Dedication of The Gila Valley Temple

We went to the dedication of the Gila Valley Temple this morning! (at our church building) I want to write my thoughts and feelings down so I will always remember this day. This was our first time participating in a dedication of a Temple. (Clayton, me and Callie) While getting ready Callie flooded me with question after question, she wanted to know what was going to happen. I just kept telling her, "We will experience this together." I just knew it was going to be special. It was BEYOND special!! It was emotionally filling!! I enjoyed every word spoken, every song sung, every joke told (even if it was told twice!! :) LOL it was fun to know about the inside joke that the President told...how he teased someone about chasing a bear. (there was a bear running loose last week in Thatcher, and my friend's husband is the one that saw it and called the cops. It turned out to be the town excitement for the day!)

I think I scared the poor eight year old boy sitting in front of me...there were times I was crying uncontrollably and he kept turning around looking at me. I truly believe that my dad was present and rejoicing for the people of our hometown and that just kept bringing tears to my eyes.

I think this dedication was such a great experience for me because this was happening in my hometown, my old stomping grounds!! How blessed the people of the Gila Valley are!! I really enjoyed the words spoken by sweet Sis. Crockett, about how her non-member friend went to the open house and sat in the Sealing Room and there she lost the feelings of anger toward God for taking her dad from her. This hit me SO hard...I have struggled many times since my dad has passed with being angry about it. This dedication has helped me release any feelings of that sort. How neat for a non-member to be able to sit in the Temple and feel of the Spirit in that way!!

It was also so fun to see people I knew singing in the choir, and the man (Bro. Palmer) giving the closing prayer. How fun to know the people in the service!! I loved how it was mentioned a few times, that this is a perfect time as members of the church to recommit ourselves to be better people and try to live our lives to please God in every way. And how we need to look at callings like a blessing, and to think of all the blessings that the Lord will bless us with for serving him. I have been really bad about callings lately...I have turned down callings for the simple reason of not being comfortable with them. So this really struck me...that we can recommit ourselves today forward, to trust in the Lord and he will bless you!! (hope I'm not setting myself up for something...we just got our ward split and so they are having to call people to every single calling there is in a ward) :)

I LOVED, LOVED seeing sweet President Monson joking and being cute with everyone in the audience while outside of the Temple! This is something I will not soon forget, so glad we were able to go and be part of it!! I walked away a better person.