The Temple. How it blesses families.

Okay so here goes my second post.
I had alot more people read the first post than I thought would, so that was a nice bonus. Well enough about that. So today's blog topic is about temples. This post is going to be written as a basic refresher for those who are members of my faith or a basic learning experience for those of you who are not.

This topic is a tough one for me to write about. There is alot that I don't know, and tons of things we hold very sacred and cannot speak about outside of the Temple. But I will do my best to tell you a little about them as much as I can.

Mormon's build Temples to be closure to God. We dedicate these buildings to Him. Temples contain a unique Spirit in them, one unlike any other. We feel closure to our Heavenly Father and his son Jesus Christ when we are within it's walls. Often times, one can feel the Spirit even when walking on the grounds of the Temple or even seeing it from a distance. I know that before I was able to fully go through the Temple I had the Spirit tell me many times that those buildings truely are the house of God. Maybe you have felt the same while walking around Temple Square or simply driving by a Temple while on the freeway.

We go to the Temple to feel closure to our Father in Heaven and to feel His love. We also go to conduct service for people who have passed on. In the temple, we conduct ordinances and learn more about our Father's plan. Each person does this one time in their life. Every time after that, they go and do so in proxy for a person who has passed away. The person who has passed on will then have the opportunity to accept or decline that work which was done for them.

The Temple is also a place where members of the LDS faith can be married for time and all eternity. Because we believe in an after-life, the purpose of being married in the Temple is to be sealed to your spouse for eternity. All children born to you after this ordinance will be born into the covenant and will automatically be sealed to you as a result. This means if a loved one passes away, you will still be able to love them and have them by your side. This is an amazing blessing.

Two years ago my family was in a bad accident at Lake Powell. Two of my brothers needed to be air lifted to hospitals. I did not go due to Summer classes, but when I got the call from my uncle telling me about it, my heart sunk. He told me my youngest brother was not doing well and that they didn't expect him to make it. He was on his way to come get me and we would go meet the helicopter at the hospital.

I was scared. I was emotional. I did not know what was going to happen and the thought of losing my little brother was among the darkest feelings I have ever felt. I immediately dropped to the floor and prayed, begging Heavenly Father not to take my brother from us at that time. The response I got was not one I was expecting.

The Spirit came to me and comforted me. He gave me an answer to my prayer. He told me that my family had been sealed in the Temple. We will always have each other for eternity. Everything would be fine and go along as God had intended. After that answer, I was fully expecting to lose my brother. I prepared myself for the news, but I was comforted all the while.

Upon arriving at the Hospital we learned that we had beaten the helicopter. When it finally arrived, we learned that my brother would be fine. In the long run, my family has turned out fine. But what I learned will forever be a very strong point in my testimony:

Families are forever.

Even though I was prepared to lose my brother, he did not pass. But I learned a lesson that no one should ever take for granted. The sealing powers found in the Temple are incredible. Though our loved ones will pass on, we will still have them as our own. We will still be able to be with them. We will still continue to love them.

The church is true. The teachings of it are also true. The Temple is a house of God. There we can feel his love, receive direction, and build our families. The Temple brings us blessings that equal none other. Temple work is needed. If you are not worthy, get worthy. If you are scared to go, pray for the faith to be comforted. If you are not a member, I promise you that this church is true. I promise you that the blessings received in the Temple will benefit you and your family drastically. I encourage you to read the Book of Mormon to find that this church is the true gospel of Jesus Christ. It is true. This I promise you.

For those who are interested in seeing what a Temple looks like on the inside, the Brigham City Temple is completed and will host an Open House. You need not be a member nor be worthy of a temple recommend to attend. At these, you will be able to walk through out the Temple and see what it is like on the inside. They recommend getting reservations in order for them to accomidate the correct number of people. Please view the link below to reserve tickets and to learn more about the upcoming event.

http://www.ldschurchtemples.com/brighamcity/

If anyone is interested in sharing anything such as comments, suggestions, testimonies or anything in the like please feel free to do so. Contact me if you have a longer message that you wish to share so we can make a blog post about it.

Thanks for taking the time to read this long message. Remember to share this to anyone you feel may need it.