All Grown Up...and In the Temple

Here we are. All grown up. Mom and Dad. All five kids. It was wonderful last week to have my entire family in the temple together. It was a first. As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, we are a temple people. We follow the ancient practice dating back to the days of Adam and Eve of temple building and worship.

The Temple
The temple is God's house on earth. It is there we make sacred covenants with Him so after this life we may return to His presence again. In temples our families are sealed together for eternity. There is beauty and comfort knowing the family ties we create on earth will continue on forever. The blessings I have received in my life from living faithful to my temple covenants are innumerable. Truly, the windows of heaven are open, pouring down blessings upon me, such as it is hard to even comprehend.

Qualifying Ourselves
Because of the sacred nature of the covenants we make in the temple, as members of the church we must qualify ourselves to enter. In God's house no unclean thing may enter. So we work and sacrifice to keep ourselves worthy to enter His house. We must honor our family members, pay our tithes, live by the Word of Wisdom (health code), be honest in all of our dealings, be completely faithful to our spouses in mind and body, have a testimony of our living prophet and in all ways be living in harmony with the teachings of Jesus Christ and his servants here on the earth today.

Go Forth to Share
Like the sons of Aaron in the days of Moses who were brought forth to the temple to be washed clean and covenant with Heavenly Father, so we may also. I am grateful for Monica's life of purity and commitment. Gaining her own testimony and living righteously she showed the maturity to enter God's temple. In 2 months she will go forth to share the gospel with the Italian people on a mission. She will be a blessing and light to the people she meets and with whom she shares the joyous message of our Savior. What good is having such a glorious gift like the gospel without sharing it with others that they may experience such in their own lives?