Being Temple-Spoiled

I'm not sure if anyone has been able to guess who didn't already know, but I am a Latter-day Saint. As you may or may not know, LDS people (or Mormons, if you prefer, I really am not one to get offended by that title if it's said politely) often attend temples to do work for the dead so that they have the same opportunities we do. Even those of us who haven't been through the temple for marriage or a mission can still be baptized and confirmed members of the church.

I didn't really give this a second thought most of the time when I was growing up. Living in Northern Utah, one has a lot of choices where temples are concerned. I lived so close to the Ogden temple that it was just where I went. We'd just go occasionally to do Baptisms for the Dead and I didn't question it.

The Ogden Temple, as I have seen it all my life, looks like this:

Then, just before I went to college, it was announced that the Ogden Temple would be remodeled to look something like this:

I didn't realize at the time that this meant "closed and buldozed" and I was going to Provo anyway, so I didn't think much of it at the time.

A year passed. I learned that, even in the American West, a church hotspot, I was exceptionally lucky to have a Temple so close. A lot of my friends had a ways to go. Donovan had to drive at least an hour to the Portland Temple, which I think is the only one in Oregon.

{So Pretty!! I hadn't seen a picture before and I was blown away!!}

Ryan had to drive the 2-ish hours to Denver, although by the time he gets back from his mission the Fort Collins Temple might be done.

Cherie has two choices, both out of state; the Winter Quarters Nebraska Temple, which is two hours away one way, and the Nauvoo Illinois Temple, which is four hours one way.

{The Nauvoo Temple--Classic!!}

{The Winter Quarters Temple--also new to me, and very pretty}

You always hear the stories of people around the globe who have to take buses and planes, saving up for a year to travel across countries to get to a temple. They told us those stories in Primary, but until I heard my friends' stories, it didn't really hit me how blessed I was to be so close.

Then I got back to Roy. I started going to the singles' ward with Mal, Missy, and Hannah. They informed me that, in my absence, the Ogden Temple had closed, that we now had to go to Bountiful if we wanted to do Baptisms for the dead.

{Yes, it's very pretty. But still, Bountiful? It's an HOUR away in really good traffic!}

I was telling Ryan about this via Facebook chat, and he said something to the effect of "Oh, WAH!" Apparently the Denver Temple is having some work done, and his closest Temple right now is Salt Lake. Apparently I have no right to complain.

So I'm Temple Spoiled, Ok? It's not easy going from having a temple ten minutes away your whole life to your closest Temple being an hour away!

However, it is SO worth it!

One day, Hannah was chatting with me on facebook and asked me if I wanted to go with her and Missy to the Temple via Frontrunner. I got ready in the ten minutes allotted, and once we were at the train station learned we'd be going all the way to Salt Lake. Apparently the Bountiful Temple was closed for cleaning that week.

"So now" I think "my closest Temple is Salt Lake?!" I mean, it's not as if I mind, the place is gorgeous:

{And this isn't even the best photo of it!!}

It's just a little weird for me to be so far from a Temple, you know?

But, anyway, we went and were Baptized and confirmed for several women from Hungary. It was so sacred and spiritual! I can hardly begin to describe how amazing it is to perform that service for someone you don't even know!

Afterwards, we walked around Temple Square.

Of all the statues around Temple Square, this one is my favorite. You can't see it as well in this picture, but there is such love in Joseph's eyes as he hands Emma a donation for the Relief Society's work.

We also went to the Lion House Pantry and introduced Hannah to the Joy that is a hot Lion House roll:

It's like eating a piece of Heaven. I love going there whenever I visit Temple Square.

But, the point of all this was that although I have been Temple Spoiled for my whole life, and although it is a change for me to get a tiny taste of how the rest of the members around the world live, I think it's altogether a good thing. I didn't think I was taking the Ogden Temple for granted before, but now I realize I was a little. That's never going to happen again, not with any Temple, mind you. It's a sacred house of the Lord, and I'm lucky to be as close as I am.