A Temple in Our Midst!

In someways this post is too personal to share in blog world, but this is the only place that I am really keeping a record and I don't want the thoughts and feelings of today to be lost. It's a long post, but again it is mostly for my records.

Today in the Saturday morning session of General Conference it was announced that there would be a Fort Collins, Colorado temple built. I was at a soccer game and not listening to conference, but at almost the same time I got two calls on my cell phone -- one was from James and the other was from my Mom. Both called as soon as they heard the announcement. Even though I was at a soccer game, I was immediately overcome with the news and it brought tears to my eyes. Imagine -- us with a temple here. Not only does it mean we'll have a temple in our own city, but it is a blessing that we feel like we have (at least in some part) helped qualify for.

Since we moved to Fort Collins, our leaders have encouraged temple attendance for many reasons. One of those reasons was so that we could prove to the Lord that we are a temple attending people. Our leaders taught us that if we were faithful enough and diligent enough we could qualify for the blessings of having a temple closer to us. In response to that council we have traveled as a family almost every month to the temple since before Michael was born. It hasn't been easy, and we haven't had the glorious moments we've wished for sometimes, but we've tried to be faithful.

If we hadn't gone as a family, we wouldn't have made it nearly so often. Even if I had convinced myself to leave my kids, there are the months of nursing and the months of morning sickness and the last months of pregnancy that all are challenging. But when we'd go as a whole family we could work it out. I'd nurse just before a session and again immediately following. James would get us a room down there so I could sleep off some of the fatigue and morning sickness as soon as I had finished a session and not have to make it home. We've been flexible, but we've gone. As a result, our kids have come to know and love the temple. They expect our trips, they know the routine, and one night it got too late and instead of staying even later, we chose to come early and they all felt like they were being ripped off! There can also be plenty of grumbleing, but they choose to come even if we offer other options.

They feel like they are temple attending people. One of the sweet side benefits is that they really feel that it is Jesus' house because they see him every month in the waiting room. My littlest ones don't really know much about the temple but they know that Jesus is there. Isn't that what they really need to know?

Several years ago we had a large vacant lot behind our home and my kids used to dream that a temple would be built there. Instead they built a toy store -- a real disappointment!

With so many feelings and dreams attached to the temple, it was a beautiful experience for me to get to kneel down in the grass on a soccer field today and look my little children in the eyes and tell them there would be a temple in Fort Collins. It meant something to them. I could also tell them that they were part of the reason we got to have a temple. I bore testimony to them that because we followed our church leaders and attended the temple that our dream and hope of a temple in Fort Collins was coming true. As we continued on for the next 45 minutes or so we were all processing what it would really mean for us. Michael would go off and play for a little while and then come back around and talk about how "cool" it is and wonder where it will be built and be glad he won't have to be grumpy in the car anymore. Sarah thought it was great, but quite readily thought that maybe it would be better if it was 30-45 minutes away so we could still have our family days, but the drive wouldn't take so long. Michael quickly agreed and thought maybe Katherine could still take them to the park and feed them special food just like we do in Denver. It was sweet to see both their excitement for a temple here and the love they have for the temple trips that we do take.

Today I have felt a sense of rejoicing and a true desire that we could meet in our regular church meetings tomorrow to share the excitement and joy with the faithful members that have helped make us feel like we live in Zion. Our Stake Presidency interuppted regular sacrament meetings in every ward in the Stake last Sunday to give us a message. They encouraged us to be spiritually prepared for General Conference, to listen to President Monson's opening talk so we could be most aware of his thoughts and concerns, and a few other things in addition to the plan for their to be a Stake fast of Gratitude for the blessings from the Lord on Fast Sunday next week. It was a brief message and didn't raise many thoughts at the time, but in hindsight, we were being prepared. We have great leaders here and are so blessed to be able to put our trust in them and follow them.

I hope that over the next while it can be a great opportunity for all of us to see a House of the Lord built in our city and to get to go through an open house and then have my older kids participate in a temple dedication for their own temple. We truly are blessed!