Temples. For those not of my faith, I am often asked about the Latter-Day Saint Temples that dot the earth. When I first joined the Church at age 16, back in 1978, there were 21 temples. The newest one at the time was the Washington, DC temple. Today, there are 130 Temples worldwide, and 8 under construction.
The first time I went to the Temple, it was in Mesa Arizona. I didn't know what to expect. Upon entering, I was greeted by a temple worker who simply said, "Welcome to the Temple." But the feelings I felt made it seem like he had said, "Welcome Home."
My husband and I have served as temple workers in the Denver temple for 2 years. It remains a sweet memory and sacred to my heart. I received so much more than I ever gave in that calling.
My friends and family who are not LDS wonder why they cannot enter in...I tell them that unless they have prepared to enter in, the experience of it would not be as sweet. Preparation for such a special sacred experience does not come overnight. It comes through living the Gospel of Jesus Christ and becoming acquainted with the Holy Ghost in your every day life. The Temple is a House of Learning of the highest order. Someone unprepared might bring with them a cup to be filled, while they should have brought a bucket...so great are the blessings that are poured out in His teachings.
I love the Temple.
Here's a taste of what the Temple is all about...enjoy!
hi Momza,
ReplyDeletewe often leave your blog with a feeling of
peace and contentment.
today, especially so.
don't misunderstand,
we're not religious in any sense of the word ,
nor do we feel any special need to change this.
yet,
we DO know what hope and sense of purpose
a belief in G-D brings,
and well
. . . we DO enjoy the feeling of peace we feel
when we experience it,
even if second-hand.
truth be told,
we're even a bit jealous at times.
:-(
our first encounter with Mormonism
was at the Mormon Pavilion
during the 1964 World's fair in New York.
{ a replica of the east spires of the Salt Lake City Temple}
http://www.flickr.com/photos/hollywoodplace/3558428066/
it was awesome!
being the curious type,
the Church of Latter Day Saints
has always attracted us.
the idea that the "New World" had a role to play in Mormon Cosmology,
has fixed it in our imagination.
so, we've read a bit,
and still,
have not lost
the child-like fascination with LDS.
more recently,
we encountered the Bible Museum
at 65th street and Broadway in NYC.
as always we cannot pass by
a new museum without eventually exploring it.
lo and behold!
a Church of LDS Museum it is!
http://www.ldschurchtemples.com/manhattan/
(and near Central Park no less!)
Momza, all of this is a wordy way of saying
thank you for your post,
it is like an oasis on a very dry day.
:-)
..
.ero
thanks so much .ero for your kind comments. I just have always had the feeling that everyone is doing the best they can with the life they've been given...and sharing a little of what makes me happy might spark a delight in someone else's day...that's all we can do, right?
ReplyDeleteI love the Temple too !
ReplyDeleteabsolutely,Momza, absolutely.
ReplyDelete:-)
..
.ero