Our new temple!

Last Sunday Travis & I had the privilege of attending a broadcast of the first dedicatory session of our new Kansas City temple. I know I've mentioned the temple before and the process of finishing construction, holding an open house for the public, and then dedicating it for use by members, but now it is all finished and the temple is open!

Unfortunately, taking pictures was not a high priority that day. Actually I realized today we don't have ANY pictures of us at the temple, despite the fact that we go to church right next door every week, and pass the temple at least several times a week besides! There is a great article in the church news you can read here, in which are featured some of my girls' friends, who also got to meet the prophet!

I am under the impression that each of the three dedicatory sessions (it was done in three separate sessions to accommodate the volume of members who wanted to participate) was completely different! At least, in talking with friends who attended the other sessions, it sounds like the talks given were very different. In ours, President Monson (our prophet and president of the church) talked about how as we dedicate the temple for the first time, we are also re-dedicating our own lives. I loved his entire talk because it made me think about how the rest of my life starts right now, and it is a blank slate. I think I too often allow myself to believe that I am a certain way - I mean that I stereotype myself. I am disorganized or I am lazy or I am loud and obnoxious or I am ____ [fill in the blank]____. I let myself lag in certain areas because I allow myself to believe that it's just the way that I am. I am "not a very good housekeeper," ergo my house is always a disaster. Or I am "a night owl" so it's impossible for me to wake up in the mornings and accomplish anything at all before 9 am, for example. That sort of thing. It helps to remind myself that I am the one in charge of and responsible for what I am and what I can do, and all I have to do is just do it and it will happen. So I thought to myself as I listened to President Monson speak that I would rededicate my own life and "forget myself and go to work!" (Another great talk from our previous prophet)

I also thought about President Monson himself and the extensive responsibilities and burdens that rest on his shoulders. I thought certainly a man in that position can never spare a thought for himself. And then I thought, But why else are we here on this earth except to serve God? We aren't here for our own enjoyment, like an amusement park, or to build up our own status and standing. We are here to serve. It was a kind of epiphany to me, and I thought of all the capacities in which I should now be serving - and that is really my ONLY role. My purpose is to serve my children, my family, my church, my community, and fellow mankind who are total strangers! Why else am I here? So I am resolved to forget about ME (It's hard. Trust me. Well perhaps some of you already know because you've tried to stop thinking about me 24/7 in the past and it was hard. Ha ha... okay back to the point) and get to work serving. That's all. Sorry for the monologue about it!

Anyway, back to the dedication itself. Our session also included the cornerstone ceremony, which was fun because they left a microphone on President Monson so we could all hear his little side commentaries, chatting with the people who came up to add mortar to the cornerstone, making little jokes. It was fun to hear the personal side of him, and of course all of us listening just ate it all up!

We do plan to take some pictures eventually, so stay tuned for those! Meantime, we are hoping to be able to attend our new temple for the first time!