting room is nice. But it's even better to go inside. | | .
|
 |
OQUIRRH MOUNTAIN TEMPLE
|
 |
OQUIRRH MOUNTAIN TEMPLE
|
 |
OQUIRRH MOUNTAIN TEMPLE
|
 |
MT TIMPANOGOS TEMPLE
|
 |
| MT TIMPANOGOS TEMPLE |
|
|
|
|
One of my favorite aspects of temple work is the opportunity to serve. We are endowed only once in the temple, but are allowed to return again as often as we want and are able to offer those blessings to others. Michael Wilcox shared an experience he had in the temple that motivates me to keep going back. He said:
Doing the work for my own ancestors has been vastly
significant and is perhaps the single most critical factor in discovering the
love of our Father in Heaven and his Son. An ordinance worker once told our
family, as we prepared to be baptized for individuals whose names we had
researched ourselves, "Many of those for whom you will be baptized today
lived hard and difficult lives; many of them died wondering if God had
forgotten them. Today you will show them he has not forgotten them. He never
forgets a single child. For the first time in many, many years their names will
be spoken again, here in the Lord’s house, and they will know of their
Father’s eternal love."
--Michael Wilcox, That All Their Outgoings from This House May Be
in the Name of the Lord, 2000.
 |
PROVO TEMPLE
|
 |
| Nick started acting really weird, laughing hysterically and making not a lot of sense...we pulled out the pain pills she had taken for a headache and discovered a Caffeine Warning. For someone who's never had caffeine in her life, it gave her quite a buzz! Oops... I think next time she'll stick with tylenol. |
 |
| Nick at Ghost Rock |
 |
| Ghost Rock |
 |
| Building a cairn at Ghost Rock |
 |
| MANTI TEMPLE |
|
|
|
|
 |
| Discovering a lid covered in sticky frozen lemonade stuck to my head. Aaaww! |
 |
MANTI TEMPLE
|
 |
| The Manti temple is SO beautiful! All the temple workers are really friendly! Inside you get a sense of how much history has has happened in this place. It's visually stunning inside. The outside is castle-like, like Logan. We stayed for the pageant afterwards, which was awesome. It was a great echo of the lessons taught inside the temple. My favorite part of the pageant was when Angel Moroni appeared on top of the temple tower, blowing his trumpet to declare the gospel to all the world! |
 |
| Setting up camp in a skirt and heels |
 |
| My best grumpy face |
 |
| Our tent ghost | | | | | | | | |
|
 |
| MONTICELLO TEMPLE |
|
|
|
 |
| Monticello is such a tiny little temple. And it meant driving a long ways. But it was good to be there. And I think we gained a greater appreciation for having a temple nearby, since there are still so many Saints who have to travel crazy distances to get to a temple. |
 |
We
ate at a place in Monticello called Pizza. This was classy with a
capitol K. Why in the world would you put the baby highchair next to the
saws?
|
 |
| Nick wanted to weigh her fate...but the machine didn't work |
There were so many wildfires along our route. It feels like all of Utah, and the rest of the West, is on fire! The smoke was pretty thick in places. It made for some beautiful pictures. But I feel so bad for the people who have lost homes, and all that beautiful forest that's burned.This is the statement from the Church Newsroom:
Salt Lake City —
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints issued the following statement today:
As
requested by Utah Governor Gary R. Herbert, the Church is pleased to
come together in prayer with other Utahns during this difficult time. We
are mindful of those in Utah and neighboring states who have been
impacted by wildfires. We encourage individuals, families and
congregations to pray for the safety of firefighters, protection of
lives and homes and favorable weather conditions to help control the
many wildfires currently burning.
 |
| The sun through the smoke |
 |
| more smoke... |
 |
| VERNAL TEMPLE |
 |
| VERNAL TEMPLE |
 |
| VERNAL TEMPLE |
 |
| The Vernal Temple is a converted tabernacle. It reminds me of a school. "even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God." -- D&C 88:119 |
 |
| SALT LAKE CITY TEMPLE |
The Salt Lake Temple is fantastic! Thank you Terry for going with me.
 |
LOGAN TEMPLE (Home Sweet Home)
|
 |
We
live in an amazing country. I'm grateful for the right to worship
according to the dictates of my conscience, and for the men and women
who fight to keep us free!
|
Last April President Monson gave a talk in General Conference that encouraged me to get to the temple. This week was great, but knowing myself like I do, I know I will get tired and it is easy to forget my resolve when life gets busy or mundane. I hope I can keep my desire to attend the temple strong and continue to go throughout my life. Remembering there are people waiting for me to do their temple work for them is my best motivation. President Monson said:
Those who understand the eternal blessings which come from the temple know that no sacrifice is too great, no price too heavy, no struggle too difficult in order to receive those blessings...the saving ordinances received in the temple...are worth every sacrifice and every effort.
If you have been to the temple for yourselves and if you live within relative proximity to a temple, your sacrifice could be setting aside the time in your busy lives to visit the temple regularly. There is much to be done in our temples on behalf of those who wait beyond the veil.
-
- Thomas S. Monson, The Holy Temple- A Beacon to the World, General Conference, April 2011
