Mom's talk in our Stake Mission temple fireside

Talk for Temple fireside January 28, 2018

I was 24 and living in Cleveland when two young, good-looking missionaries knocked on my door and asked  me what they used to call  “The Golden Question”, “Do you want to know more about the Mormon Church?”

I did, and I was baptized a few months later in the Stake Center in Westlake, and became a member of the Cleveland 5th ward.

There was so much to learn!  What is a home teacher?  How do I fast?  How do I teach Sunbeams?  So many new rules, new songs to sing, so much to take in.  I loved it!

I love to learn!

One step at a time, line upon line.  I truly loved my new life as a member of this church.

I had heard about temples.  I didn’t pay much attention to them. I kind of figured they were for those cute older Mormon couples.  Besides, the closest one from Cleveland was in Washington DC.  I really did not know anything about them.

One day I received an invitation in the mail for a Fireside about temples.  My friend invited me and I agreed to go.   It was enlightening.  I learned so much, and felt a new desire to live my life so I could go to the temple.  It was a life-changing decision.  Even though I felt I may not get to go for a long time, I wanted to live my life worthy to be able to go.

The first time I entered a temple was in Salt Lake City when I was sealed to Elder Wall.  It was amazing!  It was also a bit overwhelming, and I realized I had more to learn about temples.

My wise husband suggested I read as much as I could about them, attend often, and fast and pray about what happens in temples.  I did.

Since then, I have had the opportunity to attend many temples.   Elder Wall and I planned vacations around temples. We attended as often as we could, and as many as we could.

I was also blessed with the Spirit of Elijah, and fell in love with family history work.

Here I told the miraculous story about when Don and I did the Pfaffenberger names in the tempe and the same day Uncle George Pfaffenberger called dad.  

I want you to know that I have felt the peace that exists in the temple.

I have seen their beauty

I have felt the inspiration one can receive there

I have learned wisdom and understood doctrine there

I have received revelation in the temple

My love for the temple continues to increase.

I also had the opportunity to be a temple worker in 3 temples, where again I was spiritually fed, and saw and felt things that are so sweet and sacred.

Faith, or a lack of faith, can play a significant role in what and how the Lord teaches us, and what He shows us. When the Spirit is with us, we can feel and understand far more things than we could normally comprehend.

Sometimes I felt like the story when in the Scriptures, the Lord prays with the people.

3 Nephi 19: 32-36

32 And tongue cannot speak the words which he prayed, neither can be written by man the words which he prayed.

33 And the multitude did hear and do bear record; and their hearts were open and they did understand in their hearts the words which he prayed.

34 Nevertheless, so great and marvelous were the words which he prayed that they cannot be written, neither can they be uttered by man.

35 And it came to pass that when Jesus had made an end of praying he came again to the disciples, and said unto them: So great faith have I never seen among all the Jews; wherefore I could not show unto them so great miracles, because of their unbelief.

36 Verily I say unto you, there are none of them that have seen so great things as ye have seen; neither have they heard so great things as ye have heard.

Picture a place where everyone is dressed in white, there is no competition, everything is done slowly, there is no rushing, there is no sin, no bad language, no petty arguments.  Everyone is helpful, kind, and calm.  It is easy for the Spirit to dwell there. It is the closest place I know of here on earth that is like heaven.

In the Scriptures, Jesus calls the temple ‘His Father’s House’, then later,

‘His House’.  He also attends regularly.  The temple is His House here upon the earth today.

I testify that Temples can be a blessing in our lives in many different ways. Even if you cannot attend the temple right now, you can do family history work, indexing, read about them, and work toward getting to go to a temple some time in the future.  

Sit back, relax, and feel the Spirit as we learn together about temples tonight.