Draper Temple

Monday Allen, myself and my mom went to the Draper Temple open house. It never ceases to amaze me how all the temples are so different and unique, but the feeling is the exact same. Well, going to an open house is obviously different than when you are attending to do ordinances. Actually...I guess just the intensity is different, and that would only be because of the reverence. Sitting in the church waiting to watch the video before being bussed to the Temple my mom was telling me how she took all five of us kids to the Jordan Temple open house. My baby brother was a new born and my oldest brother would have been seven. She said it was quite a handful and wouldn't do it again. In fact she said she wouldn't take kids until they were closer to eight. But you know, I would've been three and I remember (very vaguely) going to it. I do remember seeing an alter (didn't know what it was then of course) in a room and looking at the mirrors and the chandelier. I don't know why I remember that part, whether it was the feeling when looking in the sealing room or the sparkly chandelier, I don't know. But even at that age I do remember knowing that something was different inside the Temple. Maybe it was because my mom explained how important it was, but I really believe the reason is simple...I felt inside and knew that it was the Lords House. Life would've have been a lot easier and made a whole heck of a lot more sense had I been able to remember and carry that feeling with me. But by the time I was twenty and getting married...I guess it had faded. Since then though it has come back though and I even understand a little bit about the eternal importance.

I can't wait to have a family of my own! What an adventure and a blessing it will be! I just hope and pray I can do as well raising kids as my mom did. I'm kind of excited about adopting too just because we will get to take our baby to the Temple and have him sealed to us for time and eternity! I mean it would be awesome to be able to have our own children but what a perk to adopting, ya know. Not only that, but not everyone gets to take their baby into the temple with them. Basically an extra meeting with Heavenly Father that a lot of people don't get to have, I can't even imagine how cool it will be! And of course it will be in the Manti Temple. On our first date Allen and I talked about how we both loved the Manti Temple. The reason it was his favorite is because he grew up down there and that is where he recieved his endowment before his mission. The reason it was my favorite is because the first time I saw it it was a cloudy day, completely overcast, my dad had told me I could probably see it soon so I was looking. We came around a small hill and there it was, glowing, like a beacon. The clouds had parted just enough to have a beam of light exactly on it. I was in complete awe. That is when I just knew that was "My Temple". I almost expected angels to start singing. I guess they did in my head though. I love that Temple. I can't walk in there without feeling like I am walking into the arms of the Lord and he is giving me a big hug. Someday I would like to live a lot closer to that Temple. There is actually a house that sits right across from the Temple and has a huge picture window facing it. I have a dream to buy that house one day.