I Love to See the Temple

Zone Conference with Elder Maynes, one of the seven presidents of the Seventy.

Hey Y'all!

"I love to see the temple.

I'm going there someday

To feel the Holy Spirit,

To listen and to pray."

We have had a pretty amazingly miracle filled week, and I can't wait to tell y'all all about it! :D To start of this glorious week, we had the special privilege of having Elder Maynes from the Presidency of the Seventy here to council us. As an STL my companion and I came down a day early and had a special meeting among the leadership by him. I learned much from him in the two days that we heard him talk. We have some truly inspired leaders in the church. One thing that he talked about which really hit me was that most missionaries when it comes to finding let fear win out over faith. He said that fear is the opposite of faith and that we should not let it win! He told us to be sweetly bold and to trust in God that it will all work out. This really rang true for me since I sometimes do that, but his words and council really encouraged me to have faith.

"For the temple is a house of God,

A place of love and beauty."

In relation to this faith over fear principle we were taught, we received an amazing miracle because of it. :) It was Wednesday night, at 8:15-30 and we were driving from the church building after a meeting, trying to figure out what to do in the 15 minutes we had before we needed to drive home. After a little, we decided to park at a publix grocery store while we figured out what we wanted to do. We went through the list, seeing if we wanted to see less-actives, former's, or what in the small amount of time we had. Eventually we decided to actually go store contacting. We never usually like this method since it's perhaps the most awkward method and neither of us had found much success in doing it, but I had a cough and we thought it smart to get some cough drops at the very least. We went in, and really didn't contact anyone until towards the end. We saw a man with headphones on, but thought it would be too awkward to try and talk to him. So we went and stood in line, and guess who stands behind us! You guessed it! the man listening to music! Finally, sister Davies mustered the courage to say hi, and he did the rest for us! He took out his earbuds and asked us about our name tags! :D One thing lead to another and soon we were standing outside talking to this man named Eddie about the restoration, giving him a Book of Mormon, and setting up a return appointment for Friday. It was amazing! :D

But wait, there's more! :D We had almost canceled our appointment with Eddie because we couldn't find a member team-up which we needed to teach a single man. But last minute a member said yes and we went on with the plans. We had exchanges so I wasn't there, but the lesson went amazing! :D he had several questions and by the end committed to come to church as well as have a lesson in that families home the next week. To top it all off, Eddie came to church! Of course with our timing he came on Ward Conference so many things went over his head, but he liked it! :D This man is really a seeker of truth, and we would have never found him if we hadn't gone finding and let faith win out over fear. :)

"I'll prepare myself while I am young;

This is my sacred duty."

Another amazing miracle also happened on exchanges so I wasn't there. Robert, our potential that texted us a few weeks ago asking if God knew he existed, called the sisters out of the blue. He said that he wanted to meet with us and that he had been looking at other churches but they all seemed to have something missing. The sisters started teaching him the restoration over the phone since he doesn't live in our area yet. What is even better is that he asked about prayer. They taught him how to pray and he said his first prayer! :D He was crying by the end of the lesson.

"I love to see the temple.

I'll go inside someday.

I'll cov'nant with my Father;

I'll promise to obey."

To put the Icing on the cake we had some pretty amazing experiences with our recent convert Abbie and her family. :) She has been preparing to do baptisms at the temple and on Saturday we took her for her first time! :D She had such a light and excitement about her that she seemed to almost glow. She wasn't able to take her own family names to the temple because of her family. They have generally been pretty supportive, but her mother specifically doesn't understand why we do work for the dead. The Lord works in mysterious ways though, and the day before when I was on exchanges we had a dinner appointment with our bishop who took us out to eat at Hibachi grill and guess who ended up sitting next to us? That's right! Abbie's whole family! :D We had a good dinner with them and were able to explain to her mother about the temple and why we do work for our dead. We even got her interested in going to a temple open house! :D

"For the temple is a holy place

Where we are sealed together.

As a child of God, I've learned this truth:

A fam'ly is forever."

Well! As you can see, our week has been super duper full and exciting! I couldn't have asked for more miracles and blessings that this. :) Before I leave y'all I would like to share one scripture. It's in Malachi 3:6  

"And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse."

As has been revealed in modern day revelation, we know that this scripture refers to family history and the sealing ordinances in the temple. I have thought a lot about family history lately since we just took our recent convert to the temple. She was so excited to do the work for people she didn't even know! And yet she understood this scripture. This scripture is being fulfilled now! in the latter-days. Because of the temple we have the ability to be connected with our ancestors in an unbroken chain to Adam and Eve. We will be able to see our loved ones passed on again, and we can do their work so that they may receive the eternal blessings and joy found in the gospel. It is truly amazing what we can do in the temple. I testify that no matter your family state, whether you have lost a loved one or are a new convert, that because of the temple and restored priesthood we CAN live with our families again. In eternal joy and happiness. As we take those precious names to the temple we are not only helping them in receiving blessings but also binding them to our families. I am positive there are hosts of spirits shouting praises for all of us who have done their work. Who remember them, and who love them. :) I am grateful for temples. And I am grateful for the blessings that come when we do our family history work. It truly brings countless blessings.

Y'all's southern Bell,

Sister Welch