Temples

Salt Lake City, UT temple

 So this week was a little of a hectic one. I don't know if you've ever felt that way before... things were just overwhelming and I felt very little peace in my life because of all of the things that were calling for my attention. I was able to go to a LDS temple a couple of days ago and being inside that holy edifice brought the peace and clarity that I desperately needed.

Mesa, AZ temple

Oakland, CA temple

 The temple is, literally, the house of the Lord. I like to think of it as, the place where "Heaven meets Earth". It is a holy place where ordinances are performed that help us make promises to get closer to God. Whenever the power and authority of God has been on the earth there have been houses of the Lord. They are there to help enable us to do the things that God wants us to do. They help endow us with the strength and the power to get through the strains of this world. In a revelation given through Joseph Smith, the Prophet, on June 1, 1833 the Lord said, "Yea, verily I say unto you, I gave unto you a commandment that you should build a house, in the which house I design to endow those whom I have chosen with power from on high; For this is the promise of the Father unto you; therefore I command you to tarry, even as mine apostles at Jerusalem" (Doctrine and Covenants 95:8-9, pg. 185-86).

(I don't actually know these people but here they are getting married in the San Diego, CA temple!)

  The temple is also a place where we can be married for time and all eternity. Our Heavenly Father wants us to have our families forever and so He provides His temples so that the with the proper priesthood authority we can be "sealed" together throughout the eternities.

Hong Kong, China temple

  I love the temple. It is a holy place, and I know that is where the Lord dwells. When we live a worthy life, and do everything we can to follow Jesus Christ, the temple can be that beacon of light that we can always go to for truth and strength. I know that because of the temple, my family is forever thing, and that brings me my greatest joy.

Simplify

http://lds.org/pages/mormon-messages-gallery?lang=eng#moments-that-matter-most
 In my house, in St. George UT, there hangs a plaque on the wall of our living room that just has one word on it: "Simplify". When my Mom first bought it we all kinda gave her a hard time, I really didn't understand what it meant. The more I live, though, the more I have come to appreciate that word. I love the scripture found in the Book of Mormon, in Alma 37:6-7 (pg. 300), that reads, "Now ye may suppose that this is foolishness in me; but behold I say unto you, that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise. And the Lord God doth work by means to bring about his great and eternal purposes. and by very small means the Lord doth confound the wise and bringeth about the salvation of many souls." Joy can come in the littlest forms. In the feelings you get as you kneel on bended knee in the morning, by a smile from a stranger, having your dog get so excited when you come home, watching a sunset at the end of the day. It is in those type of moments when the Spirit of our Heavenly Father can testify of our relationship with Him. When we can feel His infinite love and love from those around us. When we slow down to take notice we can feel joy everywhere.

The Hill Cumorah Pageant!

Sorry I haven't written in forever. We've been involved in the Hill Cumorah pageant this entire week! Check out this link to see what its like. It goes from July 8,9, and 12-16. Come and see the excitement!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=syoIsiTGHQ0