One of the most important steps a missionary takes in his preparation for his mission is to attend the temple for the first time. A temple is different than a chapel for members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. A chapel is where we attend church on a weekly basis--to worship, partake of the sacrament and receive instruction. All are welcome to visit our chapels.
And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. (Matthew 16:19)Due to the sacred nature, we must qualify for the privilege to attend by faithfully living the commandments and receiving a recommendation from our local leaders. Attending the temple is not something we do lightly as increased responsibility and accountability comes from taking this next step in our progression.
For more on temples, see HERE.
We attended the St. George Temple in May with Will. The clouds provided a lovely backdrop, right?
It is a pioneer temple, dedicated in 1877. There are currently 150 operating temples, including two in Guatemala: Guatemala City and Quetzaltenango. I love the beauty of the St. George Temple--gleaming white in the midst of red rock--but every temple is beautiful, with its own character and history. I love that it's only 15 minutes from our house and that I can see it almost every day as I do daily errands. But mostly, I love that I can feel the Spirit more strongly there than anywhere else. It brings the peace to my soul as described by President Thomas S. Monson:
As we attend the temple, there can come to us a dimension of spirituality and a feeling of peace which will transcend any other feeling which could come into the human heart. We will grasp the true meaning of the words of the Savior when He said: “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you. … Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” (John 14:27)
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