CLICK HERE FOR FREE BLOG LAYOUTS, LINK BUTTONS AND MORE! »

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

I love to see the temple

Temples have really been on my mind a lot lately.

*Last Saturday our Relief Society went up to SLC to see the Joseph Smith movie and the power and majesty of the Temple towering over me as I walked around the streets and buildings surrounding it was so powerful. I ached to go inside. That is one of the most amazing places to be. It was truly an edifying day for me.



*A few Sundays ago, a sister in our ward spoke on temples in Sacrament Meeting. Then the Sunday before the SLC trip, our RS president gave a powerful lesson on temples in RS.

*A blog I follow for the Kansas City Temple did a little blip (great read) on the real estate surrounding a temple. She gave a suggestion for a FHE that we did last night (see below).

*And last but not least our family has the great opportunity to go through the Draper Temple open house on Saturday and I am ecstatic. My kids are ecstatic. The thought of being able to take my children inside a temple brings me great joy. I hope it will strengthen their testimony of temples as it did mine when I had the opportunity to go through the Manti Temple open house and dedication when I was young. In preparation for this day I did a FHE last night that I hope will also strengthen their testimonies.



I picked up some pics of the temple at the distribution center and bought some frames before hand. Before FHE I gathered a hammer and nails. In the FHE we talked about the building of temples and how even building a temple is a sacred thing. We talked about the effect the temple has on an area surrounding it, how the price of homes go up and most important how it has an effect on an individual who gets to see it daily from living close or driving by each day. We talked about the blessing we have of getting to see a handful of temples by driving a very short distance. Then I told them I wanted them to think of a way that we could wake up and see the temple each morning. As the answer came that I was looking for of putting a picture of the temple in our rooms, I told them I wanted them to be thinking of the perfect place for their temple as we would be "building" a temple in their room. It had to be somewhere special that would bring value to the other things in their room, a place they would be able to see it each day. We then put the pictures of the temple in the frames and each person went to their room and found their place. It was fun to see them rearrange things in their room to create the perfect place. Rob and I even put my temple picture up in our room. It took a little planning to find the perfect place, but what a great sight when I woke up this morning and saw that beautiful sight. I LOVE to see the temple.



In closing (since this turned more formal than I am used to :}) I want to share some things from D&C 109 that a great bishop once shared with me about the amazing spiritual blessings that come from attending the temple. This was revelation given to Joseph Smith as he was giving the dedicatory prayer for the Kirtland Temple. The whole thing was powerful, but these are a few promises that I picked out that really gave me some hope.

*13...That all people who shall enter upon the threshold of the Lord's house may feel thy power, and feel constrained to acknowledge that thou hast sanctified it, and that it is thy house, a place of thy holiness.

*22...That thy servants may go forth from this house armed with thy power, and that thy name may be upon them and thy glory be round about them and thine angels have charge over them.

*26: That no combination of wickedness shall have power to rise up and prevail over thy people upon whom thy name shall be in this house.

Now who couldn't use a little more power against the enemy. I find great comfort in those promises. I believe in God and I believe in His promises. I would also like to extend that promise to you. If you are able to go to the temple, do it often. If you aren't, do whatever it takes to go and be there. I promise that your life will be easier to manage and that you will find the strength to overcome any personal battles that threaten to destroy you. I love each of you so much!

8 comments:

Abby said...

Temples are the best place to be. I am glad that your FHE went well. we are going to the Draper temple open house Feb. 21 and I am excited to share that with my little family. Have fun.

Here at home said...

I'm excited for the open house. What a great way for our children to gain a testimony of temples. What a fun FHE.
When are you and I going to go together?

Anonymous said...

What a great post! Love the FHE lesson, we'll have to do that too.

shauna said...

I love it. What a great idea!

Wish I could take my kids thru an openhouse soon. We have to wait a while.

I love to see the temple too!

Kristy said...

Great post!! I love to go to the temple as much as possible! Our family actually has the amazing change to be able to go to the Draper open house on our 1 year temple anniversary. I am so excited to be able to take my kids back to the temple!

Tamster said...

Just yesterday, for the first time, I had the privilege of attending the Lubbock temple, along with 3 other sisters from my ward. It was a 3 hour drive each way. The drive was long, and my body actually is sore today from sitting in the car for so long and leaning sideways and forward to talk to the others in front, but it was such a wonderful day!!! I feel renewed in my desire to fill my life with the Spirit and to make my home a temple of its own.

Those of you who live close to a temple: Take advantage of it... OFTEN!!! When I was younger I used to take advantage of it more, and I really did feel like I was more on top of things in all aspects of my life, spiritually and otherwise. More recently, partly due to having small children and partly a matter of not making it a priority, I had taken the temple for granted because it was always so close. Now I don't have it so close, and it is a much greater sacrifice of time and money to get to the temple. I feel blessed, however, because there are so many others in the world who have it a lot worse off than I do, and they make the sacrifice. I hope to be able to make it more frequently than I have, but appreciate what you have now being close to a temple because you never know when your circumstances may change.

I, too, love to see the temple. I may have to copy that FHE idea, Bon, even if I can't take my children to an open house like you can. :-)

Wendoyoublog in Colorado said...

Great idea for my fhe tonight. thanks.

Jennie said...

Hi Bonnie, I found your blog through Kristy, hope it's ok that I took a look! What an amazing post! Great idea about putting pics of the temple in the kids rooms, I may have to steal that idea! I'm so excited that you are going to be my visiting teacher, I can't wait for you to come for a visit-I'm so lucky.