Don't lose faith!

SASHA

I love to go to the temple!

My family just got sealed in the temple about 5 years ago.

I remember going in there...all of the temple workers were so nice to all of us.

In the temple I remember my mom and dad kneeling around the alter. Everyone was there and I didn't really know what was going to happen. But, after the sealing, my dad put me in his arms and said, "Look in the mirror."

So, I did and I could see all of us go on and on forever.

It was the coolest feeling.

And that's why I'm so grateful for temples.
They hold a special place in my heart.

I have three sisters. I love them SO much. We all have our hard times but we get over it. And I don't know what I would do without my sisters and my mom & dad.

It took our family 11 years to finally get to the temple.

DON'T LOSE FAITH that you will never go to the temple with our family.

It takes time and God knows when the right time is.

He has a purpose for doing everything.

There were poeple that came to our house every Sunday to try and get us to come to church. And I want to thank all those who are trying to get others to church.

You are doing SUCH a good thing.

Temples are here for a reason.
God is there and He loves us and knows us by name!

Then come what may...

DAVID

The Temple Celebration's impact extends so much farther than the celebration itself. It represents the broad spectrum of gratitude we feel to be members of this church in this dispensation. With the edifying power that comes from the Temple, we are able to withstand more temptation and have a renewed desire to hold to the rod.

I was lucky enough to sit in one of the rooms at the Saturday afternoon session of the Draper Temple dedication. I loved the words of Elder Richard G. Scott. Much of his talk was refelcted upon in a later address at General Conference. However, the focus was on the temple work and obedience. What hit me most was the simple phrase "then come what may." When we are living the commandments, walking in the light, and practicing simple obedience and faith, "then come what may." We need not fear if we do what we know to be right (Psalm 27:1). It will be for our good and our benefit.

Recently I had the opportunity to attend my stake conference. In it the choir sang some of the Temple Dedication songs. The spirit filled the room when they began to sing the theme song of "Come to the Mountain". This song can be found on our temple celebration website. It helped remind me of the importance of regular temple attendance.

When we live obediently and attend the temple regularly "then come what may".

Text Message!

This week's text message:

Remember when you're having a hard day, you are in good company. "COME UNTO ME all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest." Matt. 12:28

Can you believe it's FIVE WEEKS AWAY?
We know there is a lot going on.
Hang in there!

Praise His name!

BRACKEN

Over spring break we went to St. George and on Sunday went to church. Little did we know that we would get the opportunity to hear a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Elder Quentin L. Cook, speak and shake his hand! He is a great man and carries a tremendous spirit with him. It was an experience I will have forever.

When we came home I got to go to rehearsals for the temple celebration choir. These rehearsals are a great strength to me. I look forward to them and when I go, the spirit I feel is strong.

There is a scriptures in D&C 25:12. I know you already got the text message with this scripture but I want to emphasize on the ending of the scripture, "...yea, the song of the righteous is a prayer unto me, and it shall be answered with a blessing on their heads." What a great promise!

If we go and sing (or dance) at these rehearsals you wll be blessed in one way or another. I know it is really heard sometimes to go with all the things we youth could be doing, but I promise you that if you get involved and show that you care about these new temples, you will gain much more than just blessings but a stronger testimony of Christ.

The songs we sing and the dances we do bring His spirit in the room like a big tidal wave! Believe it or not, there is a scripture in Psalms 149:3 that talked about dancing to praise His name. It says: "Let them praise his name in the dance; let them sing praises unto him..."

This is just what these songs are made for--to dance and praise His name through it.

I have set my goal that I will give time to go to the temple at least once a week. This is a hard thing for me to do but I know that this is what I am supposed to give for the Celebration. I hope you will COME UP TO THE MOUNTAIN and findthe joy and blessings these temples bring!

Open Arms

KJ

I love the temples. I have had so many great experiences inside these holy buildings.

I had the opportunity to do baptisms in the St. George Temple. Upon entering the temple, I noticed that I was the only caucasion in the chapel, the rest of the faithful members were from the Navajo Ward in Arizona. They welcomed me with open arms and invited me to serve with them. The spirit there was the greatest I have ever felt and it strengthened my knowledge that this church truly is for everyone.

I look forward to turning in my mission papers in the coming weeks. I cannot wait to serve the Lord for the next two years. The Gospel is such a blessing in my life and I wish to share it with as many people as I can.

I am committing

KAELYN

I am so grateful for the temple in my life and the hope it provides me.

The temple is God's home on earth. He is there and you can feel it.

When the Draper Temple was having its open house, I was able to go with my ward. The feelings of peace and reverence kind of hits you like a wall when you walk through those doors. As I walked through the temple I was stunned at its beauty and the reverence of those attending. One feels the need to whisper as you walk through the halls. And I find it so much easier to hear the promptings of the spirit there, bearing witness that this is the place to be and whispering ways I can improve my life.

I don't know if you have ever felt this way, but I've realized especially lately how much I take all these temples near by for granted. So what will I give the Lord for this temple experience?

I am committing, from now until the temple celebration, to attend the temple once a week so that I can feel the spirit there more regularly and gain a stronger testimony of its importance to my salvation.

The time to prepare and learn these things is now.

If you have not yet committed to giving something to the Lord, I challenge you to do this with me. I promise if you enter the temple with an open heart, the Lord will bless you with His spirit and you will see His hand in your life.

Commit today to go a little higher.

Putting God first

SARA

About a month ago, my brother and I were on long drive home and after some time of casual conversation we started talking about the Gospel. We discussed the temptations that we have in our everyday lives and how difficult it is to muster the strength that is needed to withstand them.

He enviously described a man in his ward that reflects a goodness and light because of his righteousness and devotion to the Lord. I completely understood his admiration because I am constantly noticing these "spiritual giants" that are undeniably Christ-like in my own life.

A couple of weeks later during the Temple dedication I was sitting by a youth that was unenthusiastic and somewhat reluctant to be there. However, once the Prophet arose to speak, he sat up and attentively listened to the Prophet's words. Now his attentiveness may have just been out of respect but I believe it was because the Prophet carries this same spirit and light about him that even reaches out to those that may be hesitant about the Gospel.

It is inevitable that we will all have hardships and temptations in this life. Overcoming them is what makes us stronger and leads us on the path towards becoming these "spiritual giants". I can only imagine the light that Jesus emulated while He was on the earth. His spirit truly affected the masses because He dedicated His life to serving others and His Heavenly Father. Rather than being centered on what is important, our time and energy are constantly being consumed by earthly concerns. If our lives revolve around the Gospel and we work to reflect the light of Christ, the rest will fall into place.

President Ezra Taft Benson stated, "When we put God first, all other things fall into their proper place or drop out of our lives. Our love of the Lord will govern the claims of our affection, the demands on our time, the interests we pursue, and the order of our priorities."

I have a testimony of this and I know that as we become closer to our Heavenly Father the meaningless confusion in our lives is put into perspective. I hope that we will all be able to put God first and participate in or attend the Temple Celebration because this is truly the Lord's work.

What I'm getting for what I'm giving

KAMI

A month ago, for the "What Will I Give?" project, I decided to give MORE time to my scriptures.

More time meant not just reading my scriptures to say I read a chapter, but to get something out of it--something I personally needed to read or something that would help me get through the next day.

About a week after I decided what I was going to give, I received the new Personal Progress section for the value "virtue". Normally for each Value Project you get to select your project from a list of suggested projects or you can make one up yourself. But, the Value Project for VIRTUE doesn't give you this freedom.

It says: "The Savior chose to live a virtuous life. Follow his admonition to 'learn of me' (D&C 19:23) by reading the entire Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ. Liken the scriptures to your life and circumstances. As you read, record your thoughts regularly in your journal."

After reading that, I decided to get out a blank journal I had and use it solely for this project.

It is amazing to me how in three weeks my love for the scriptures has increased. I love my scripture time! By actually trying to liken the scriptures to my own life, I have found comfort, hope, and strenth to deal with the trials I am facing.

I challenge everyone to find something you can give to the Lord.

You only have SIX MORE WEEKS until the Celebration.
What will YOU give?

Text Message!

This is the message we sent out for this week:


D&C 25:12 "For my soul delighteth in the song of the heart, yea, the song of the righteous is a prayer unto me." Whether we dance or sing we will be blessed!



There's still time to sign up!!

Text MOUNTAIN to 83043
(and if you don't have a cell phone, just check here every Monday)

If you think you're too busy...

STEPHAN

As we go through our hectic and busy lives, it is hard to fit any more activities in our day. We may want to be with our friends or we have work or we just want to chill when we finally get a break.

Although all these things are important and good, there is something much greater that we all have the opportunity to participate in.

DID YOU KNOW that it was President Monson who asked us to put on this Celebration? Now, I don't always listen to my mom and dad when they ask me to do something...But, I would say that if the Prophet asks you to do something, then you do it because he is the Lord's mouthpiece.

Too many times I hear that "I'm too busy" or "I just don't want to." I can understand that it is hard to incorporate time into rehearsals and practices but in Doctrine & Covenants 64:33-34 it reads: "Wherefore, be not weary in well-doing. For ye are laying the foundation of a great work. And out of small things proceedeth that which is great. Behold the Lord requireth the heart and a willing mind; and the obedient shall eat the good of the land of Zion in these last days."

I promise that, althought it may be small and you may think it is insignificant, if we willingly participate in the Celebration, the Lord will bless us in many ways.

It can and WILL change our lives.

So, just do it!

Where we need to be

HEATHER

The temple is an amazing place to be.

Not long ago, I had an experience that helped me see why we need to COME UP TO THE MOUNTAIN and how beneficial it is.

A good friend and myself had signed up for a Stake Temple day time together. The only time we could both take time for baptisms for the dead was in the morning...during school. And we had an unexpected blizzard (this is Utah, after all).

Being as she and I couldn't drive yet (some would argue that this is still the fact, in my case), my mom offered to give us a ride from the school to the Temple and back to school. Mom set out early to the school in the relentless flurries to ensure our safe and timely arrival at the temple. After making it to the school, and finally getting us out of class, it turned out that we were running behind (because of the blizzard!)

Mom drove carefully through the blinding storm to the Temple. Surprisingly, we were three minutes early! Thanking my still-puzzled Mom, my good friend and I hustled inside the temple.

At the sign-in desk stood a lady, looking desperate and a little confused as she discussed something with the clerk. She'd brought two more names than she could handle and was asking what she could do just as my friend and I walked up. The clerk turned to us with a kind smile and asked if we would mind taking care of these two names. I would have said "yes" anyway, but I had this overwhelming feeling that I needed to do this; not for either the clerk or the woman, but for that person whose name was on the paper...that person waiting beyond. This is when I truly came to appreciate the miracle of baptisms for the dead.

The Temple is where we need to be....to bring the dead, as well as the living, unto Christ.

The Temple is my escape.

McKay

The temple is an amazing place. I have not been to that many, but the ones I have visited definitely have left an impression on my mind.

I love visiting the Salt Lake Temple. It's crazy for me to think how the pioneers built it. 40 years it took to build! I couldn't do it...especially knowing they had to haul down huge chunks of stone. It's amazing what people will do for what they believe in. They obviously knew what they were doing was good. I'm glad they stuck with it.

The outside of the Temple is always cool to look at, especially at night. It's just amazing. But the inside is even better. I love walking from outside, hearing the noises of the city, and then...

Silence.

The moment you step inside, the sounds of the world around disappear and all you notice is your own thoughts and a certain feeling that makes you smile. I love the feeling of peace. I call it my warm and fuzzy.

Life is crazy! Everyone needs a place to run to get away from it all.

Everyone needs a place to escape to and just relax and think.

Sometimes we need someone to talk to.

At the temple, someone is always there to help you.

Drop to your knees.

He will be there for you.

He is always there to talk.

The Temple is my escape.

The Temple is my solitude.

That's why I go.

Why do you go?

Get up & do something!

KELSIE

So, this coming Saturday, I'm running a half-marathon.

In preparing for this, I had to run a lot and it has been hard. I realized how much I needed Heavenly Father to help me with something like this or with grades or other things that really won't effect my spirituality. School for me is very stressful and by training for this half-marathon, I've realized how willing Heavenly Father is to help me with something this is important to me.

I know that Heavenly Father will always be there for us, but He wants us to do our best first. He wants us to give our all before He will jump in and rescue us. Like my friend Ben said in a talk he gave: "the Lord is never late; He helps us just when He needs to."

The Lord will come just when we feel like all is lost. He doesn't want us to suffer, but sometimes we have to learn to try our hardest before He will save us. We have to learn that we need Him, but we can't just sit on the couch and wait for Him to come; we have to get up and do something!

The world these days is full of temptations and before we walk out the door, we must arm ourselves with the armor of God. Let us be like His apostles. Let us reach our full potential. He will make up the part we can't; but we can't be idle.

Let's work to see miracles happen.

Who doesn't want life to be better?!

KEVIN

As I have pondered the question for weeks now: "What Will I Give?", I haven't felt anything dawning or groundbreaking sink into my heart.

However, that's is just it.

I'm going to give up the things that may seem harmless and innocent, such as unneeded run ins with my parents or casual gossip at school. It is all so easy to fall into because it is so natural. These things often to me seem all to normal and day to day life. Well, I am going to take it one day at a time, one situation at a time.

I think by accomplishing this goal I will see the bigger picture more clear and become a happier son of God.

It is my hope that after this Easter weekend we can all give something up to the Lord. He gave us everything and He just asks for a small part back. Let us all join the effort to show more gratitude to Jesus Christ. I know that if we do we will all be happier and with that we will be more Christlike and therefore...life will be just that much better!!

And who doesn't want life to be better?!

Text Message!

This is the message we sent out today:

Just 7 weeks until the Celebration! There's still time to get your friends involved. Find 1 new person to bring to rehearsals this week. TempleCelebration.com

We don't want ANYONE to miss out on this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! Contact your ward YM/YW leaders for rehearsal details...but bring a friend!

(We realize some of you don't have cellphones and we don't want you to feel left out! We'll post the text messages here every Monday morning...before the message goes out so you can always be included.)

Our Easter message to YOU

We hope today is a great day for you to focus on your family and focus on the Savior.

Let's make sure He never stands alone again.

Happy Easter everyone!

What are YOU doing?

TOMMY

We've been asked to sacrifice something we might love in order to better ourselves for the temple...to give up something as a "gift" to the Lord.

It could be anything you think would better your own life.

Me for example?
I'm going to give up PG-13 movies for the next 3 months.
Yes, I'm going to miss Transformers, but it is something that the Lord would be proud of me for doing.

And I challenge you to do the same.
Maybe you could try to get something out of seminary if you usually do homework in the back.
Try giving up 10 minutes every night to open and study the scriptures.
Don't play a certain video game or maybe try not gossiping with your friends.
Try to make every mutual activity for 3 months and see what happens.
Delete all music from your iPod that you would be ashamed of the Lord seeing on there.
There are SO many thing you can sacrifice to the Lord to show Him that you are ready for His Temple to come. Show Him how grateful you are for how He has blessed you.

Remember that you can lead by example. So, if you decide to take a challenge leave your comment here! We'd appreciate it!

It is my testimony that if we try to better ourselves and give something up for the Lord, He will bless us for our sacrifice and make us happier than we are were before. I have seen it happen for myself and know of how much the Lord loves me. I have no idea how He will bless you, but I promise you that you will be much happier.

Remember, Come UP to the Mountain of the Lord!

Text Message!

This is the message we sent out for this week:

Sunday President Monson said, "Your future is as bright as your faith." Let the Temple make your faith a little brighter. The celebration is in 8 weeks!

Can you believe it's only 8 weeks away?
What are YOU doing to get ready?