200 Temples!

Jenna told us that she was going to drive all the way out to Tooele for the Deseret Peak Open House and invited us to come. I had wanted to go, but hadn't made reservations so we jumped on board.  (This was October 11). We drove out in the morning and got to walk through the beautiful temple. I loved the welcome center in the church right next to to the temple and the chance to listen to a video and hear the missionaries bear testimony of the temple. We've been to a LOT of temple open houses in the past 2 years, and I just think it's such a neat opportunity for our children to be so familiar with the temple at such a young age.  



When we were walking through, there was a tent near the exit that had some posters and information with a big sign saying that this temple was the 200th temple! What!?! We had no idea. We were so excited about this. I kept pondering this miraculous event and ended up doing some research and including this experience in a Stake Speaking Assignment that I had (except here - full talk below). 


 

When I was born there were 41 temples (the most recent temple was the Frankfurt Germany Temple). 18 of those were dedicated by then Elder Gordon B Hinkley who would become the prophet when I was 8 years old and go on to dedicate another 67 temples by 2008. I remember when the 100th temple was dedicated, the Boston Massachusets Temple in October of 2000. I was 13 years old and my family and my ward celebrated this incredible milestone. We felt like we were witnessing something amazing- like we were a part of something magnificent. In my first 13 years of life there had been 59 temples dedicated, and now there were more than 100 temples in the world! It was impactful and exciting. 

This past week my family and I were able to attend the open house for the Deseret Peaks Temple in Tooele. We were excited to learn that this temple will be the 200th temple dedicated in these latter days. 200 temples! Only 24 years after that 100 temple milestone there have been 100 additional temples constructed and another 167 announced. 

President Nelson said, “My dear brothers and sisters, do you see what is happening right before our eyes? I pray that we will not miss the majesty of this moment! The Lord is indeed hastening His work.” 

I felt so inspired after making this connection and pondering President Nelsons counsel to "not miss the majesty of this moment". I had already met with President Gardner about the upcoming changes to my calling, but I felt inspired to take this message to all the Primaries in our Stake and felt like it was a blessing that it was taking so long to make the change to the presidency because it allowed for me to organized and celebrate this incredible opportunity with our stake. My presidency and I put together a beautiful presentation about "Temples Dotting the Earth" and visited each primary in the stake to celebrate. The temple was dedicated on November 10, but we did half of the primaries on November 10 and half on November 17 - which was the day that we were officially released and the new Primary Presidency was called. There were so many tender mercies and I felt guided that this was an important celebration for our stake, and the fact that I was able to stay in my calling as Stake Primary President until we finished this celebration was so tender for me. 

I love the temple and think that it is absolutely miraculous to live in the time that is literally fulfilling prophecy that "Temples will dot the earth." 

200 Temple Presentation: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1257LyrgK0y3YbDfoF-rHotqPIrxrvZk-DFcMSkd1Szw/edit?usp=sharing

October 20, 2024 – PL 3 Ward + TM2 Ward

Purpose: Purpose:

● Tell the stake how your studies from Come Follow Me and the words of

President Nelson have changed you, and brought you closer to Christ.

● Invite YSAs from the wards to participate in the YSA choir for the adult session

of Stake Conference.

Good morning Brothers and Sisters, 

I am so glad to be here with you today. It is such a special opportunity for me to be here in this ward, and to be able to share my testimony with you as the Stake Primary President. 

Previous to the last session of this October General Conference, my family started discussing what we thought President Nelson would speak about. Each of us made guesses about how many temples would be announced and the topics we thought he would cover. Gathering of Israel, Temples, Peace. My daughter Lydia was so excited when her guesses were both correct: 17 temples and a talk that focused on the second coming! 

It was so powerful to hear our prophet teach us about the importance of preparing for the second coming during the same week that we were reading in Come, Follow Me about the coming of Christ to the people of the Book of Mormon. 

The Come Follow Me Manual expressed this beautiful thought:

With these words, “Behold, I am Jesus Christ, whom the prophets testified shall come into the world” (3 Nephi 11:10), the resurrected Savior introduced Himself, fulfilling over 600 years of Book of Mormon prophecies. “That appearance and that declaration,” Elder Jeffrey R. Holland wrote, “constituted the focal point, the supreme moment, in the entire history of the Book of Mormon. It was the manifestation and the decree that had informed and inspired every Nephite prophet. … Everyone had talked of him, sung of him, dreamed of him, and prayed for his appearance—but here he actually was. The day of days! The God who turns every dark night into morning light had arrived” (Christ and the New Covenant [1997], 250–51).

Those words mirrors these that our prophet shared at the close of his message to us: 

My dear brothers and sisters, in a coming day, Jesus Christ will return to the earth as the millennial Messiah. So today I call upon you to rededicate your lives to Jesus Christ. I call upon you to help gather scattered Israel and to prepare the world for the Second Coming of the Lord. I call upon you to talk of Christ, testify of Christ, have faith in Christ, and rejoice in Christ!

As I have considered the experiences that the people of the Book of Mormon had in preparing for the coming of the Savior in their day and the way he appeared to them and ministered to them, I have been strengthened in my own efforts to be faithful to him and do what He needs me to do to prepare for His coming. 

This has led me to reflect on what things I can do now and also to look at the patterns I have seen in my life. 

When I was born there were 41 temples (the most recent temple was the Frankfurt Germany Temple). 18 of those were dedicated by then Elder Gordon B Hinkley who would become the prophet when I was 8 years old and go on to dedicate another 67 temples by 2008. I remember when the 100th temple was dedicated, the Boston Massachusets Temple in October of 2000. I was 13 years old and my family and my ward celebrated this incredible milestone. We felt like we were witnessing something amazing- like we were a part of something magnificent. In my first 13 years of life there had been 59 temples dedicated, and now there were more than 100 temples in the world! It was impactful and exciting. 

This past week my family and I were able to attend the open house for the Deseret Peaks Temple in Tooele. We were excited to learn that this temple will be the 200th temple dedicated in these latter days. 200 temples! Only 24 years after that 100 temple milestone there have been 100 additional temples constructed and another 167 announced. 

President Nelson said, “My dear brothers and sisters, do you see what is happening right before our eyes? I pray that we will not miss the majesty of this moment! The Lord is indeed hastening His work.” 

It is easy to take for granted the temples that are being built at this unprecedented rate. I grew up in small town Ephrain, Utah and frequently drove by the Manti Temple. Each time my family would pass the temple, my mom would start singing “I love to see the Temple”. My love for the temple started early and went deep. As a 12 year old, the only thing I wanted for my birthday was for my parents to take me to do baptisms for the dead that very day.

 Later, I was able to participate in the Manti Pageant and had many faith-building experiences, but one of the most profound was the year that we had been suffering a dry and hot summer and our whole valley had been praying for rain. There is a scene in the Manti Pageant where there is mass chaos and confusion, people running and yelling, with fire shooting from the scenery and lights flashing. At the cue “Thunderings and quaking of the earth” we all ran to hide in the shadows of the rocks, or hunkered down on the grass in groups. There was darkness and stillness for many moments, until the music began to play and light gradually shone upon a man, standing near the wall of the temple, dressed in white. As he began to beckon the people to come to him, rain started to fall in answer to many, many prayers. In that moment, what I saw and felt was not an actor dressed up to play a sacred part - but it was the Savior of the World, bringing with him the answer to sincere prayer. I felt such love and power from God, and the act of standing up from my place of fear and shadow and walking toward him and the light and peace that surrounded him was etched into my heart forever. 

President Nelson said, “Brothers and sisters, now is the time for you and for me to prepare for the Second Coming of our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ. Now is the time for us to make our discipleship our highest priority.”

Each of us gets to decide what this looks like in our life but as I reflect on my experiences - I can see the blessings that have come from following the Prophet and his counsel. 

In 2018 President Nelson concluded his talk by saying “My dear brothers and sisters, construction of these temples may not change your life, but your time in the temple surely will.” 

He followed with several specific blessings:

“In that spirit, I bless you to identify those things you can set aside so you can spend more time in the temple. I bless you with greater harmony and love in your homes and a deeper desire to care for your eternal family relationships. I bless you with increased faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and a greater ability to follow Him as His true disciples.” That promise and blessing was so impactful to me that I printed it out and it hangs by my bathroom mirror.

 

As a mom of young children, serving in the temple regularly is a little tricky. However, this promise from President Nelson sank deep into my heart. I have found that making time for myself to be able to attend the temple, feed my spirit, and connect with my true purpose has been more impactful to my happiness in motherhood than anything else and has been my greatest form of self-care, spiritual or otherwise. 

In 2019 President Nelson urged members of the Church to study the Spiritual Treasures that are found in the temple and also to better understand God’s Power that flows from priesthood covenants.  He said that if we truly understood that truth in our hearts, it would change our lives. Following his counsel led me to seek and to study this topic and it did change me. I better understand my role, my access to the Saviors power, and how much the Lord loves his children. 

In 2020, amid the upsetting and life-altering COVID-19 Pandemic President Nelson encouraged: “Despite the world’s commotion,2 the Lord would have us look forward to the future “with joyful anticipation.”3” Following his counsel given during that conference enabled me and my family to testify that “there is hope and joy to be found now and in the future because of our Savior Jesus, Christ.” 

Year after year, following the counsel of the prophet has helped my family endure difficult family situations with peace, uncertainty surrounding medical diagnoses with hope, and excruciating loss with joy. 

The increased ability to cope with all of these things comes from Jesus Christ. As President Nelson said in 2023, “The Answer is always Jesus Christ.” 

Brothers and Sisters, I feel the power and truth of the words that NOW is the time to prepare for the Second Coming of the Savior. Now is the time for us to make our discipleship our highest priority. “It is neither too early nor too late for you to become a devout disciple of Jesus Christ.” 

No matter what “dizzying distractions” we have, if our focus is on the Savior - even small efforts will continue to bring us closer to him. 

I share my testimony of the power of holding an active temple recommend, even when you have different struggles in your life or are navigating difficult questions in your faith journey. In the house of the Lord, we focus on Jesus Christ. We learn of Him. We make covenants to follow Him. We come to know Him.

If now is the time to prepare ourselves, Brothers and Sisters, let us prepare. Let us rededicate our lives to Jesus Chrsit. Let us follow the call of our prophet to help gather scattered Israel and prepare the world for the Second Coming of the Savior. Let us talk of Christ, testify of Christ, have faith in Christ, and rejoice in Christ! By so doing, he will continue to bless us and not only will we witness the majesty of this time we live in, but we will be an active part of it. 

He loves us, he will be with us. He will bring us peace in turmoil, strength in weakness, and joy in sorrow. 

I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen. 

The Temple & Open Houses

We have had such a whirlwind of Temple Open Houses lately. It seems that ever since the Saratoga Springs Temple Open House, there has been one open house after another. It's been an incredible thing to experience. I feel so blessed to live so close to so many temples and to live at a time where temples are being built at an ever increasing pace. When I was born, there were 42 temples. There were 35 temples announced in 2023 and 15 more just recently announced at the April General Conference that is more temples announced in the last year than there were when I was born. It is an incredible time to be alive and I am so grateful. 

March 16th /April 1st&2nd

We started with the Manti Temple Open House (this one got it's own blog post).

April 29th

The Layton Temple Open House was next. I loved this one so much - I loved the architecture and interior design and that we counted a massive number of pictures of the Savior- almost 30! 

May 13th

David wasn't able to come to the Taylorsville Temple Open House, but the kids and I snuck up on a Monday Morning. We counted pictures of Jesus, admired the celestial room, and talked about how important temples are to us. 

Not only have we been able to go to Temple Open Houses, but it's also been so neat to attend the temple as patrons with Lydia. I love her desire to serve in the temple, and I love being in the temple with her. 

I just want to share a brief testimony of the temple. I feel peace and love while worshipping in the temple. I believe that the temple is a sign that the Lord loves ALL of his children and that by serving in the temple I can show Him my dedication and determined faith. I am grateful to be sealed to my family members forever and feel gratitude each time I am able to help someone on the other side of the veil progress along the path and be connected with their loved ones, as well. I feel empowered as a women and grateful for the priesthood power that comes from the temple endowment and though wearing the temple garment. I am so grateful to live in this time and place where temple access is close and plentiful. It's a beautiful blessing to me and to my family. 

Manti Temple Open House

I'm starting this post with an excerpt from a Sacrament meeting talk from March 2023. 

"My love for the temple runs deep. I grew up in small-town Ephraim Utah and frequently drove past the majestic Manti Temple. My high school was nestled in the valley near the foot of the temple hill and it was a beacon to me throughout my youth and helped to guide the choices I made and the future I wanted.

As I performed proxy baptisms, I began to understand that the ordinances and symbols of the temple always point to the Savior and His Atonement. That understanding has increased as I have made my own covenants with the Lord in the temple and as I have made the effort to make serving in the temple a priority.

The cornerstone of the Manti Temple was laid on April 14, 1879, some 30 years after they had arrived in the Sanpete Valley. There are many stories that could be told about the diligence of the workmen, who put their very best into the construction of this beautiful temple with only simple tools. Many stories of the sacrifice of the Saints who donated what would now be equal to over a million dollars often in pennies, eggs, and other small increments of sacrifice. President Gordon B. Hinckley said several years ago at the rededication of the Manti Temple, “I have been in the world’s great buildings, and in none of these have I had the feeling I get in coming to these pioneer houses of God.”3

Former United States president Ronald Reagan has been quoted as saying, “I do not want to go back to the past; I want to go back to the past way of facing the future.”1 His counsel resonates within me. There is something about reviewing the lessons of the past to prepare us to face the challenges of the future. What a glorious legacy of faith, courage, and ingenuity those noble early pioneers have left for us to build upon."

 I truly love the Manti Temple and it holds a special place in my heart. Not only did it impact my youth to a significant degree, but this is also the temple where I received my Temple Endowment (during a live session, which I loved). It's been a tender place of faith and growth for me. The temple closed in October 2021 for renovation and I have been SO excited for the Manti Temple Open House. I knew that I wanted to take my family to go through the open house. Unfortunately, it didn't work out for us to all go together, but David and I were able to go in March and then I planned to bring the kids in April.

 My family wanted to come down and go through it together on April 2nd, but I wanted my kids to experience it themselves without being in a big group so I scheduled tickets for the 1st AND the 2nd. I reserved a hotel room for us to stay the night for a little mini-getaway and was super excited! 

Something that we did NOT plan on was how long we would have to wait to get inside. The turnout was incredible with hundreds of people who made reservations (like we did) and hundreds and hundreds more who did not have tickets. We never waited less than 2 hours to get into the open house, but some people were waiting 4-5 hours to get in. The lines were incredibly long, but people were generally cheerful and it was a good experience! 

 Day 1 was a success. The kids did great in line and the temple was beautiful. I was so amazed at how much was exactly the same! When they renovated the Logan Temple, which was also a pioneer temple, they basically gutted it and put in a bunch of beautiful but generic decorations. However, there were a lot of people who expressed how important it was to maintain the pioneer integrity of the temple, especially the Minerva Tichert murals. They did an incredible job of addressing the renovation needs while changing very very little. 

After we went through the temple, we ate lunch at The Malt Shop and went swimming at the AC (two of my favorite childhood memories). Then we went back to The Willow Creek Inn, which is the hotel that I worked at when I was in high school. We watched some cartoons and ate ramen for dinner. It was fun to be on this little getaway, just the kids and I, but we definitely missed David. 

The next day we met up with Jenna and my parents at the Manti Temple again. I've talked about how significant the Manti Temple was to me, but it's a big part of my whole family's lives. It was neat to be there with them. We particularly loved the assembly hall on the top floor, the spiral staircases with sealing rooms at the top, and the murals in the ordinance rooms. 

After the temple, we went to our childhood friend's house - the Larsens. Lorna and my mom were best friends and we spent a lot of time with their family. The kids loved the backyard and it was nice to see David and Lauren who came to visit their mom when they heard we were in town. 

I loved this day with my family and this weekend with my kids. 

I loved this temple open house, although I feel like there was a missed opportunity at the temple open house to share about the pioneers who built the temple, to share about the faith/spirit of the temple, and to utilize the time that people spent in line. It felt a little more like the parade of homes - just looking at a pretty building - and less like a temple open house, but I think part of that was the massive amount of people there and the other part was unmet expectations on my part. But I tried to bear testimony to my children and I enjoyed the experience knowing the history and faith of this temple as I do.