Lesson Learned

"I Love To See the Temple" is my favorite primary song. It is dedicated to the most important physical place on earth, and describes the most important work we will ever do.

I love the temple, and I love attending the temple with my spouse. We go once a month, and do not take Sariah. We take the opportunity to have a day to ourselves, while our baby girl is with a competent babysitter. This accomplishes two goals of ours: spend time together without children, and be an example to our children of the importance of temple attendance. It also gives us a chance to do some shopping and recreational activities.

In April, we planned to go to the temple. We made arrangements to leave Friday night, and spend the night at my sister's house. I was SO excited to get to Mesa and do some shopping!!! The plan was to leave Friday evening, and make the last session of the day. Spend the night at my sister's, and do a whole day's worth of much-needed shopping on Saturday. Be home late afternoon on Saturday so our babysitter to go on her hot date.

We did not make the drive in our church clothes. I decided it would be too uncomfortable. This is unusual because we ALWAYS drive in our church clothes. I thought on the way, we could stop at some outlets, shop, change, and still make it.

We got to the outlets - but by the time we were done, it was too late to make the last session.
No problem. We'll shop tonight, and go to the temple tomorrow!!

The morning arrives - we don't have our shower things. I have packed some incorrect clothing to wear to the temple, and have dirtied my other temple-appropriate outfit.

How my heart sank when I told my spouse that we would not be able to attend the temple because I hadn't prepared properly to attend the temple on Saturday.

My lesson was learned. This is what I was missing:

"And faith, hope, charity, and love WITH AN EYE SINGLE TO THE GLORY OF GOD qualify him for the work." (D&C 4:5)

My focus was not on attending the temple. Rather, it was focused on doing the extracurricular activities such as shopping and going out to a nice dinner. Because I was not focused on the proper element of our mini-vaca, we missed the temple all together.

This month, very different. Still a mini-vaca, still a nice dinner, and still plenty of shopping. What changed? We went in our Sunday clothes, and went to the temple FIRST. How glorious was our experience! How I missed feeling that spirit last month, and learning what I learned. The answers to prayers received at the temple are like no other, and I am grateful for learning this lesson. My testimony of the temple was renewed, and my spirit soared as we left, hand-in-hand.

On a side note - on the way up, we saw the worst accident I have EVER seen. 30 emergency vehicles (police cars, fire trucks, ambulences). 2 flipped cars. Traffic that was completely stopped.

(DOES NOT do the scene justice - this is what we saw as we happened upon the scene. It spread for a mile.)


(The worse of the two cars - completely smashed.)


It was the kind of scene that you look at, and know in your heart that no one survived. It made my eyes tear up, knowing it was so tragic. While we were sitting in traffic, we witnessed 2 helicopters fly in, land, and fly out again moments later. Helicopters that were taking bodies clinging to life to the hospital. We found out later that it was a 2-car roll-over (all those blue and red lights for 2 cars!!). 4 people involved - 3 air-lifted to the hospital, and one died at the scene. Life is fragile. I clung to my husband's hand as we drove by, grateful for our safe journey.