I love to see the temple

"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."

The words of this children's song put in simplest words how special temples are to the LDS faith.  (If you would like to know more about what temples are and why they are special to Mormons, follow this link to a wonderful article all about LDS temples.)

Today, I wanted to remind our kids of that specialness and help them feel the spirit. So, we took an impromptu trip to the temple. We are lucky that the Houston temple is within a half-hour drive of our home. So after church this morning, we grabbed a quick picnic lunch and the camera and headed to the temple. The temple itself is closed on Sundays and Mondays, but the temple grounds are open to visitors to visit and walk around. So we sat down by one of the fountains and enjoyed the beautiful day and the peace we felt. I remembered hearing somewhere the idea that if we want our children to grow up and live worthy of entering the temple we need to have it as a daily reminder and goal. What better than a personal picture of the temple to see on a daily basis and be reminded of that goal. So, I took a picture of each of us with the temple. I edited them online with Picnik (which I love), and I want to hang them in our bedrooms.

Later for Family Home Evening, (which we do on Sunday because Aaron has a late night class on Monday) we talked some more about temples and why they are special. I used this lesson for FHE and bore my testimony about temples. Seth told me that he loved being at the temple this afternoon and wanted to go back. That is so great that even at a young age, he can feel the spirit there and wants to return often. We just might have to make this a more frequent family tradition.

It was really neat that Saturday night's session of  Stake Conference was all about temples and temple service. It is probably what sparked the desire to take my family to the temple today. For anyone who wasn't there Saturday, this article sums up what was shared at the adult session at Stake Conference.

Let me finish with a quote by President Howard W. Hunter (from the article). “Let us be a temple-attending and a temple-loving people. Let us hasten to the temple as frequently as time and means and personal circumstances allow. Let us go not only for our kindred dead, but let us also go for the personal blessing of temple worship....If we can pattern our life after the Master, and take His teaching and example as the supreme pattern for our own, we will not find it difficult to be temple worthy."

Nurture the Rising Generation

Three of my blessings

I was reading the Visiting Teaching message for October, this morning. It was about teaching and caring for the rising generation. Two quotes stood out to me and inspired me this morning.

The first is from President Gordon B. Hinckley (1910-2008):“Never forget that these little ones are the sons and daughters of God and that yours is a custodial relationship to them, that He was a parent before you were parents and that He has not relinquished His parental rights or interest in these His little ones. … Rear your children in love, in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Take care of your little ones. Welcome them into your homes, and nurture and love them with all of your hearts. They may do, in the years that come, some things you would not want them to do, but be patient, be patient. You have not failed as long as you have tried” (“Words of the Living Prophet,” Liahona, May 1998, 26–27; “Excerpts from Recent Addresses of President Gordon B. Hinckley,” Ensign, July 1997, 73).

I know that I'm not a perfect mom and that I have weaknesses (like my temper). I sometimes need to be reminded that my children are also children of our Heavenly Father. He loves them just like I do. I love the last part of this quote, "you have not failed as long as you have tried." As long as I'm trying to be better, I haven't failed as a parent. So then, how can I better nurture my children and guide them in righteous ways?

Hence, the second quote by Julie B. Beck, Relief Society general president:“To nurture means to cultivate, care for, and make grow. … Nurturing requires organization, patience, love, and work. Helping growth occur through nurturing is truly a powerful and influential role bestowed on women” (“Mothers Who Know,” Liahona and Ensign, Nov. 2007, 76, 77).

The part that stood out to me was "nurturing requires organization, patience, love, and work." These are all things I need to improve on, especially organization. This is a lesson I'm slowly starting to learn (as my husband can testify). I think I'm okay on the "love" part of nurturing. I love my children more than life itself. They are my life. I just need to learn to express my love a little more frequently, like in how I discipline. Of course, how could you not love a face like this?

I Belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Most everyone who reads our blog knows that our family is Mormon, so let me explain the reasoning behind this post. After church (and choir practice) I was reading an article in The Ensign (our church magazine), about sharing the gospel through our blogs. (It also included some tips about blog safety and courtesy. Check it out.) It got me thinking and inspired me. What's a better way to bear my testimony about the restored gospel than how it blesses my life everyday?! So, my goal, as I continue to blog, is to share with you some of the things that I know, that I'm learning, and that I'm blessed with. Hopefully, you will be inspired and uplifted and maybe even learn something.

So, first I'd like to bear my testimony. I feel so blessed to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Because of this gospel, I have been blessed with many truths that bring happiness to my life. I know that I am a child of God and as such, I have a Heavenly Father who loves me. I feel his love for me whenever I pray and I know that I can receive personal revelation from him through prayer and the Holy Ghost. I know that Joseph Smith saw our Heavenly Father and his son, Jesus Christ. I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God and through him the gospel of Jesus Christ was restored in its fullness. I know that Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon only by the power of God. I know that the Book of Mormon is true and it is another witness of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Through the Bible and the Book of Mormon, we can learn of Christ and his teachings and our Heavenly Father's commandments and plan for us. I have felt the power and sweetness of these scriptures in my heart and in my home. My family is continuely blessed because we are striving to live by the principles found in these great works. I know that our church is lead by a prophet of God today, Thomas S. Monson, and through him God continues to reveal his commandments and guidance for us. I know that Jesus Christ is our Savior and that he lives. He lives! How glorious that our Redeemer has suffered for our sins, died for us, and broke the bonds of death through resurrection's power. He lives! What joy that sentences brings! He has led the way for us to return to our Heavenly Father. He has made it possible through the atonement. Our sins and weaknesses can be forgiven, when we repent, are baptized, and strive to be obedient. I have felt my Savior's love and I know that he loves and cares for me. I have been blessed by these truths. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

P.S. You can go to www.mormon.org to learn more about the church, but did you know that they now have a new feature where you can talk to a missionary about our church. Check it out at chat.mormon.org.