I Love to See the Temple

Saturday, June 2nd, 2012

Long time, no see! So I figured now was a good time to write. 

Last night I was tossing and turning a bit. This morning I woke up an hour before I usually do (5:30am), really really nervous. 

Today I was going to the Temple.

Well, I made it with my awesome family-Mom, Dad, and Grandma King. 

We went to the 10:30am session,. But I just loved all of these sweet sisters who helped me with everything, leading me everywhere, helping me with the clothing, just being so warm and friendly. I really felt loved. Like Mom said, it was as though they’d been waiting for me all week long to come, and were so excited that I was finally there. 

I love inititories. I loved that it was so personal. I also loved the live endowments at the Manti Temple. It was a really precious experience. 

I was encouraged by Sister Slack, (who was the assistant to Sister Pinager, wife of Manti Temple President Pinager,) to come back often, to wear my garments properly and hold sacred the things discussed in the Temple.

I can’t forget the sister who helped me with my initiatories. She looked at me and as she was explaining things to me, she got tears in her eyes. 

 At one point, the sister helping me turned to my mom and said, “I know I’m telling you something you already know, but you have a really special daughter.” I can’t tell you typing on paper how I felt the love radiating from her as she helped me, as she cried, and as she spoke so kindly of me. I know that that sister was placed where she was to help me because Heavenly Father loves me. He loves us both. 

And Sister Ogden helped me at the end of the endowment, when I really needed it. She was so sweet, and she introduced me to Brother Ogden while we were in the Celestial room. She and him had been married 50 years previous in the sealing room just off the Celestial room in this temple. He looked at me and said something that really touched me,

“She was watching. She was paying attention during the endowment.”

There were a lot of people in that room, it meant so much to me that he picked me out and noticed. I couldn’t help but watch 

Grandpa Clark was there, and he stood on one side of me while Dad was on the other. I couldn’t have been between more beloved men.

I was also happy to see Bishop and Sister Carolyn Christensen, as well as Great Uncle Url, my Grandma Clark’s brother-in-law. They are great men, with so much support and love behind them. Uncle Url told me that’s something you learn to live with in life-when your body breaks down and you learn to keep smiling. :) He’s an awesome example of cheerfulness. And boy, what a great teacher he was! And Is! He just has a teacher’s spirit about him, full of passion and life. 

It was nice to visit him and Aunt Bernice last week on Sunday at Grandma and Grandpa Clark’s home in Aurora.

And after the endowment in the Temple, we got to look up one of the 206 step spiral staircases in the Manti Temple. I think it was the south tower. My eyes went directly to the ancient dark, wood organ in the corner of that little room. I love being drawn in to music. And what a beautiful place for an instrument that brought joy for many many years.

I'm so thankful that Heavenly Father has a plan for each of us, and for all of us. He is a person, and He loves me just like a father loves his daughter.

I'm going back to the Temple again.