Coming Home

Yesterday, as sun just began to peek over the horizon, I traveled to Liberty, MO to attend a training meeting for those who will staff the LDS Temple Open House.  I was listening to world news on NPR (national public radio) in the van as I drove to the meetinghouse near the temple.  I listened as the broadcaster spoke of the drug war in Cuba.  I heard of a possible long-range Korean rocket launch (a precursor to ballistic weapons testing).  Lastly, I heard of the fighting and bloodshed in Syria.  My thoughts went immediately to the scripture in Doctrine and Covenants 45:46 which says that there will be, "wars and rumors of wars, and the whole earth shall be in commotion."  Saddened by all the suffering and in search of peace, I turned off the radio.  Just then, I turned to exit from highway 35 onto I-435 North and was thrilled to see beautiful white beacon, a symbol of peace and love, as the sun lit the beautiful Angel Moroni atop our glorious temple.


Instantly, I felt peace.  I was overcome with Joy as I recognized a building that somehow felt like home, and certainly stands as a refuge from the world.  I new that withing those wall there would be relief from the trials of the world.  My testimony of the importance of temples and the safety that is found through the teachings of the temple. 

As I exited 435, I noticed that cars streamed in from every direction toward the temple.  In great numbers, people from all over were coming to the meetinghouse aside temple that day.  It appeared to be a great gathering of saints.  There were many more cars than I had expected.  This seemed to be a meeting larger than any stake conference I had attended.  I took the last of the parking spots on the North end of the temple in order to walk the the meetinghouse located on the South side of the temple lot.  I was glad to be surrounded by so many members of my faith.  We were all common in purpose, all there to serve the Lord and receive instruction on how to bless those who come to the House of the Lord.  Another scripture entered my mind, Isaiah 2:3 "And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths."

I pondered on the words, "House of the Lord."  I thought about how happy I was to have my family home with me this week.  We have been busy enjoying Spring Break, and it has been so wonderful to have my family at home.  I wonder then, would Heavenly Father not feel the same way.  If the temple is His house, then I imagine that He desires to have us there in much the same way.  He loves His children with a love that I cannot even fully comprehend.  Of course He is happy to have His children in His house.  It was a thought that made me giddy with joy as later that morning I entered the temple for a sample tour. 

Every element of the temple was beautiful and speaks of Christ.  Our temple has been designed with a beautiful olive branch theme.  So much of the tour was impressive and lovely.  The Celestial Room, was so completely breathtaking.  I've never been in a place so bright as was that room in the temple in the morning as the Eastern sun shown in.  It was in all ways -  Heavenly!  Though it had not yet been dedicated, the room still felt so familiar.  It felt like HOME.  I was brought to tears as I entered the Celestial Room, a room that symbolizes a return to our Heavenly Father's presence.  It felt so good to be home.