YOU DID IT!

You brought the very best of yourselves.
You sacrificed your time & talents.
You GAVE.

We came UP to the Mountain of the Lord together...but it's not over.
This is just the beginning of our journey to the temple and to the Savior.

Will you continue on that journey?

(Leave your commitment here. Tell us how you've felt about this experience. Make your voice heard!)

WE LOVE YOU!

It's HERE! It's HERE!

We had an AMAZING night last night with the Draper Temple District.
The Spirit was absolutely there....not just the kind of spirit that you feel in your heart...but the kind you feel in the air.

THANK YOU to all of you who brought the best of yourselves last night.

Oquirrh Mountain...now it's YOUR turn.

WE.
CAN'T.
WAIT!

Don't stop your climb!

KAMI

Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin said, “We are faced with a choice. We can trust in our own strength, or we can journey to higher ground and come unto Christ.”

Three months ago everyone in this building was given a choice. This celebration asked each of us to sacrifice our time and our talents for this one night. It is humbling for me to look out at all of you and realize that despite the inconvenience the rehearsals may have been to you, you made the choice to participate and join in on an opportunity to draw closer to the Savior.

For the past few weeks I have been thinking about what it means to "Come Up to the Mountain". The main question I always end up asking myself is how am I supposed to get myself up to the Mountain?

My experiences with mountains haven’t always been positive. A few years ago I had the opportunity to draw closer to nature and hike Mount Timpanogas. Nature and I are acquaintances but I have never had a desire to get to up close and personal let alone go on a 12 hour hike. I did nothing to prepare before hand. The only time I really appreciated the beauty surrounding me was when I looked at the pictures afterwards. I got to the top, had reached my goal and couldn’t wait to get back to the bottom and my comfort zone.

During the Draper Temple Open House the full-time missionaries stopped by my house and wondered if there was anyone I knew who I could share the gospel with. For the past few months I had been having promptings to talk to my cousin who is not a member of our church. I mentioned this to the Elders, and told them that I was afraid to talk to him because I didn’t want to make our cousinship uncomfortable. Elder Kemmer then told me something that has had a lasting impact. He said, “There is no growth in our comfort zones.”

I hope we aren’t thinking of Friday night as I thought of Mount Timpangos. I wanted it to be over before it even started. Friday night will be a night when we all get out of our comfort zones, because trust me it’s not comfortable standing in front of 10,000 people. I promise you that whatever you put into this performance you will get out of it. A testimony rarely comes through one grand experience. A testimony comes from a combination of the little experiences. If you want it to grow, you have to do the work. You have to put forth a sincere effort.

After this weekend this celebration will be over, and you won’t hear the words "Come Up to the Mountain” as often. I ask all of you not to stop your climb though! Keep moving forward. If the climb gets difficult, lean on the Savior. [You] can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth [you]. (Philippians 4:13).

The climb will only get easier as we draw closer to Christ.

What does heaven see in YOU?

KELSIE

These last couple of weeks have been just crazy for me as I am sure they have been for you!! You know, though, Heavenly Father knows when you are having hard times and I could totally tell in my case.

I heard this song not too long ago that seriously helped me. I have heard it before, but it hadn't hit me as strongly as it did then. It's titled "What Heaven Sees in You" (by Doug and Sherry Marks Walker). I would like to share the first verse with you:

Sent to this earth, you were saved through the ages for this day and time, Child of great worth, child of promise daughter of the divine. Pure and holy in a little white dress, you were held in a circle and you were blessed. And the Father looked down and the angels surrounded that place. They knew the truth, all that you could do. And you will too if you have eyes to see what heaven sees in you.

Those words touched me deeply as I hope they do you. We are here at this time on earth for a reason. We have a duty to fulfill.

A scripture that really helps me understand what I can do to fulfill this duty is found in Mosiah 2:34. It says, "Ye are eternally indebted to your Heavenly Father, to render to him all that you have and are."

We must give our whole lives to him to be able to repay just part of what He has given us!! I hope that when you have hard times, you can read the words from the song, "What Heaven Sees In You" and realize that Heavenly Father knows what you can be. He can help you realize more of what you can do to better your life as well as others. Heavenly Father loves US!! Of this I am absolutely positive. If you doubt anything about the gospel, ASK! He will help you find the answer. I know this church is true and that we have been blessed greatly with this opportunity for us to participate in a temple celebration. WE MUST BE SPECIAL!!I love you all even if I don't know you individually because I know you are God's children.

Have a fun time at this celebration. Don't take it for granted.

Text Message!

Here's the message we sent out today!

"And I, God, saw everything that I made, and, behold, all things which I had made were very good." (Moses 2:31) This includes YOU and this celebration is for HIM!

It's THIS WEEK! Let's give it everything we've got.

What about YOU?

So, we've been sharing what preparing for the Celebration has been doing for all of us.

But, what about you?

Tell us:
1.) What you've liked about the rehearsals
2.) How you feel about the temple
3.) What you've done for the "What Will I Give" project
or
4.) How you hope your life is different after May 29 & 30

We want to hear about YOUR experience!

Keep Climbing!

KAMI

I have recently been thinking about what it means to "Come Up to the Mountain". The main question I have asked myself is how am I supposed to get myself up to the Mountain?

Think about climbing an actual mountain. To start climbing you have to have all the right tools, good hiking shoes, plenty of water and you have to be on the right path. Sure you don’t have to have any of these tools to climb the mountain, but somewhere during the climb you will suffer the consequences of not having them. Your feet will blister, which will slow the pace of the ascent. If you don’t provide yourself with consistent water stops you will eventually get dehydrated, and if you don’t stay on the trail leading to the top, the chances of you getting lost are greater.

Our daily lives can be compared to this.

Every day we need to begin our climb with the right tools.

Begin your day on the right path: Say your prayers, read your scriptures.

Put on a good pair of hiking boots: Surround yourself with the things that won’t delay your climb. Avoid the temptations the Adversary puts on the trail. They will only weaken you.

I think the most important thing to remember when you are making your climb is to rehydrate your testimony frequently. A testimony rarely comes through one grand experience. We aren’t all as lucky as Joseph Smith was. A testimony comes from a combination of the little experiences. If you want it to grow, you have to do the work. You have to put forth a sincere effort.

Take advantage of the water stops, they will help revive you. Take advantage of this upcoming water stop. The Temple Celebrations on the 29th and 30th are a great way to freshen up your testimony and help strengthen it.

In a few weeks this whole celebration will be over, and you will stop hearing "Come Up to the Mountain" as often. I ask all of you not to stop your climb though! Keep moving forward. If the climb is getting difficult, lean on the Savior. [You] can do all things through Christ which stengtheneth [you]. (Philippians 4:13).

The climb gets easier as we draw closer to Christ.
So keep climbing and COME UP TO THE MOUNTAIN!!

Text Message!

Here's the message that went out today (and by the way...can you believe the Celebration is in TWO WEEKS???)

"There is something about a temple dedication which prompts a reevaluation of one's own performance and a sincere desire to do even better." (President Monson)

Have a great week!

True Happiness

CAMERON

This gospel is truly great news.

As President Uchtdorf said in his General Conference talk, "[Jesus Christ] gave us His gospel, a pearl beyond price, the grand key of knowledge that, once understood and applied, unlocks a life of happiness, peace and fulfillment."

So, what exactly do I do to obtain this happiness?

First of all, lasting happiness will not come after a mere few hours of labor. As it says in Doctrine & Covenants 14:7, we must endure to the end to obtain eternal life. Along with holding out to the end, you must keep the commandments nad do all the "Sunday School answers" regularly.

And King Benjamin gave us great counsel in Mosiah 2:41. "I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God. For behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold out faithful to the end they are received into heaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of never-ending happiness..."

I know that if we remain faithful and endure to the end, that we CAN receive never-ending happiness.

STAY STRONG.

Hard runs. Good runs.

KELSIE

A few weeks ago, I was given the opportunity to run a half marathon with my Young Women's President. Let me say, it was an amazing experience.

To train for this race, I had to run a lot. It was difficult.

A few weeks before the race, she said something that struck me hard. She said, "I am so glad that we have hard runs so that we can better enjoy the good runs."

It reminded me of a scripture in 2 Nephi 2:13: "If ye say there is no sin, ye shall also say there is no righteousness. And if there be no righteousness there be no happiness."

To me that says that we must have challenges and trials to be able to truly be grateful for the blessings and the good times we enjoy. And I testify we need to have trials to be grateful for the blessings. I also know that if we endure our trials well, we will be even more blessed.

The hard runs are worth it.

Overwhelmed?

TOMMY

Now a days, our lives can be so stressful. Especially new when many of you are busy getting ready for college, trying out for a dance or athletic team next year, finishing up the school year, and attending the Temple Celebration rehearsals.

I, like many of you, have been overwhelmed with so many stresses recently. I'm sure I'm no thte only one that has fallen to my knees pleading for help, strength, and comfort. I have felt like blanket after blanket of enormous tasks have been thrown upon me during this time.

But, after all of our tears fall, the Lord begins to send blessings to comfort us. My good friend Stephan shared a scripture with me recently. It says, "Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong." (2 Corinthians 12:10)

Guys, the Lord is helping us and carrying us through these hard things. President Monson shared stories of many people talking with the late President Hinckley about many problems they were feelings. They said that they were overwhelmed with the load they must carry. To many of these men, President Hinckley's reply was, "Things will work out."

AND THEY WILL!

Be strong.
Wait upont the Lord.
Go to the temple for escape.
Get lost in your scriptures.

"Things will work out."

Text Message!

Here's the message that went out today:

The Lord doeth that which is good among the children of men...and he inviteth them all to come unto him and partake of his goodness (2 Ne 26:33) Come & partake!

(thanks for making time for all the Conference Center rehearsals last week! Did you get your "gift give away" card?)

Be more kind

RONI

I recently went to a fast food restaurant with a friend to get some dinner. Working there was a girl I'd known in middle school. This girl was constantly made fun of and didn't have that many friends. Looking back, I remembered that I too had made fun of her.

After ordering my food, I asked her if she remembered me and she did. I then apologized for the mean things I had done in middle school. She told me about how much she hated it there and she ended up leaving because she couldn't handle it anymore.

I learned a huge lesson from this experience.

I strive to be kind to all of those around me because I know how hard life can be. You never know what that person is going through and what can push them over the edge. I encourage all of us to be more kind to everyone and befriend those who are often alone. The feeling you will have is amazing!

BE MORE KIND!

Make it fun!

KEVIN

I am human.

Not every week I'm jumping for joy to go to the Temple Celebration rehearsals. I often have friends, sports, and school in the way. However, I know that I can choose my attitude once I get there. The attitude I must always choose, and challenge you to choose, is to be happy and cheerful. I can promise if you slap a permanent smile on your face during the rehearsal, your happiness will all come natural.

What I like to do while at rehearsals is make things funs while dancing. Believe me, there is a variety of ways to do that. As 2 Nephis 10:23 says, "Therefore cheer up your hearts, and remember that ye are free to act for yourselves--to choose the way of [boredom at rehearsal] or the way of [absolute fun at rehearsal]." (Hey, look it up!)

My challenge to you is to make rehearsal fun and enjoyable. I promise if you do this, you will find yourself looking forward to it all.

Why a mountain?

McKAY

In my opinion, the theme of a mountain is perfect because a mountain can represent so many things!

Personally, I like it because the mountains are what I call "perfect places". You can use the mountains for any purpose. Lots of people go camping and fishing because they enjoy it. Some people go to the mountains to get away from their daily life. I go to the mountains to snowboard. But also, because of a feeling I get while I'm there. It is honestly the best feeling in the world for me. There is an excitement and sense of fear for the slopes. But at the same time, a huge respect. I also get the feeling of calming and comfort in the snow. When you sit in the trees and look around, it's beautiful. Indescribable.

Thinking about it, I realized that the temple is just like the mountains.

People go because they enjoy it. They go to run away from life. They go for the feelings they get while there. When we go, we think of the Savior and realize His power, His creations, and His sacrifice. Wehn we go to the temple, we we just sit down and look around, we see how beautiful it is. How indescribable it is.

Go get just one!

NATHAN

Our rehearsals have been extremely fun and very uplifting and spiritual. The choir director in my stake told us last week that we had about 50% of our youth participating. We need those youth. We want all of those youth there, singing or dancing, so they can feel the spirit.

I had the opportunity to speak at three firesides and my stake conference in March. This was a very humbling and very uplifting opportunity for me. I was scared to death at my first fireside. I wasn't exactly sure what I said or how it impacted the youth there but I hope it helped those youth feel the need and desire to participate in this celebration.

In Psalms 149:1-5, it tells us of how we can rejoice in the name of the Lord by singing his praises and dancing. This is exactly what we're doing in this celebration and we need to participate and invite others to come.

In Deuteronomy 33:2, it tells of tens of thousands of Saints gathered with Moses, whom the Lord loved and praised.

All of you who have already joined, go out and invite all to come up to the mountain. If every single person reading this post brought just one friedn who hasn't been coming, the numbers in practices would increase by exponential numbers.

Senior Ball or Celebration?

ASHLEY

This is for everyone out there who has something on their Celebration performance date and are having a hard time choosing what to do.

I was in the same situation.

I have Senior Ball the same day! Senior Ball was the only dance I really even cared about going to my whole high school time. It was a tough choice. For THREE YEARS I've been excited for Senior Ball. Our seminary tried to get the school to change the date so none of us would have to make that decision. Unfortunately, it didn't work out nad we weren't able to change it. So, this left me having to make a choice.

I have got such a great love and testimony of this gospel that there is no way that there is anything more important than this celebration. And I pray for all you guys who are in the same situation that I was in. Make sure you are at the Temple Celebration. It really is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!

So, come join all of our fun and come celebrate the wonderful temples that our Lord has given us. I know that the decision is hard to make but you have the Lord on your side. Do not be afraid to ask Him for help on the decision. He is there to help you and He wants to.

COME UP...to the Celebration!

It's all about attitude!

HEATHER

It's truly awesome to see how fast the time is flying until our Celebration! Firesides are being held, text messages are being sent out, and it appears we are getting quite a few hits on the blog. AND rehearsals are happening all the time!

I haven't been involved in a performed dance for five years and I can feel it all coming back...the confusion over a new step, the frustration at the slow pace we're learning, the excitement as you stare down at that costume made just for you...and the nervous pit in your stomach as that little inner voice pipes up and tells you that yes, you will be performing this in front of thousands.

I remember Trek. I wanted to be there but some seemed to be forced by parents, pressured by peers, or just making it a lot more miserable than the 90 degree sun really was (okay, the heat wasn't that grea, but it did rain a lot).

My point is, no matter how you found yourself in this dance or choir rehearsal, it is you and your attitude that determine how you are going to feel, and how well you are going to do. You're doing this to celebrate the Lord's temples and to come up to the mountain. So do it with a positive attitude, and you'll see how special & amazing it really is.

Text Message!

The text message we sent out today:

Just as the Salt Lake Temple took 40 years to build, stone by stone, you are building a virtuous life step by step. (Sister Cook) COME UP TO THE MOUNTAIN!

(This great quote comes from Sister Mary N. Cook, First Counselor in the Young Women General Presidency)