Why Do We Love To See The Temple?

For those of us who are familiar with LDS Primary songs, we are familiar with the title "I Love to See the Temple". It is a very sweet song. For those who aren't as familiar with this song, here are the lyrics:

1.  I love to see the temple.
   I'm going there someday
   To feel the Holy Spirit,
   To listen and to pray.
   For the temple is a house of God,
   A place of love and beauty.
   I'll prepare myself while I am young;
   This is my sacred duty.
2.  I love to see the temple.
   I'll go inside someday.
   I'll covenant with my Father;
   I'll promise to obey.
   For the temple is a holy place
   Where we are sealed together.
   As a child of God, I've learned this truth:
   A family is forever.

It amazes me how much doctrine can be fit in such a small package as a song. And it's all true!

The goal is to be worthy to go to the temple to receive the ordinances and make special covenants therein for oneself first and then we get to go back again and again to do the same ordinances for the death by proxy. This is the sealing power at work. And it is a sacred duty to do our part to also do the family history work to find those of our ancestors that have not yet received this work. The youth of today are getting very good at that part of the work and they are blessed for it.

We also go to the House of the Lord to be closer to the Spirit at times when we feel an especial need for personal revelation to help us in our daily lives.

But I think the best parts are the sense of love that permeates this holy buildings. Not only is this because it is a place of service but the sealing of families is a paramount purpose of the service.

Our most recent experience of going to the temple was to support my brother in receiving his own endowments in preparation of going on his mission. It was an interesting experience for me because it was the first time I did Initiatory work for the dead. I received my own Initiatory prior to receiving my own endowments before my temple marriage but had not done that work for the dead in the five years since. It was a great reminder of more of the covenants and blessings we receive in the temple. I feel that when I do this work for the dead I also re-receive some of the blessing for myself, if only in the form of a remembrance.

But my favorite part was when my brother joined us in the Celestial Room at the end of the endowment ceremony and we were able to welcome him with open arms. That is what I imagine death will be like. All of our deceased loved ones are just on the side of that other veil waiting to be reunited with us.

And just a brief word on the temples chosen for my title image: We were married in the Rexburg Temple and are soon to be in the Star Valley Temple District after it is dedicated in October (and I'm in one of the dedicatory choirs). All the other temples are ones that we have been to together since getting married. If I included the ones we've been to separately I'd add the Columbia River Temple, the Nauvoo Temple, and the Boise Temple.

What temples have you been to and what do you love about your temple experiences? Leave a comment.