Day 53-My Peaceful Place

Jamie O'Neal laments broken promises as she sings "There is no Arizona," but I am here to tell you that there is an Arizona and it is alive and kicking (and warm).  Rick and I flew in yesterday morning, drove to Scottsdale to have lunch at the Kierland Commons shopping plaza (much like Walnut Creek Broadway Plaza without the construction) next to our hotel.  Rick chose his favorite macadamia nut encrusted snapper at Tommy Bahamas restaurant as he says it melts in his mouth.  We window shopped, discovered creative children's books for my great nieces and nephews who live here, and then relaxed in our hotel before Rick had to be at his conference.  

In the late evening, we drove to the other side of Phoenix, hopped on a tour bus near the new Phoenix Temple with my sister (a temple tour guide) and brother-in-law who live nearby.   We were escorted on a wonderful temple tour opened to the public through November 1.  After an introductory film about why we build temples, we reverently were guided through the main rooms of the temple where the rooms are exquisite. "Temples of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are sacred structures in which eternal questions are answered," says President Gordon B. Hinckley. "Throughout history, the Lord has commanded His people to build temples.  Temples are literally houses of the Lord. They are holy places of worship where individuals make sacred promises with God.  The temple lifts us, exalts us, stands as a beacon for all to see, and points us toward celestial glory."

I recall being a freshman at BYU living at the DT dorms which no longer exist, and I would often jog to the Provo Temple to ponder and pray outside its walls.  I would look at the inscription "House of the Lord/Holiness to the Lord" engraved on the temple and dreamed of the day that I would be able to make covenants and promises inside.  Rick and I were married in the Oakland Temple in 1981 for time and all eternity, which has been the best decision of my life.  When our daughter Juliann was about eight years old, she told me as I left for the temple that she could not wait to be a mommy and go to the temple too.   Now many years later, she is a mommy who attends the temple and is an example for her own children.  

In addition, I am blessed to serve in the Oakland Temple every Tuesday from 6:00 AM-noon.  While there, I am able to help others, ponder, pray and read scriptures.  I have found answers to prayer, purpose, and peace within those sacred walls.  There are now 143 operating temples (three under renovation), 13 under construction, and 14 announced.  They span the globe from Johannesburg to Lima to Sydney to Hong Kong to Rome to London to Manhattan to Nauvoo to Salt Lake City to Oakland to Phoenix to just name a few.  No matter its location, the temple for me is like a piece of heaven on earth.