Blessings For Eternity

Receiving my Temple Ordinances were some of the most spiritual experiences I have ever had in my life.  On the way my parents told me to try and not take everything in my first time and just focus on   what I felt but I couldn't help it.  I did my best to soak up every bit of information, memorize as much as I could and burn every last bit I could into my memory for safekeeping while at the same time acknowledge the warmth and rightness I felt.  I will not lie to you, sometimes I felt as if I were in a different religion.  But no matter how different or peculiar the things I heard, did or saw were, I never lost the feelings of rightness and warmth.  I can testify to you right here and now that if you are ever wanting feelings of peace, belonging, love, warmth, a hug, a sense of rightness, or generally anything associated with feelings that come from spirituality, GO TO THE TEMPLE.  I guarantee that you will feel at least one of these.

-Jackson

In my growing up years, particularly when I was 12-18 the main goal that the leaders in my ward would stress was to get to the temple. Live worthy to go. For heavens sake a picture of the temple was on everything! Personal Progress, For the Strength of Youth, Duty To God, True to the Faith, multiple covers of the New Era, and much more. And now that I think of it even in primary we sing about "going to the temple someday". I have a personality to please others (my leaders, parents, teachers) and so it was actually really easy for me to follow these guidelines they gave me to get to the temple. But as I look back, I wasn't pleasing them, I was doing it for the blessings that really come from "going inside". The guidelines set in all of those pamphlets, all the general conference sessions I watched, all the days in seminary I studied, every sacrament meeting I attended, all the family home evenings we had, all pointed me to the ordinances and covenants I would make in the temple.

I will never forget the feelings I had while in the temple that day. I felt so reassured about the way I was living my life. I felt so calm because I knew that anything that was hard to come or trials I would face I could go to the temple for strength. I felt such peace knowing that where I was at that exact moment was where I was supposed to be. I was grateful because I felt blessed to have the knowledge of the Gospel, and that I have parents that were able to go because they were worthy and have lived worthy to receive those same blessings.  All those things I worked for in junior high and high school all came together and became eternity for me. It helped me understand why I am here, where I came from and where I am going in this life and here after. There is such peace and incomprehensible joy knowing I can go live with my Father in Heaven again. Even though I want to strangle my siblings sometimes, or I have disagreements with my parents I can't tell you the real and true happiness I feel when I think about being with them forever. It is all a part of the reason why we are here. It makes forever something that I want, and the temple is what makes this all happen. 

Oh how blessed I am. 

Oh how happy I am. 

Oh how thankful I am.

This all comes from living worthy and receiving those covenants which I was able to make in the temple that day.

-Madi

June 18, 2014