Wearing White Slippers in My Heavenly Father’s House

Earlier this week, I watched the “Don’t Miss This” podcast, which goes along with “Come Follow Me.” In this podcast, one of the hosts, Grace Freeman, talked about sitting on the front porch of Heavenly Father’s house. That image has stuck with me. Yesterday, I went to the temple as a patron. As I looked…… Continue reading Wearing White Slippers in My Heavenly Father’s House

Don’t Let Them See My Fake Tattoos at the Temple

A few days ago, I got a bunch of dinosaur and dragon fake tattoos. They were, of course, for my niece and nephew who are 2 and 5. It wasn’t like I got them for myself at all. Yet, I had to try them out to make sure that they were high-quality fake tattoos. They…… Continue reading Don’t Let Them See My Fake Tattoos at the Temple

13 Ways to Prepare for and Enjoy Your Temple Visit

I’ve been an ordinance worker at the Idaho Falls Temple since June 2018. During that time, both as a worker and as a patron, I’ve noticed several things that allow the experience to be more spiritual for everyone involved. Make a Temple Appointment While some temples have always required or strongly recommended that you get…… Continue reading 13 Ways to Prepare for and Enjoy Your Temple Visit

One Disaster After Another at the Temple

A little over a year ago, I felt like my shift at the temple was one disaster after another. I began to question why I’d even bothered to come that day. Everything seemed to be going wrong. Disaster on My Dress One of the first things on my schedule that day was my lunch break.…… Continue reading One Disaster After Another at the Temple

Better to Prepare for the Storm That Never Comes

This morning, school was canceled in our area because of a projected blizzard. The storm never came, and some people mocked the situation a bit. Yet, these same people would have been mad if the storm had happened and school hadn’t been canceled. It hit me that it’s better to prepare for the storm that…… Continue reading Better to Prepare for the Storm That Never Comes

Any Church Calling: We Are Called for a Reason

Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about church callings. Maybe, part of that is that for the first time in quite a while, I find myself long-term without a ward calling. Yes, I’m a temple worker, but I don’t have an official ward calling. I think we’ve all had times when someone was given a…… Continue reading Any Church Calling: We Are Called for a Reason

The Nauvoo Temple: What Happened To Me There?

In 2011, I was going to grad school at Central Michigan University. Two friends and I decided to take a bit of a road trip during Spring Break that year. This was the last week of March, so it was still very cold. We planned to go to the Chicago Temple, the Nauvoo Temple, other…… Continue reading The Nauvoo Temple: What Happened To Me There?

Temples as Beacons of Hope

Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about temples, particularly temples in areas where the temple is a beacon of hope. This includes areas where the gospel isn’t preached freely or areas where war is taking place. I’m sure there are other great temple examples, but these are the three that came to mind for me.…… Continue reading Temples as Beacons of Hope

Hitting 40: How Life Didn’t Turn Out as Planned

This week was a monumental sort of birthday for me. While the day itself wasn’t especially memorable, the significance of the number hit me a little hard. Let’s just say that I was halfway between 20 and 60 earlier this week, but every second that goes by, I get a little closer to 60 and…… Continue reading Hitting 40: How Life Didn’t Turn Out as Planned