Sacramento Temple
I love going to the Temple. My roommates and I went to do baptisms tonight. It was perfect--as usual. Whenever I drive up & see it for the first time, it always takes my breath away. It doesn't matter that I go just every month--it still does it. I immediately feel at peace. No matter what is going on or how many things I have to do--going to the temple is always the right thing to do--no matter the timing.
Tonight was great. There were so many people there! Not just Young Single Adults, but families with real adults and children (I refuse to acknowledge that I am a "real" adult). It was awesome. There were at least 40 people there--standing room only. I loved it.
But the best part of going to the temple for me--so far--has always been when I walk out of the temple after I finish. I love that feeling. So fresh and clean. Everything is always so beautiful!
I first discovered this when I moved to Rexburg and my roommates & I would go to the Idaho Falls Temple. YSA baptisms were either a 5 or 6 am. That meant leaving at 4:30am. It was always dark when we'd get there & by the time we would be leaving, the sun would be up, the air would be crisp (sometimes much more than crisp! Like -30F crisp--for real--I saw and felt that), and you could see the waterfalls across the street. It was always a perfect way to start the day.
I love going and serving. Knowing that I'm helping people that lived and breathed, but now aren't able to physically do the ordinances themselves makes me feel so wonderful & helpful.
One of my favorite things to do is to take my own family names to the temple. It makes it so much more special. I highly recommend it!! I don't know what it is, but doing family names is so wonderful. Maybe because you are making them permanently a part of your family.
For example, I spent considerable time tracking down some of my 4th great-grandparents, Thomas and Anastasia. I learned that they immigrated from Ireland to Prince Edward Island (PEI), Canada and then to the United States. I learned a lot about their time in PEI--what life was like for them. Then I found their birth dates! I was able to have their temple work done. I want to say it was magical--but it wasn't, it was incredibly spiritual. I was baptized and confirmed for Anastasia and a friend did it for Thomas. I always feel the Spirit in the Temple, but it was nothing compared to when I have done family names. To me, my family names aren't just names, they are people that lived and breathed and are literally a part of me. Their blood is in me. I am a part of them as they are with me. It feels so much more real and meaningful. This has also translated to when I am doing it for other people. They are real too. I try to think about them and what their life was like and who they were. It makes it more special.
Ok, this post turned out to be much longer than I thought--but I LOVE the Temple!! And I can't wait to have more opportunities to serve there!!
Tonight was great. There were so many people there! Not just Young Single Adults, but families with real adults and children (I refuse to acknowledge that I am a "real" adult). It was awesome. There were at least 40 people there--standing room only. I loved it.
But the best part of going to the temple for me--so far--has always been when I walk out of the temple after I finish. I love that feeling. So fresh and clean. Everything is always so beautiful!
I first discovered this when I moved to Rexburg and my roommates & I would go to the Idaho Falls Temple. YSA baptisms were either a 5 or 6 am. That meant leaving at 4:30am. It was always dark when we'd get there & by the time we would be leaving, the sun would be up, the air would be crisp (sometimes much more than crisp! Like -30F crisp--for real--I saw and felt that), and you could see the waterfalls across the street. It was always a perfect way to start the day.
I love going and serving. Knowing that I'm helping people that lived and breathed, but now aren't able to physically do the ordinances themselves makes me feel so wonderful & helpful.
One of my favorite things to do is to take my own family names to the temple. It makes it so much more special. I highly recommend it!! I don't know what it is, but doing family names is so wonderful. Maybe because you are making them permanently a part of your family.
For example, I spent considerable time tracking down some of my 4th great-grandparents, Thomas and Anastasia. I learned that they immigrated from Ireland to Prince Edward Island (PEI), Canada and then to the United States. I learned a lot about their time in PEI--what life was like for them. Then I found their birth dates! I was able to have their temple work done. I want to say it was magical--but it wasn't, it was incredibly spiritual. I was baptized and confirmed for Anastasia and a friend did it for Thomas. I always feel the Spirit in the Temple, but it was nothing compared to when I have done family names. To me, my family names aren't just names, they are people that lived and breathed and are literally a part of me. Their blood is in me. I am a part of them as they are with me. It feels so much more real and meaningful. This has also translated to when I am doing it for other people. They are real too. I try to think about them and what their life was like and who they were. It makes it more special.
Ok, this post turned out to be much longer than I thought--but I LOVE the Temple!! And I can't wait to have more opportunities to serve there!!
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