All adventures are not created equally! We had a temple trip scheduled to visit the Brigham City Temple for Friday July 26, 2019. The Harley went into the shop two weeks ago for a new front tire and to balance the wheels. Instead, it needs both tires, seems we hit something on our trip to Canada and sliced the sidewall of our new rear tire! It also needs a new drive belt and drive pulleys. So, parts had to be ordered and it's still in the shop! Though I feel the frustration of another trip to the shop this year, I also see tender mercies involved. The belt didn't break during one of our trips necessitating a rescue. The sidewall is ruined but the tire didn't go flat resulting in an accident or a rescue. It could have been worse. The vibration that sent us to the shop in the first place could have been ignored and resulted in more problems down the road. So, there is a feeling of gratitude tempering the inconvenience of lost ride time.

We thought we'd go the Brigham City Temple even though we couldn't ride and left the house in our cage at 3:30. We planned to have time for a quick burger at Maddox's Drive Inn in Perry, Utah on the way there. Both the drive in and the restaurant serve a great meal! But Friday traffic messed with our plans! Maps redirected our route off I-15 near Lagoon onto Highway 89 routing us around an issue on I-15. But, everyone else had the same idea and I doubt it saved us any time! Instead, we got there just in time to do initiatories and attend the last endowment session of the day. We'll go back another time for baptisms and confirmations. We did get to see the font, it's gorgeous, perhaps my favorite to date!

Some friends from Logan who also ride in the Temple Riders Association had come down so we were able to have some friendly conversation after the session before heading home. We got there about 10:30 and fell into bed exhausted. But glad for the experience! So many speak of something coming up to change their plans when they are trying to visit the temple. We were able to overcome the efforts of the Adversary today and enjoy some time in serving our deceased ancestors and worshiping in the temple. Tonight the veil was very thin for me and I enjoyed an exceptional time there. So often our questions and challenges find solutions as we are there. Today was no exception!

The temple, as is always the case, is beautiful, inside and out. It sits right on the main north and south road through town with easy access.  Definitely a trip with the effort!

There's only so much words can describe. They sometimes carry feelings but perhaps not my feelings rather your interpretation of my words causes your feelings. I wish I knew how to overcome this limitation in explaining here our feelings as we visit temples. The way to overcome the limitation is for your to be able to visit the temple too. But, I'll do my best to share my feelings with you in a way that you can feel what I'm feeling.

We were off with a group of friends called the Temple Riders Association on June 28th for Idaho Falls, Idaho and planned to visit the temple there. Stef and I have already been through that one but are never opposed to going again. But, Stef and I had a delay. I thought the Harley needed an oil change so I took it in to a repair shop two weeks earlier. Had them change the oil and check the brakes. They also put a new rear tire on it. But they called me a week ago and said it had an exhaust leak and needed a new rear header. We couldn't locate the one it had so we replaced both headers with the Vance and Hines models. Then, they found out the day before we were set to leave that the original mufflers were not standard sized slip-ons so we had to get new mufflers too! Friday morning as they were installing them they learned the original mount for the front header had been modified so they had to run and pick up a new mount too! We didn't make the departure time and later met the group in Idaho Falls but we missed the temple visit today. Oh well, it's not the only temple scheduled for the trip. The new headers and mufflers sure sound good!

Saturday we rode to New Meadows, Idaho. We went the scenic route through Sun Valley and down, avoiding I-84 entirely. The views were amazing! The creative hand of Deity on full display! Mountains, wild flowers, trees, birds, and wildlife roaming free. Riding the Banks Lowman Road, two narrow lanes of black top through amazing country the bike got louder, and then louder. But with no shoulder we had nowhere to go but down the mountain. Pulling over at a gas station closed for the day we filled up and noticed the slip-on muffler on the right side had slipped on off! Fortunately, the muffler clamp was still there so we reattached it. Then, finding the other muffler less than tight we snuged it up too and were off again for lodging in New Meadows. Nice clean basic room in a fun little town. Dinner was at the Intersection Bar and Grille. Boy can they do great things to meat! Loved it! Enjoy it too if you get a chance!

Off to church Sunday morning in Riggins. Great little branch there stuffed to gills with visitors today. Their small chapel opens side rooms on both sides to accommodate overflow. Filled to capacity!  Wonderful meeting!

Then off to Missoula, Montana. Beautiful ride, again today. Those Big Sky views can be amazing and they certainly were today. As we remember that today is the Sabbath and we worship in song, word, and prayer He who's scenery this is our hearts are touched. Tonight as we pulled into the hotel Stef mentioned we had picked up a rattle on the road today. I tightened the heat shields on the new exhaust system and found the air cleaner was quite loose too. I also found a cracked breather hose on the air cleaner. And the air cleaner was very dirty to boot.

Monday we stopped at the Harley dealer in Missoula. They didn't have the high flow air cleaner I wanted but I picked up the breather hose to install later. Kalispell, Montana has the air cleaner I want and we'll be there in a few days so I"ll wait.

Off to Coeur D'alene, Idaho. Nice ride, shorter than the last couple but we'll make up for that tomorrow! No less scenic but more freeway. That's just not as fun as twisting, winding canyon roads!

Left Coeur D'alene, Idaho the next morning for a visit to the Spokane, Washington Temple. It's only about a half hour ride and hardly adds any time other than that to the ride to our hotel tonight. Loved visiting that temple as we do all of them. The baptismal area was stuffed to capacity even though it had only been open for a few minutes this morning when we arrived, as the only TRA members to visit the font that day. It took us nearly two hours just there! Loved the initatories and endowment sessions too.

The temple is found in a beautiful setting among tall trees just south of town. Adjacent to the temple is a chapel. After our temple worship we came out to a young family from Texas throwing a frisbee in the parking lot. They explained that the dad, maybe 30 years old or so, grew up near there before moving to Texas. His dad used to ride a motorcycle all the time, even to church and was the bishop of the ward meeting in the chapel next door! Small world with so much in common!

Then off to Canada! Google got us lost on the way and we did a couple of miles on dirt roads before turning around to get re-routed! We rolled into our hotel after 10 pm and the office was closed. But they left a lock box on our door with the key in it. So we paid in the morning after spending the night! We woke to discover the amazing views at the Radium Chalet in Radium Hot Springs. Our favorite hotel of the trip!

Wednesday we set out for Calgary. First we planned to visit Lake Louise but the crowds had the road so plugged up Stef and I turned around. We thought we'd have lunch in Banff but the crowds had all the parking so tied up we ate at a gas station on the way to Calgary. Then off to the temple. We got there just before it opened for the afternoon. While we were putting on a skirt over Stef's jeans, and white shirt and tie over my long sleeved white tee shirt we had a couple of people come up and engage us in conversation. One had suffered a stroke and walked and spoke with some difficulty. He had also recently lost his wife. His Harley was still parked in his garage and I don't think he can ride it, at least not yet. But he loves it! The other was a maintenance worker at the temple admiring the bike. Dressed and ready we went in. They were just opening and we were the first into the baptismal font area. Another family quickly joined us and baptisms and confirmations were performed. We then participated in inatatories and an endowment session as is our habit.

Thursday we're off to the Cardston Temple. From the outside it looks a bit like the Kennewick Temple at least enough to remind us of our previous visit there. Inside it is amazing! The detail and craftsmanship are off the charts! The one unusual thing is that to get to the font from the main entrance we went through the locker rooms and then met in the font area to access the font locker rooms. But every room was more beautiful than the last until we reached the Celestial Room and it's amazing beauty!

Back home in the good ole USA! What a scenic ride this is every day and today was no exception. From the rolling farmland around Cardston to the mountains of Montana, everywhere we look we see the Artist's Hand.

We routed around the Going-to-the-Sun Road because of the low clouds and probable foul weather up on top. Coming through the gorgeous canyon on the south side of Glacier National Park into Kalispell the Harley was getting louder, again. But with no where to pull over we pressed on to the hotel. We found the header pipe disconnected from the head and missing the nuts to reattach it. But, we planned to visit the Harley dealer in the morning for a new air cleaner anyway so just one more detail.

At the Harley dealer we got the new air cleaner installed and the header reattached. Then the mechanic came out holding the oil filter in his hand. Turns out our oil filter was falling off loose! New one of those installed due to damage to the O-ring and off we went.

Headed for the final stop of our adventure in Dillon. As we approached a small rise in the road there was a police officer parked with his over-head lights flashing. We slowed thinking there might be an accident over the hill. The road as we approached was perfectly dry. Over the hill was 5 inches of accumulated hailstones on the roadway! Had we not slowed disaster would have stuck. Thanks for being there for us officer! We rode for a mile or two in hail and hailstones thick on the roadway and slick but we road safely only hollering "ouch" a few times as they hit my arms and bare fingers!

A few miles down the road we ran out of gas in the middle of nowhere and were rescued by a stranger and his daughters! Thanks brother!

Safely into Dillon we learned that the group who left ahead of us and took another route avoided the hail but had a crash. One member was taken via life flight to the hospital where he would be diagnosed with broken ribs, a bruised lung, several bruises and road rash, and a concussion. But on that same corner there have apparently been multiple accidents and fatalities. Grateful for Terry's ongoing recovery and that it was no worse than it was.

The last day of our trip we stopped in Rexburg for a great lunch with my friend Aaron and his father-in-law. Great way to end a wonderful ride with dear friends.

Home exhausted and glad to be home again. But love the memory of this great ride with the TRA! We saw, again, repeatedly, the hand of God in our lives and are so grateful for it!

This trip started after church a couple of Sundays ago. We left home and drove to our dear cousins' home near Boise, Idaho. After spending the night with them, they got up to work, poor folks! We got on the Harley and rode to The Dalles, Oregon. What a beautiful ride. Oregon was greener than usual because of the wet winter we just experienced. After a night at The Dalles, we rode on in to visit the Portland Temple. It's a beauty to be sure! But even more beautiful than the outside is the woodwork in the ordinance room which about took my breath away! To be certain, the craftsmanship in every temple is unexcelled. But the woodwork and detail of the Portland Temple Ordinance Room about floored me! Loved it beyond words!

We spent the night in Portland and then rode to Kennewick, Washington. The Columbia River Gorge is always beautiful but this spring it is spectacular.  Loved it both directions! Wish we would have had some time to wet a fishing line or two!  We attended the Columbia River Temple in Kennewick. It's one of the "smaller" temples but it sure is a beauty!

But we weren't quite done yet! Off to Seattle to spend a night or two. Crossing the mountains was a bit chilly and the wind was blowing to beat the band before we got to the mountains but safely over the top we went and down the other side. What a beautiful ride this was too. After the first night we rode up to Vancouver, Canada to visit the temple there. Another of the "small" temples with big beauty!

But, even that much was just not enough so we rode back to Seattle. The next morning we attended the Seattle temple. What a setting in all those trees, up on that hill! No words!

After our time in the temple we were back on the Harley to Kennewick. Then on Sunday to my cousins' house near Boise, again. A little golf on Monday and headed home Tuesday in time for a granddaughter's dance concert Tuesday night. What a beautiful time we had on this trip. Something like 1625 miles on the Harley.

The Harley has been parked and the snow has been flying this winter, and continued to fly at home this past week. We had trailered to St George and then rode to Boulder City, Nevada (in a pretty good rain storm). Some of our friends rode all the way from northern Utah to St George and it was snowing when we passed over Beaver pass! Hardy souls to be sure! Last Friday we rode from Boulder City to Tucson, Arizona. Then Saturday Grandma M and I rode back to Phoenix to visit the temple. Traffic was a disaster so we barely made the 2:00 endowment session. Loved being in the house of the Lord, again. And enjoyed getting there on the Harley! Being there with my wife reminds me of the eternal nature of the family and the feelings of the temple help to soften my heart and bring me closer to my family.

Leaving the temple we rode for about a hour to meet some friends for dinner, still in greater Phoenix.

Then back to Tucson for the night!

Sunday after church we rode over to sit in parking lot and watch the Thunderbirds perform at the local airbase. Love watching their amazing precision flying!

Tuesday we visited the Tucson Temple. Wonderful building in a beautiful setting. Temple keys are the same in all the temples. The ordinances and covenants made are all the same. But, each building is unique. Tucson is more unique appearing than most.

We left there and visited the Gilbert Temple too. What a beauty sitting in the middle of a crazy busy city!

"We love thy house of God"!

https://youtu.be/c-9IKOgc_uA

I found this article in the March 2018 Ensign. I hope it helps you understand better the whys of the temples.

The Blessings of Temples in My Life
By Elder Helmut D. Wondra
Area Seventy

My love for the temple goes back to my childhood when I knew it only from pictures and stories. Every time my parents came back from a visit to the Bern Temple in Switzerland, they always seemed happier and brighter than before--and they always brought back delicious Swiss chocolate. This way I gained a very positive connection to the house of the Lord at a very young age.
At the age of 13, I had the opportunity to see and enter a temple for the first time. Even just by looking at the exterior I was moved by the sanctity and purity of the temple. In the temple itself, I felt close to heaven. These feelings have only become deeper and clearer over the years.
Above the doors of the temple is written: “Holiness to the Lord, the House of the Lord.”
The Lord Jesus Christ is indeed the Lord of the temple. These holy houses are consecrated to Him and our Heavenly Father. Temples are sanctified by the presence of the Holy Ghost. Christ is the source of the power and the light emanating from the temple. All symbols and covenants, all ordinances of the temple, point to Him and His great Atonement and help us to become more like Him.

Our everyday life is often characterized by noise and turmoil. To leave it behind from time to time, to come to the house of the Lord and to open ourselves to an environment of peace and holiness brings peace to our soul.

In this pure environment it is easier for us to find answers to our deepest questions and concerns. In his first message as President of the Church, Russell M. Nelson promised the following:
“The ordinances of the temple and the covenants you make there are key to strengthening your life, your marriage and family, and your ability to resist the attacks of the adversary. Your worship in the temple and your service there for your ancestors will bless you with increased personal revelation and peace and will fortify your commitment to stay on the covenant path.”
The fulfillment of the great promises of the temple depends on how faithfully we keep the covenants of the temple and how much we actually consecrate ourselves to the Lord and His work.
We do not have to be perfect to go to the temple and to receive the wonderful blessings that await us there. But we should strive for the necessary worthiness and bring the sacrifice of a broken heart and a contrite spirit. For me, this means that I have to develop a malleable, soft heart--a heart that aligns with my Father in Heaven. A contrite spirit means to me that I adopt an honest attitude, that I am aware of my imperfections, and that I need the help of the Lord to return to my Father in Heaven.
The Lord has promised:

“Blessed are all they who do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled with the Holy Ghost.”

The greatest blessing I experienced in the house of the Lord was that I was able to lay the foundation of an eternal family together with my beloved wife. Because of the covenants of the temple and the sealing authority that is exercised there, we have the promise that our marriage will last for time and for all eternity, if we remain faithful to the covenants. We have the promise that, together with our loved ones, we may live forever in the presence of Jesus Christ and our Heavenly Father.
The fulfillment of this promise is worth every sacrifice.
Let us be a people that comes to the temple as often as possible to be sanctified and cleansed, to receive revelation and power from on high, to serve our ancestors and, through the covenants of the gospel and the grace of Christ, to receive all the blessings our Heavenly Father has in store for us.

Listen carefully as this educated woman (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wendy_Watson_Nelson) testifies of her husband's calling as a prophet, seer, and revelator, Christ's chosen at this time to lead us:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTlS3BitHgo#action=share

This month we celebrate and rejoice in the newly dedicated Rome Temple. I think you'll enjoy this brief video introducing this marvelous facility:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhWgPwEQQ98#action=share

Can we fully understand temples without understanding He whom we go there to serve and to worship? To that end, here is a link to the testimonies of His modern apostles:

https://youtu.be/j6G1CtoJqQU

We got a bonus temple trip this year! The weather wasn’t good enough for us to be comfortable making the trip all the way on the Harley. So, we trailered it to Boise on November 2, 2018. By the time I got out of a doctor’s visit, and drove to Boise, unloaded, and rode to Meridian it was close to 6:00 p.m. The temple was slammed busy and we made the 8:15 (last) endowment session of the day. We had to catch the Meridian temple that weekend because they would be closed the following two weeks for their annual deep cleaning.

The baptismal font is nice and large and sure is beautiful! The Spirit was so strong tonight in font that I was emotional as I tried to recite the baptismal prayer. One of the temple workers commented on feeling the deep feelings as well. So did GrandmaM.

Saturday morning we visited the Boise Temple and had a great experience there. The baptismal locker room is a bit small. The lockers are built into the walls rather than being free standing. They could use more changing booths and showers too. But it sure is beautiful! Enjoyed very much our time there and it wasn't busy like Meridian which was nice.

Tuesday we were at the Twin Falls Temple. This visit completes our visits to the Idaho temples, until the announced temple in Pocatello is built and dedicated! The mural in the first ordnance room is reminiscent of the the Snake River Gorge and since the temple is pretty close to the gorge that was a nice touch. The mural includes birds, brush, deer, and antelope. Loved it! Perfect for the setting.

You meet the nicest people in the temples too. We met a couple serving in the temple having recently returned from a mission. Prior to going on the mission they were members of the Temple Riders Association too! Sure enjoyed chatting with them!

The Spirit is so poignant even palpable in the temple! Especially, again, today in the baptismal font!

The temple Matron came in for a devotional for the two of us and shared D&C 109:22 with us:

And we ask thee, Holy Father, that thy servants may go forth from this house armed with thy power, and that thy name may be upon them, and thy glory be round about them, and thine angels have charge over them;

We hope and pray to realize these blessings.

Some of you know we planned a Harley ride from Page, Arizona to Cedar City, Utah for October 11, 2018. It didn’t work out quite as planned! We had brought the Harley to Page in our enclosed motorcycle trailer for the first leg of our trip. It rained all night the night before our planned ride in spite of the weather forcast saying it would be improving with only some lingering showers on the 11th. They LIED! It was pretty chilly that morning as our ride time approached so I agreed with my wife to trailer the Harley over Highway 14 from Highway 89 to Cedar. Only occasionally do I see so immediately why I should listen to my wife’s counsel! It was snowing on top near Duck Creek as we crested the summit. There was snow on both sides of the road and it rained significantly where it wasn’t snowing! We would have frozen and been miserable! We enjoyed the colors of fall which were a blaze where nature hadn’t striped the Quakies bare and it was a beautiful drive in our cage, except when the clouds were down nearly on top of us! Though that too can be a beautiful display of nature it can really restrict visibility as well. Since we had ridden the Harley from Bryce Canyon to the Cedar City Temple earlier this summer we weren’t too disappointed to have to travel via cage this time.

The Cedar City Temple is beautiful inside and out and was quite busy that evening. It was a joy to serve in the House of the Lord with so many others! Any unanticipated waiting time in the temple is an opportunity to ponder, think, read scriptures, and pray not an inconvenience!

The 12th was pretty chilly as well for our wake up call. Given the ride time to and from Vegas we needed to get an early start! So, we trailered to Mesquite, Nevada and then rode the Harley to the Las Vegas Temple. What a contrast between “Sin City” and the holy house of God. What a distinct difference between the values displayed on “the strip” and of those convenenting virtuous lives to the Lord in His house! What a contrast between the hustle and bustle of the casinos and the peace and calm that prevails in the House of the Lord! Knowing this from previous experiences we completely avoided downtown Vegas. The temple is north and east of the city on the hillside overlooking the valley.

We met a couple of missionaries there with some recent converts. One of the missionaries is from Florida and the other from Meridian, Idaho - we plan to visit that new temple early next month!

On the 13th we trailered to the Hurricane exit off I-15 so that when we started our trip back to Page on Highway 9 it wouldn’t be necessary to first double back to Cedar City. From the exit we rode the Harley to visit the St George Temple. This pioneer day era temple is pristine and beautiful inside and out. As often is the case, there were more women than men in our endowment session. In 1979, President Spencer W. Kimball (1895–1985) prophesied:

“Much of the major growth that is coming to the Church in the last days will come because many of the good women of the world … will be drawn to the Church in large numbers. This will happen to the degree that the women of the Church reflect righteousness … in their lives and to the degree that the women of the Church are seen as distinct and different--in happy ways--from the women of the world.”

Our select little group that day needed and got without any extra prompting all of the men to participate in the prayer circle so that the altar could be comfortably surrounded.

On this trip we met a sister during a sealing session. She explained she is the only member in her family and is trying to get the needed work done for her family. She’s busy doing lots of  temple ordinances. Thanks for your example of devotion dear sister! You, like so many others, touch us with your pioneer spirit and temple and family history dedication!

Great to be in the temple, again - as it always is! I noticed the peacefulness in me has increased as we’ve been in three temples in three days!

What a day Tuesday was! We had about a 360 mile motorcycle ride. The bike is great but that’s a long time to ride it for a couple of retired folks! Wasn’t sure we had it in us but off we went anyway! What a great way to remember 9-11 riding a patriotic themed motorcycle Tuesday to the temple! My family tree has several people who have given their all in defense of liberty over the years.

The Harley is a Screaming Eagle Ultra Classic. If you don’t know, Harley gives each model a name. With a name like that it seemed to demand a patriotic paint theme! Depicted on each side of the gas tank are eagle heads. The saddle bags show scenes of F-15 Strike Eagles flying around the clouds, and circling the tail lights. During the design phase we wondered what do on the front fairing to be consistent with the theme of American Freedom? A tribute to Friberg’s famous portrait of Captain Moroni was selected. You may know that “the Captain” lived centuries before Columbus “discovered” America. Captain Moroni was an early defender of freedom on this continent: Moroni, chief commander of the Nephite armies in the Book of Mormon made the banner (known as the Title of Liberty)  to inspire the Nephite people to defend their religion, freedom, peace, and families.

    Moroni made the title of liberty out of his torn coat, Alma 46:12–13.

    Those who would maintain the title entered into a covenant, Alma 46:20–22.

    Moroni caused the title to be hoisted upon every tower, Alma 46:36 (Alma 51:20).

Painted on our motorcycle trailer, which we can pull behind the Harley, is a tribute depicting the raising of the American Flag on Iwo Jima.

Today, we road through the beauty of God's creations and visited the Vernal Temple. On a spire of the temple stands a statute of the Angel Moroni. The angel and the captain are two different people from The Book of Mormon Another Testament of Christ. When we ride the Harley to the temple we like to tease that we are taking the Captain to visit the Angel!

Tuesday’s route took us up the canyon east of Heber City, Utah. It’s a beautiful winding canyon as we climb from a mountain valley yet higher, passing through the Strawberry Valley, and yet onward. Across the high mountain plateaus we encountered some cross winds but pressed on. This route is filled with mountainous vegetation, cattle on their summer ranges, wild life (but thankfully they all stayed out of harm’s way!), and the smells and sounds of fall. The leaves are just beginning to change now as nature reflects the beauty of her Creator’s artistic hand.

Arriving at the temple at about 10:00 a.m. We each had a family name to perform baptisms, confirmations, then added some additional names for initiatories, two family endowments, and then 10 sealings. A very productive day. The Spirit of the Lord was so sweat and so strong in the temple. It was deeply touching to hear again the words of the sealing of a couple to each other. You may know that Stef and I were sealed to each other less than a month ago. It was the first time she has heard those words since. She was moved to tears as was I. After an embrace and a kiss we left the sealing room, changed, and were back on the Harley to head for home. We stopped at McDonald’s for a quick burger and made it home before dark! Great day! So blessed to be able to participate in the saving ordinances for our family!

I’m not sure I have the skills to communicate the feelings of the temple. I don’t think I do. But, if you are in tune with the Spirit He has those skills. I hope in my weak words you’ll find His mighty strength. The strength of God to carry things to one’s heart in a way no other can.

Stef and I visited the Provo City Center Temple on Tuesday. What a beautiful building. As you may know, it was an assembly hall until it burned down a few years ago. I was in it during my BYU days. In fact, I was sleeping through church in it one day with my elbows on my knees and my head in my hands. I was out! When I was awakened by tugging on my pant legs. As I opened my eyes a toddler was climbing up between my feet. She was lost! I didn’t recognize her! I looked to my right and left and no one had that “would you pass my kid this way” look on their face. No one in front of me was looking back. So, in desperation, I looked behind me for the parents who had lost their child! A few rows back Danny Ainge and his wife waived to pass Michelle back, which I gladly did!

Today, we rode the Harley to that former assembly hall now temple. There were no wandering toddlers inside. What a wonderful spirit fills that place. We loved being there! Stef did ten initiatories and I did seven. Then we each participated in an endowment session. On an earlier visit we had done baptisms and confirmations. Our first temple checked off the list of those we thoroughly visit!

Great day capped off by a short Harley ride home!

Some of you my dearest friends are not as famiiliar With the temple as others of my dearest friends are. Thought I’d share a little historical perspecivte with all of you from the Bible Dictionaary:

Temple

A temple is literally a house of the Lord, a holy sanctuary in which sacred ceremonies and ordinances of the gospel are performed by and for the living and also in behalf of the dead. A place where the Lord may come, it is the most holy of any place of worship on the earth. Only the home can compare with the temple in sacredness.

Whenever the Lord has had a people on the earth who will obey His word, they have been commanded to build temples in which the ordinances of the gospel and other spiritual manifestations that pertain to exaltation and eternal life may be administered. In cases of extreme poverty or emergency, these ordinances may sometimes be done on a mountaintop (see D&C 124:37–55). This may be the case with Mount Sinai and the Mount of Transfiguration. The tabernacle erected by Moses was a type of portable temple, since the Israelites were traveling in the wilderness.
From Adam to the time of Jesus, ordinances were performed in temples for the living only. After Jesus opened the way for the gospel to be preached in the world of spirits, ceremonial work for the dead, as well as for the living, has been done in temples on the earth by faithful members of the Church. Building and properly using a temple is one of the marks of the true Church in any dispensation, and is especially so in the present day.

The best known temple mentioned in the Bible is that which was built in Jerusalem in the days of Solomon. This was destroyed in 587 B.C. and rebuilt by Zerubbabel about 70 years later. The restored structure was partially burned in 37 B.C. and was partially rebuilt by Herod the Great, although the rebuilding continued until A.D. 64. It was destroyed by the Romans in A.D. 70.

We’ve ventured to Lake Powell! Driving down Friday the colors of fall were on full display going over Highway 20 between I-15 and Highway 89. And Long Valley was brilliant too. All evidence of the Creator’s majestic art work giving variety and beauty to the earth.

Hoping for a temple run on the Harley October 11-13 “stand by for news” as world famous Paul Harvey used to say!

We're home again but what a trip we just had!

We left last Thursday on the Harley to visit family in Blackfoot and Pocatello, Idaho. A fun and uneventful ride. Everyone was well. My sister works for Marriott so they give us a wonderful deal on rooms! And, they are always beautiful facilities, well maintained, clean, and comfortable! Thanks to them!!!

Friday we rode to Idaho Falls to visit that beautiful temple passing farm fields and rolling hills. Hopefully the harvests have been plentiful! The temple has just opened again after being closed for remodeling. Beautiful enormous murals fill the temple from the baptismal font through to the Celestial Room. We felt so at home visiting that House of the Lord. I hadn't been there since I was a teenager going to the temple for baptisms from my hometown. It was a long, tiring bus ride to get there then. Now, it's a wonderful ride to be there again.

A quick bite of lunch and off again. More rolling hills with grand mountains in the background. Farm land is so beautiful but it's a hard way to make a living. The hazards are many and the payoff can be non-existent! We pray for the farmers and ranchers who indirectly feed us all!

After a short ride to Rexburg we spotted the temple sitting high on a bluff overlooking the valley. Next time you eat a delicious potato you can wonder if it grew in the ground around here, the land of "Famous Potatoes". Another beauty filled temple. After baptisms, confirmations, initiatories, and endowments we were relaxing and basking in the quiet peace of the Celestial Room.  One of the sealers walked directly up to us and asked us if we'd like to participate in sealings an offer too good to decline! He recruited some others and off we all went. During the sealing session we all learned that he is the father of a member of our bishopric back home! Fun!!!

A nice dinner at Fresco Kitchen & Grill recommended by the staff at the SpringHill Suites by Marriott in Rexburg. wonderful meal! The Salmon was delicious and plentiful too!

After spending a quiet and well rested night at the SpringHill Suites by Marriott we were off again.  This time southeast into the grand mountains seen from a distance yesterday, and around Palisades Reservoir. Stef noticed planes landing on the water. We wondered if they were bringing in fishermen but just then they lifted off without stopping. Maybe they were seaplane pilots getting their water landing endorsement. Nope, just then we could see the planes more clearly, they were firefighter pilots getting a fresh load of water to help extinguish a nearby fire. The mountain that we could see was on fire with the green, gold and orange colors of fall. But over the ridge and out of view the dry tinder was on another kind of fire. Hope they can extinguish it without the loss of too much life and property!

Just as we arrived at the Star Valley temple a firefighting helicopter was lifting off across the street to head out to another fire! The west is very dry this year and the least little provocation results in another fire.

Inside the temple was peaceful and calm. We enjoyed the ordinances of the temple and our time there serving our family and a few others as requested.

Our route home took us out of Wyoming to Monticello and then to Preston and Franklin before leaving Idaho to head back into Utah. Another gorgeous ride through rolling hills and into beautiful canyon country, alive with the dying colors of fall. It was about 9:00 p.m. by the time two exhausted temple travelers arrived home and pretty much headed straight to bed! With plans of our next adventure fomenting in our minds!

My wife is pretty. No one would argue otherwise, at least not to our faces! She works hard to maintain her teenage figure and uses all kinds of great products to keep her skin youthful. Her family DNA helps her remain pretty as she ages, and that's the best any of us can hope for: death being the alternative to aging!

But as pretty as she is, and she is very pretty, her beauty is not on the outside! You won't see it with your eyes. Her beauty springs outward from deep in her soul and is illuminating to the Celestial senses. Never is she more beautiful than she is when she's in the House of the Lord dressed in the robes of the Holy Priesthood, worn only there during mortality. That beauty transcends her physical appearance and soares above anything to be understood with the 5 mortal senses! She is a beautiful soul!

Today we'll hit the freeway traveling to Pocatello and Blackfoot, Idaho to visit some family. Then Friday we'll be off to Idaho Falls and Rexburg to visit the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints temples there. Saturday we'll visit the Star Valley Wyoming temple and then be homeward bound. Excited for the trip on our Harley.

Proverbs 31:

10 Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.

11 The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil.

12 She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.

13 She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands.

14 She is like the merchants’ ships; she bringeth her food from afar.

15 She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens.

16 She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard.

17 She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms.

18 She perceiveth that her merchandise is good: her candle goeth not out by night.

19 She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff.

20 She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.

21 She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet.

22 She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple.

23 Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land.

24 She maketh fine linen, and selleth it; and delivereth girdles unto the merchant.

25 Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come.

26 She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness.

27 She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.

28 Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.

29 Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all.

30 Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised.

31 Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.

There is nothing more beautify than a daughter of God worthily clothed in the attire of the priesthood!

The Temple Garment:
By Elder Carlos E. Asay
Emeritus Member of the First Quorum of the Seventy

Armor of God

We are at war! Our enemy is not an invading army from a bordering nation or a navy of some overseas power. Bullets are not whizzing above our heads, nor are bombs exploding in and around our homes. Nevertheless, we are engaged in a life-and-death struggle with forces capable of thrashing us inside out and sending us down into the depths of spiritual defeat if we are not vigilant.

I refer, of course, to the “wrestle” against principalities, powers, rulers of darkness, and spiritual wickedness in high places spoken of by the Apostle Paul (see Eph. 6:12). I refer to the onslaught of immorality, crime, substance abuse, and other insidious influences threatening our society. Such threatening influences, along with other imminent dangers, constitute “the wiles of the devil” (Eph. 6:11) against which we must stand in these “perilous times” (2 Tim. 3:1).

Paul counseled: “Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand” (Eph. 6:13). With his prophetic powers, Paul could foresee the wicked conditions that would exist on the earth in our modern day. Therefore, he urged all Saints to have their “loins girt about with truth” (Eph. 6:14), to put on “the breastplate of righteousness” (Eph. 6:14), to have their feet shod “with the preparation of the gospel of peace” (Eph. 6:15), to grasp “the shield of faith” (Eph. 6:16), to place on their heads “the helmet of salvation” (Eph. 6:17), to take “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Eph. 6:17), and to pray always (see Eph. 6:18) so that they might be preserved. He knew that armor made of truth, righteousness, faith, spirit, and prayer would protect people from the “fiery darts” (Eph. 6:16) crafted and thrown by Satan and his henchmen.

There is, however, another piece of armor worthy of our consideration. It is the special underclothing known as the temple garment, or garment of the holy priesthood, worn by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who have received their temple endowment. This garment, worn day and night, serves three important purposes: it is a reminder of the sacred covenants made with the Lord in His holy house, a protective covering for the body, and a symbol of the modesty of dress and living that should characterize the lives of all the humble followers of Christ.

It is written that “the white garment symbolizes purity and helps assure modesty, respect for the attributes of God, and, to the degree it is honored, a token of what Paul regarded as taking upon one the whole armor of God (Eph. 6:13; cf. D&C 27:15). … Garments bear several simple marks of orientation toward the gospel principles of obedience, truth, life, and discipleship in Christ.”2

Much, much more could be said about the war for the souls of men and the whole armor of God. The war on the earth began in the days of Adam, continued down through the years with Moses and the children of Israel, and still rages in a dispensation known as the fulness of times—a dispensation ushered in by the revelations received through the Prophet Joseph Smith. Hence, the issue of protective coverings enabling us to withstand the fiery darts of Satan will continue to be of great significance.

We must put on the armor of God spoken of by the Apostle Paul and reiterated in a modern revelation (see D&C 27:15–18). We must also “put on the armor of righteousness” (2 Ne. 1:23) symbolized by the temple garment. Otherwise, we may lose the war and perish.

The heavy armor worn by soldiers of a former day, including helmets, shields, and breastplates, determined the outcome of some battles. However, the real battles of life in our modern day will be won by those who are clad in a spiritual armor—an armor consisting of faith in God, faith in self, faith in one’s cause, and faith in one’s leaders. The piece of armor called the temple garment not only provides the comfort and warmth of a cloth covering, it also strengthens the wearer to resist temptation, fend off evil influences, and stand firmly for the right.

Many of you know that Grandma M and I have been married for 36 years now and have great kids and grandkids! After 20 years investigating the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Grandma M was baptized on August 26, 2017 and confirmed a member of the church and given the Gift of the Holy Ghost on the following day.

After the one year preparation period we attended the temple together yesterday so she could receive her endowments and we could be sealed for time and all eternity as a couple and have our youngest son sealed to us as well.

We now plan to visit many temples, on our Harley,  will post some pictures and thoughts here. Some of you are members of our church and some are not. I’ll try and share some background along with those thoughts, hopefully for your enjoyment and enlightenment.

Well, after nearly 30 years, it’s almost official! I’m retiring the end of the month! Yeah!!! New chapters are opening in this journey of life. Soon, we’ll be able to come and go as we please. I hope to spend more time at Lake Powell, attend the temple more often, golf more, ride the Harley more, fish more, and love not being tied to a work routine!

We’ve joined the Temple Riders Association. A group of motorcycle riders who also go to, want to or plan to or go to the temple. That said, anyone can ride with us who enjoyes a group of riders who choose to live a Christian set of values; we don’t use alcohol or coffee, we don’t use tobacco products, we don’t break the law, and we usually don’t swear (slip ups happen!). One of the nicest groups of motorcycle riders you’ll ever meet.  On a recent ride we took a few days of vacation and went to Bryce Canyon with the Temple Riders Association (TRA). Had a blast! Rode to the north rim of the Grand Canyon, visited the Cedar City Temple, rode highway 12 a scenic byway and highway 14 which is even prettier than highway 12, visited Escalante and some friends rode the Hogsback with drop offs on both sides of a narrow winding road (http://boulderutah.com/highway-12-boulder-utah/the-hogsback-boulder-utah-highway-12/), and still managed to come home! Great extended weekend! Thanks to everyone who made it possible! 125 people attended this event so “everyone who made it possible” was a good sized group who put in a lot of work!

Did I mention that the girls were coming over tonight?

Oh, sorry my bad! Here they are!

I don't care too much for having so many neighbors in such a tight place. But Salt Lake has a beauty about it that's hard to fully appreciate! Here's a runoff shot taken just 5 miles from town but free and clear of the hustle and bustle.