i love to see the {Indianapolis} temple

On Friday I had the wonderful opportunity to tour the Indianapolis Temple. It was gorgeous. It was stunning. It was breath taking. (Sorry in advance for the bazillions of pictures, it was just so beautiful!)

I'm so grateful for the profound influence these buildings have had on me. They are so gorgeous inside and out. It is truly the house of the Lord. There was such a special, special spirit as we toured the beautiful rooms filled with majestic crystal chandeliers and touching paintings of the Savior.

In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints we believe that families can be together forever if they are sealed in the temple. In a day where the meaning of family is being tossed, turned, mixed, and cut, it is such a humongous comfort to know that the Lord's standards of marriage and family will never change, the temple is such a wonderful reminder of this. As we walked through the brides room (where brides get ready) and then the sealing room I felt such an exciting, happy, special feeling. I want to do everything I can to get there someday. I want to make myself the kind of person that a righteous priesthood holder will want to love, protect, and spend his life with. It's kind of crazy to think that in 10 years I could be married. But it makes me so excited because I know that it's so important to our loving Heavenly Father's plan! It also made me love my current family so much more. Even though we don't always get along a perfect 100% of the time, I love them so so much and they help me become better each day. I'm so grateful I get to spend the rest of eternity with these awesome people!

One of the final stops on our tour was the celestial room. Mormons believe that the highest degree of glory is the celestial kingdom where we can live with God for all eternity. This room is dedicated to pondering and reflecting. It is pure white and such a peaceful place. Just standing in that room for a minute helped me realize that whatever sacrifices I must make and whatever I have to do is worth it to be able to be in the presence of my loving Heavenly Father again. He loves me and you and he wants us to join him once again someday. I know he will give us the strength to do so as we draw nearer unto him.

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.

If you are unsure about what temples are or what their purpose is you can learn more here and here.