Inside the House of the Lord...
See this beautiful building?
This is a temple for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is almost finished completion and is due to be dedicated on May 2, 2010.
The granite is on, the scaffolding is down, the angel Moroni sits atop beckoning all to come, the sign 'House of the Lord, Holiness to the Lord 'has been etched into the building above the entry way doors and the baptismal font, supported by the gorgeous oxen, is situated in it's place. Some of the special touches like the gold leafing on the ceiling, the beautiful windows and the chandeliers are also done.
The other night I was honored to be asked to go inside the temple to hang crystals on the chandelier. What an amazing experience! Just to see the temple fills me with the Spirit, but to actually go inside of it...well, let's just say that words can't describe it. Despite the drywall dust, the power tools, the ginormous fans, the blueprints and the wooden walkways, it was easy to feel the beauty and the holiness of that building. There's already a reverence there.
As I sat with a number of ladies, up 40ft in the air on scaffolding, hanging the crystals I couldn't help but think about those sisters from long ago who worked in groups to clean and prepare the early temples; the Kirtland, Nauvoo and Salt Lake temples. I thought about the excitement that must have been flowing through their veins, the wonder of knowing that they were participating in a historic event, the honor of serving the Lord by preparing His House.
Time slipped into a different dimension as suddenly I felt a unity with those pioneer sisters of the 1800's. I felt their spirits, I felt their love, and I felt their feelings of hope and alternately, despair as many were forced to flee from their beloved temples to avoid persecution. And I felt blessed. Blessed that I am not persecuted for my belief. Blessed for this House of the Lord that is in our midst. Blessed to be able to partake of the beauty and the blessings that are within those walls. And I felt blessed for the sacrifices those sisters of the past made for me and my progeny so that we could enjoy the freedoms of worship that we do today.
...and amidst my feelings of gratitude, love and sharing, my not so nimble, latex gloved, fingers knocked one of those precious crystals off of the chandelier. It fell through the crack of the scaffolding to the floor 40 ft below.
And I was humbled.
Even something beautiful and exalted on high, can fall crashing to the ground into despair and ruin if it is not taken care of. This is true of our testimonies.
We need to exalt it, protect it, strengthen it, share it, and honor it because without the support of those things, it can fall and crash just as easily as that beautiful crystal, high up in the air and perfect, did.
There are all kinds of lessons to learn in the House of the Lord. Who would have thought that I'd find one while hanging crystals?
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The temple will be open to public tours in April. If you are interested in seeing the inside of this beautiful building, and you know my contact information, then call or email me and I will arrange a tour for you. If you don't have access to me personally, then drop a comment into my blog and we'll arrange something that way.
Why do Mormons build temples? This video will tell you why far better than I ever could:
The granite is on, the scaffolding is down, the angel Moroni sits atop beckoning all to come, the sign 'House of the Lord, Holiness to the Lord 'has been etched into the building above the entry way doors and the baptismal font, supported by the gorgeous oxen, is situated in it's place. Some of the special touches like the gold leafing on the ceiling, the beautiful windows and the chandeliers are also done.
The other night I was honored to be asked to go inside the temple to hang crystals on the chandelier. What an amazing experience! Just to see the temple fills me with the Spirit, but to actually go inside of it...well, let's just say that words can't describe it. Despite the drywall dust, the power tools, the ginormous fans, the blueprints and the wooden walkways, it was easy to feel the beauty and the holiness of that building. There's already a reverence there.
As I sat with a number of ladies, up 40ft in the air on scaffolding, hanging the crystals I couldn't help but think about those sisters from long ago who worked in groups to clean and prepare the early temples; the Kirtland, Nauvoo and Salt Lake temples. I thought about the excitement that must have been flowing through their veins, the wonder of knowing that they were participating in a historic event, the honor of serving the Lord by preparing His House.
Time slipped into a different dimension as suddenly I felt a unity with those pioneer sisters of the 1800's. I felt their spirits, I felt their love, and I felt their feelings of hope and alternately, despair as many were forced to flee from their beloved temples to avoid persecution. And I felt blessed. Blessed that I am not persecuted for my belief. Blessed for this House of the Lord that is in our midst. Blessed to be able to partake of the beauty and the blessings that are within those walls. And I felt blessed for the sacrifices those sisters of the past made for me and my progeny so that we could enjoy the freedoms of worship that we do today.
...and amidst my feelings of gratitude, love and sharing, my not so nimble, latex gloved, fingers knocked one of those precious crystals off of the chandelier. It fell through the crack of the scaffolding to the floor 40 ft below.
And I was humbled.
Even something beautiful and exalted on high, can fall crashing to the ground into despair and ruin if it is not taken care of. This is true of our testimonies.
We need to exalt it, protect it, strengthen it, share it, and honor it because without the support of those things, it can fall and crash just as easily as that beautiful crystal, high up in the air and perfect, did.
There are all kinds of lessons to learn in the House of the Lord. Who would have thought that I'd find one while hanging crystals?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The temple will be open to public tours in April. If you are interested in seeing the inside of this beautiful building, and you know my contact information, then call or email me and I will arrange a tour for you. If you don't have access to me personally, then drop a comment into my blog and we'll arrange something that way.
Why do Mormons build temples? This video will tell you why far better than I ever could:
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