Dedicated

Last night, I was able to take 4 of my 5 children to the Draper Temple Dedication at our stake center. It was a great experience for all of us and I am so grateful that we were allowed to participate. I bought some plain handkerchiefs from Wal Mart and had my mom embroider our names and the date in the corner - they turned out so nice...thanks mom!

It was nice to be seated in the stake center an hour early and listen to the music and see the pictures of the temple. They were rooms we remembered from attending the open house a couple of weeks ago. Coleman loved all of the stained glass windows and the murals painted on the walls. Lexi was amazed at all of the beautiful chandeliers and thinks we need one of those in our house! Kamryn's favorite room was the brides dressing room and she says she wants to get married there.

We all loved going into the stake center afterwards and seeing all of the pictures of Christ and looking at the map with 129 pins marking where the temples are. It is amazing to me that there are so many temples so close to us and they are in the process of building another one!

Anyhow, as I was sitting in the stake center last night, Lexi leaned over and asked me what "dedication" was. After I explained it to her, I thought about the word "dedicate" and what it meant to me personally. I left the dedication with a renewed determination to be more "dedicated" to attending the temple this year. The focus for our stake this year is to "be a temple going people". I thought about the Tongan's that Pres. Monson talked about and their desire to go to the temple. And then I thought about all of the options that I have within about an hours drive...Provo, Manti, Salt Lake, Jordan River, Bountiful, Ogden and now Draper. I can almost go to a different temple every month of the year! I am so grateful for temples and for the peace and comfort that I feel there. I am also grateful that I was able to share this experience with my children and to re-dedicate myself to spending more time at the temple.