Temple Date Night

Tonight, Damian and I went on a date to the Temple. We performed baptisms for relatives on his mom's side. Usually baptisms are performed by teenagers, but tonight we were with a group of adults doing temple work for their deceased family members. It was really special.

This is the baptistry in the Rexburg, Idaho temple. The following picture depicts the baptistry in the Nauvoo, Illinois temple. The twelve oxen, with the baptismal font on their backs, represent the twelve tribes of Israel. In the temple, we all change into white clothes. I love how everyone looks the same there. We are all symbolically pure, clean and equal before the Lord. It's beautiful imagery.

I learned that the stained glass in our temple was made in England by the same company that made the stained glass in the Sistine Chapel. The beautiful chandelier in our baptistery is made of Alabaster. I googled a similar chandelier and it was selling for close to $6,000. My church spares no expense in these beautiful temples. We call the temple, "The House of the Lord." There are 126 temples in operation all over the world and 14 under construction. Temples offer the members of my church a special place to worship, to leave the world behind and step into a beautiful, quiet, holy place. A place where we can be closer to our Heavenly Father and our elder brother, Jesus.

I am so thankful for the temple and the blessings it brings to my life. I'm so glad I only live a mile away from my temple! I'm always at peace in there and I learn so much each time I go. I'm so happy that through the temple I've been promised that I can be with my family forever.

I'm grateful we had the chance to be baptized for Damian's family, tonight . . . we believe the ordinance of baptism, by one with the proper priesthood authority, is essential to returning to live with our Heavenly Father, and his son, Jesus Christ. I believe Damian's ancestors can choose whether they want to accept the work we did for them tonight, and I hope they do. I can't wait to meet them all, when we pass to the other side, and tell them how thankful I am for their wonderful GREAT Grandson, Damian! And, I can't wait to laugh at all their weird last names, to their faces. I got plenty of mileage out of their names tonight, those Basques have goofy names, let's face it!