All of the Above: Confession #14

Friday, July 22, 2011

Confession #14 - The Temple

Confession: I love the temple.

I wish I had the money (and energy), and time, to go on a road trip across the USA and visit as many as I could.

"I love to see the temple, I'm going there someday - to feel the holy spirit, to listen and to pray.

For the temple is a house of God, a place of love and beauty.

I'll prepare myself while I am young - this is my sacred duty.

I love to see the temple, I'll go inside someday - I'll covenant with my Father, I'll promise to obey.

For the temple is a holy place where we are sealed together.

As a child of God I've learned this truth - a family is forever."

Temples hold special memories, experiences, and service that are vital, irreplaceable puzzle pieces to ourselves.

The Washington, D.C., USA temple - where I joined my forever family.

The Cardston, Alberta, Canada temple, where I first went with the youth of the church to do Baptisms for the Dead, and realized at a very young age how special the temples really are.

The Calgary, Alberta, Canada temple, where my mother (and many others) anxiously await it's completion. OH the more ease of having a temple in Calgary.

The Salt Lake, Utah, USA temple, where many saints died to make this temple possible. Hand carved, gently laid, and well planned. Showered in tears, horror, joy, and peace - this is a temple I hope to visit.

If you haven't watched the movie "The Mountain of the Lord", watch it now. And then come back and look at a picture of the Salt Lake temple.

The Nauvoo, Illinois, USA temple, to which I had the privilege of attending the dedication via satellite as a teenager. There was so much joy in it's completion, the room could have exploded.

The Manti, Utah, USA temple, where I went as part of a temple road trip with the rest of the girls and leaders from Young Women's when I was a teenager. I remember watching a play that was put on for a crowd of us on this hillside, but I was blown away by how absolutely gorgeous this temple is.

The Las Vegas, Nevada, USA temple, where I attended frequent youth trips with the YW/YM for Baptisms for the Dead, as well as the occasional trip with a friend of mine, who has since passed, making those moments even more priceless.

I learned a lot of lessons on those grounds.

The San Diego, California, USA temple, the very first temple that I thought was a fairytale castle when I was a kid. When I drew brides as a little girl, and day dreamed about my wedding, I would think about this temple in the background.

So pretty.

The Bountiful, Utah, USA temple, where I had the opportunity to attend the open house when I was a kid. I remember feeling the reverence and being in awe of the detail in every room, and the radiating peace from every corner.