Our first semester was a General Studies course focusing mostly with the importance of study, dealing with life situations, being lifelong learners, and living by the spirit. Our second semester was math (not my favorite), and now we are studying English. I think this is going to be my favorite semester, but we shall see. Our first writing assignment was to write a love letter to something that we love as if it were a person. This assignment was intriguing to me so I wanted to give it a shot even though we, as missionaries, are not required to do the assignments since we are not students. I decided to write my love letter to an LDS Temple. This is what I wrote:
Dear LDS Temple,
As
I write this letter, I am staring at my favorite photo of you. You look so beautiful and majestic standing
so tall and sure of yourself. Oh how I love you! Your beautiful spires reaching
heavenward make you look celestial and angelic.
I am longing to be near you.
Right now, time and distance separate us but we will be reunited again
soon.
Looking
back, at an early age I heard stories about you. These stories created a burning desire for me
to meet you personally. As a youngster,
my parents would leave me and my siblings with a babysitter to go visit
you. I often wondered, why would they
leave their family behind to see you? What
happened once they entered your doors? I
could see you from a distance, but could never go inside until one very special
day. It was on that special day that all
my questions were answered.
I
was formally introduced to you on December 22, 1975. Instead of standing outside longing to go in,
with recommend in hand, I was finally allowed to enter. This was a day to
remember. At my side were my fiancé, my
twin sister, and other loved ones. I learned things that day that are sacred
and pure – things I cannot speak of outside your walls. Thank you for sharing those beautiful truths
with me! Thank you for helping me find
heaven on earth. Thank you for endowing
me with power from on high.
Five
days later I knelt at one of your altars to be sealed to Alan for time and all eternity.
As I took him by the hand and stared into his beautiful blue eyes, I knew there
was no place in the world I would rather be.
Your beautiful sealing room was a place of serenity and reverence. Surrounded by loved ones, I felt at peace. I was able to forget about the world and its
problems and focus on preparing for eternity.
It
has now been over thirty-eight years since we met, but I have never lost
interest in you. In fact, my love for
you has grown with each passing year. Fond
memories rush to my mind as I recall other family members whose lives were
changed for the better by entering through your doors, making sacred promises
in your rooms, and creating eternal families of their own. For that, I will always be grateful. I will always be in your debt.
Love,
Joan
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