Temple…. What the temple means to me and the struggles I’ve been through to get there.
Growing up I always had the example of my parents to show me the importance of going to the temple on a regular basis and how special and important it would be to be sealed to an eternal companion. Over the years of my life I had different trials I faced which kept me from going to the temple. As I look back on my life and how I have grown from those trials it has made me who I am today. Just over 2 months ago my Husband and I celebrated our 6th anniversary in the Logan Temple with our youngest daughter Peyton and were sealed together as an eternal family. The joy this brought me is hard to describe other than I felt some what more complete and completely overjoyed. It will be another joyous day when we can take our other two children both from previous marriages to the temple with us to be sealed when the time is right. The temple has brought me closer to my husband and children but most of all closer to my Heavenly Father. I was reading some quotes about the temple and came across one from Richard H Winkel a member of the 2nd Quorum of the Seventy who said
“When you come to the temple you will love your family with a deeper love than you have ever felt before. The temple is about families… It extends to parents, brothers and sisters, aunts, uncles, cousins, forebears, and especially our grandchildren! This is the Spirit of Elijah, which is the spirit of family history work; and when inspired by the Holy Ghost, it prompts the turning of the hearts of the fathers to the children and the hearts of the children to the fathers. Because of the priesthood, husbands and wives are sealed together; children are sealed to their parents for eternity so the family is eternal and will not be separated at death”.
This quote became more real to me as I saw my little girl enter the room dressed in white and joined my husband and I as we were sealed together as an eternal family and as we exited the Temple we were met by our other 2 children and the embrace we shared was different some how… I remember one moment I had with my son Chance as we both sobbed and held each other, all I could say was how much I loved him. Chance struggled with the decision as to whether or not to go with us that day and be sealed. His dad isn’t an active member of the church and wouldn’t have any problems giving the permission needed, however Chance felt he wasn’t quite ready to make that decision and we supported him 100% and told him when he was ready we would go again. As I hugged Kelcee all I could think about was how my life has been changed since I married her dad 6 years ago and how blessed I am to have her call me “mom”. I love all my children and husband so much and feel blessed to have such an amazing family to share my eternity with.
Getting to the temple wasn’t the easiest thing I have ever done but the most rewarding by far. Justin and I had been talking about going through the temple for as long as I can remember (just about 6 years to be exact). We both struggled with inactivity and then one day I decided I was going to start going back to church. As I went and took the kids Justin decided he would join us. Then came the calling in the Primary where we both grew and learned more about our Heavenly Father’s plan for us, then came the time when Justin was ordained to the office of a Priest… It felt so good to have the Priesthood back in my home. Then more trials came our way when the lives of a family close to us was changed in the blink of an eye, yet through their trials and their testimony of the Gospel and of Eternal families knowing they would see their loved ones again, something sparked inside Justin and I and we knew it was time… We started the temple prep classes where we had some pretty amazing teachers if you ask me who prepared us for that special day. Justin was ordained to the office of an Elder. Then it was time to make that decision as to when we should go and we were coming up on our 6th anniversary and it would be the perfect time. We spoke with our Bishop and then with the Stake President and were able to go on our anniversary. As we prepared for that day we spoke with Peyton about what we were going to do and where we would be going. She was so excited as she picked out her white dress and just as excited to “go to the temple to see her two friends who had passed away earlier in the year. We were pleased to know that she had the opportunity to feel them near her when she was in the temple. I to felt somewhat closer to my loved ones who had previously passed on and I remember as a Young woman feeling the presents of those who were waiting for me to perform their work for them. We were blessed to share this day with close friends and family members who have prayed for us and strengthened us and stood by us through it all. I am so grateful for the family and friends we have who have made a difference in our lives.
Before we went through the temple and took out our own endowments, I felt the adversary working hard on me. I knew he would do everything in his power to keep me and my family from going to the temple. As we walked through the doors of the Bountiful Temple, I felt at peace, and actually started to cry. I had been waiting for this day my whole life. I had been to the temple to do baptisms for the dead and knew how much I loved the feeling of being there. To actually hand the gentleman at the door my temple recommend, I honestly started to cry… I was overcome with the Spirit and knowing that this is where my Heavenly Father wanted me to be. When I saw my mom dressed in her white gown I cried again knowing again that this was exactly where I needed to be in my life. I cried again when I saw my husband dressed all in white and as we walked through the temple halls together I cried even more, it was a good thing there were a lot of tissues in the dressing room… Being inside the temple I felt at peace, I knew the adversary couldn’t touch me and I was truly making the right decisions. I cried again as I saw my brother’s and their wives and close friends of ours enter the room who had come to support us and to do the Lords work. I cannot describe the way I felt, only that I felt amazing. I look forward to going back as often as I can to feel the love of my Savior and to feel closer to my Heavenly Father.
Pres Gordon B Hinckley said
“Just as our Redeemer gave His life as a vicarious sacrifice for all men, and in so doing became our Savior, even so we, in a small measure, when we engage in proxy work in the temple, become as saviors to those on the other side who have no means of advancing unless something is done in their behalf by those on earth.”
My testimony has been strengthened by so many others in my life. As I witnessed the baptism of a good friend of mine who became interested in the church after her visit to Utah and Temple Square, after 3 years of investigating her and her husband were both baptized and are planning on coming to Salt Lake from South Carolina in July next year to go through the Salt Lake Temple to be sealed together. I look forward to that day to share this experience with them. She taught me so much about myself and what I took for granted… as she explained to me that she cried the first time she took the sacrament… made me think ‘have I ever felt that way, have I ever cried when I renewed my baptismal covenants?” I started evaluating my life and what I needed to do and it became more apparent each day. So the Issue wasn’t going to the temple rather it was having been touched by the Spirit of the Lord in a way that I felt I had to get my family and myself to the temple to gain those blessings and to be come as saviors to those who are waiting. The blessings of the temple are great, I have felt them and know they are real. Joseph B Wirthlin of the Quorum of the Twelve said
“The ideals of faith, hope and charity are most evident in the holy temples. There we learn the purpose of life, strengthen our commitment as disciples of Christ by entering into sacred covenants with Him, and seal our families together for eternity across generations. Receiving our own endowments in a temple and returning frequently to perform sacred ordinances for our kindred dead increases our faith, strengthens our hope, and deepens our charity. We receive our own endowment with faith and hope that we will understand the Lord’s plan for His children, will recognize the divine potential within each of us as children of our Heavenly Father, and will be faithful to the end in keeping the covenants we make. Performing temple ordinances for the dead is a manifestation of charity, offering essential blessings, to those who have preceded us, blessings that were not available to them during their mortal lives. We have the privilege of doing for them what they are unable to do for themselves.
Peyton's Soccer Team! GoOoOo Shortcakes!
As you touch the Temple ... the Temple with touch you.
My blessings from Heaven
It was nice to share with such close friends..... MiKell and Murranda you are amazing women!
All the support we had that day... there were a few missing out of this pic... but non the less you are all such great examples to me and my family! We love you so much!
