vancouver b.c. temple

words cannot truly express my experience at the open house of the vancouver b.c. temple. as we pulled into the driveway i was overcome with the spirit and i knew that it was going to be an experience that i would never forget.

as we walked from room to room with our tour guide i was in awe of the beauty that i was surrounded by. every one of the rooms we entered was magnificent. even the chandeliers were so brilliant that it was impossible to not be captured by their immaculate beauty.

as we entered the sealing room (the last room on the tour and the room in the temple in which couples are married and sealed together for time and all eternity) i was filled with happiness and i couldn't help but glance behind me where my fiancé was standing. we exchanged smiles and i know that we were both thinking the same thing...that in just a little over 3 months we would be standing in a room very similar to the one we were in and that WE would be getting sealed to one another for eternity. tears of love, joy, peace, and happiness flooded my eyes.

having not only my fiancé and his brother and dad with us, but also my brother and mom along made the trip very special to me. the fact the i was able to share in this experience with them means the world to me....

my brother who has never showed an interest in spiritual...well... anything, was asking questions and and seeking answers. my mom, though still reserved towards some ideas of the LDS church was able to acknowledge and truly enjoy the simplistic elegance that is inside the temple.

my testimony of temples grows every day and the love and respect i have for my family and their support is inexpressible....

i am overwhelmed by the countless blessings and opportunities that i have been given since being a member of the LDS church... and i know in my heart that somehow the pathway that lies ahead of me is going to be even more amazing that the trails that are behind me.

2 years...

today is april 19th, which means....it has already been 2 full years since my baptism. i cannot believe how fast time has been flying by. my life has changed more than i could have ever imagined it would....

although i am the same person i was and always will be, i know that i am truly a much happier person now. my life is so much more simple, and a lot of the unneeded stress of the outside world is no longer a burden on my life...

i am healthier because of the word of wisdom...

i am more patient because of the scriptures...

i feel comforted when i am scared because of the power of prayer...

i am happier because i know that there is a plan for me, that my family can be together forever and that i am living my life in a way that i can be proud of myself.

love and marriage... and....temples?!

so...first, i apologize for the long period i have been away from my blog...i guess i am not as consistent as i thought i could be...second, so much in my life has changed...

on february 12, 2010 by boyfriend of 5 1/2 years proposed in, what i think is the most romantic way possible...but this isn't a personal blog so i will skip the details...sorry!

with a wedding in the near future it is time to think about the temple.

as many of you probably know, or have heard, members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints have the opportunity to be married inside one of the many LDS temples...as a convert to the church this idea, of being married in the temple, is a new one to me...

first, you must be a member of the church to go into the temple, and second you have to be living your life in a way that is worthy of going inside the temple...although i am a member of the church and i try my best to be the best i can, not a single person in my family is a member of the church...this means that NONE of them will be able to see me get married inside the temple....this, as you can imagine, has created a roller coaster of emotions for me, and i am sure for my family as well...

however, with all the turmoil, the mix of emotions, and the big question marks that are no doubt looming over my families head concerning the temple, the lord always finds a way to help us when we are in need....

this week, something very special is happening. a temple in vancouver, canada was recently built and is open for the public to take tours...this means that non-members, like my family, will have an opportunity to go inside an LDS temple and see how wonderful it really is. because i will be getting married in august and my family will not be able to join my fiance and i inside the temple, this was a chance that i could not pass up!

my mom and i are driving to canada this weekend to see and visit the vancouver temple. i know that this is going to be such a blessing and even though my mom and family will not be able to come inside the temple on my actual wedding day, at least my mom will have a vivid picture in her head of the temple and the types of rooms we will be in...specifically the sealing room (which i will be writing about very soon!)

if you would like to visit the temple...go. i would highly recommend it! i have never been inside a temple myself but i know in my heart that is going to be wonderful...i am beyond excited and cannot wait to go...what a great opportunity this is going to be for everyone who goes...and it does not happen very often...please take advantage of it...you have until april 24th.

here is a link to the LDS website with more information:

http://www.lds.org/temples/main/0,11204,1919-1-594-2,00.html