The temple, to me, is the pinnacle of our experience in the gospel and in this life. We talk about the Atonement. Serving in the temple is the Atonement in action. I once heard someone explain this point: Every time we attend the temple, we need to forgive someone of something. Even if it is forgiving ourselves, we need to partake of the Atonement in this way.

When I think about that, I usually equate the Atonement with repentance and being saved from our sinful, mortal lives. What better way to show our gratitude than by serving in the temple and doing for others what the Saviour has done for us. We are providing ordinances of salvation to those who have gone on before us and doing for them what they cannot do for themselves.

We talk of service. We know from the scriptures that if we don’t have charity, we have nothing. I believe one of the greatest forms of service we can render is to serve in the temple.

We talk of finding peace and being in the world but not of the world. When we enter the temple, we leave the world behind us. We enter the REAL world. If we could draw back the veil, we would see that we are not alone in the temples. Not only do I believe those people for whom we are acting as proxy in receiving the ordinances are there, but I believe there are countless people and prophets from ages past also very aware of what we are doing.

The temple is like an open conduit to heaven. In temples, we can receive revelation and inspiration we are searching for.

I know and have experienced the sweet peace the temple brings. I know that as we serve in the temple on a regular basis, every facet of our lives can be better, and we can find more time in our day to do those things that will make the biggest difference in our eternal salvation. I have seen this blessings of temple service in action too many times to doubt. I believe there is nothing in life that cannot be made better by attending the temple on a regular basis.

I know people who went through the temple once [receiving the ordinances for themselves] and then never came back. It saddens me to know they have missed that the temple is about service — service to the Lord, to others and to ourselves. It is about the Atonement. It is becoming something greater than ourselves and the only way that can happen is if we unselfishly lift others with us.

I am grateful for the conviction and testimony I have of the temple. I am grateful for the peace, serenity, and comfort being within its walls offers in such an unsettling world. I am grateful for the opportunity to serve the Lord and others, showing my love and gratitude for the many blessings given to me. I am grateful for the opportunity to serve my family and my ancestors. Mostly, I am grateful for a safe haven in which to commune with my Saviour.

Today my husband called me with some unsettling news while I was washing the dishes. Prior to that call, my mind had already been caught up in my hefty to-do list for the week. My heart began to be troubled. There were many people to worry about and lots of things to do. I was overwhelmed.

Luckily for me, my toddler was napping and the older kids were at school. So I dried my sudsy hands off and kneeled on the rug in front of my sink. With my hands clasped and head bowed I poured my feelings out to my Heavenly Father in prayer.

I rose, blinking away a tear or two, and resumed doing the dishes. After pouring the detergent and turning the knob on the dishwasher to “normal wash,” I felt a warmth wash over me. It felt like a glow had entered into my spirit and infused my heart with peace. I felt confident that I could accomplish my tasks and a resolution to the problem my husband called about would come in time.

When I was young, ages 3 – 12, I learned a song that taught me about my relationship with my Heavenly Father. It is called I am a Child of God, with words written by Naomi Ward Randall and music by Mildred Tanner Pettit:

I am a Child of God

And He has sent me here,

Has given me an earthly home

With parents kind and dear.

Lead me, guide me, walk beside me,

Help me find the way.

Teach me all that I must do

To live with Him some day.

This song frequently comes racing to my mind in times of trouble and fear. It reminds me that I have a loving Father in Heaven who listens to and answers prayers. Just as He answered mine today.

To compliment this experience, I also wanted to share this beautiful rendition of Soy un hijo de Dios (I am a Child of God) sung by Rebecca Lopez and accompanied by Mark Goldstein.

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On every Mormon (or Latter-Day Saint) church in the world there is a sign. The sign introduces you to the true name of our church. We belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. But below that name  is a simple and powerful message.

Visitors Welcome

Visitors are truly welcome to visit our churches anytime services are being held. There are meetings on Sundays, and activities often held at different times during the week.

Once entering our meeting houses, you’ll note that we there are many rooms. One of the rooms is our chapel (the large room where Sacrament meeting is held), many others are classrooms for midweek and Sunday instruction. Some buildings have large halls for basketball, stage productions, or social gatherings.

Soon after entering one of our meeting houses a person may introduce themselves to you. “Hi my name is ____, how can I help you?” Don’t be afraid to ask questions. We like to help where we can.

You may ask when the next services begin. Or you may ask if you can get some brochures about our church or a Book of Mormon. If they do not have information ready for you immediately, someone will make sure you get the information you need. Or, you may just want to quietly observe what happens, and that is okay, too.

If you want to know where the closest Latter-Day Saint church building is to you, you can use the Meetinghouse Locator function on www.lds.org.  Simply enter your address, wherever you are in the world, and the meeting house locator will tell you the closest building and service times.

Here at mormonwoman.org we want you to know that visitors are always welcome here as well.

Thank you for visiting!

To find out more about what you might expect at Sunday meetings, see one of the following three links:

Mormon Meetings
What to Expect…
What to Expect at Sunday Meetings

Or watch Attending a Mormon Church Service (video created by a couple of our readers)

P.S. Will Church members who are reading this please send us pictures of “Visitor Welcome” signs from around the world and in multiple languages? We would like to make a collage and post it on our site at a later date.

Saturday, four buses were waiting for us when we arrived at the temple at 5:45 a.m. It was a glorious day. The baptistry was filled with youth. One of the boys was Benjamin who will soon submit his mission papers. Two years ago, he set a goal to do 1,000 baptisms for the dead before he entered the mission field. He comes every week to the temple — sometimes twice — and is getting close to completing his goal. His countenance glows. When I see youth like him I don’t worry about the future of the world, or the Church.

Hermana G. was at our “greeting station” Saturday morning. A woman arrived who seemed to be hanging back from entering. Hna. G. began to talk to her and learned that this sister purposely tries to go into the temple last so that she could sit in the back of the endowment session because she is embarrassed about the brown birthmarks on her hands. Hna. G. assured her that the temple is a place of love and acceptance. Then she showed the sister her own hands.

This dear sister was burned by her mother as a child, and one of her hands is very deformed. It was the perfect answer, and she was the perfect person to give it. It is another testimony that the Lord is in charge of his temple.

Please also let us know of other posts and conversations that reflect on the wonderful weekend we enjoyed listening to our leaders and feeling the Spirit. (We have already linked to a few different sites below in the comments.)

The author E.B. White (1899-1985) once said:

To perceive Christmas through its wrapping becomes more difficult with every year.

Is it difficult to see Christ in Christmas when focused on the wrapping? Perhaps. But, perhaps contrary to popular belief, I don’t believe these thoughts have to push out the “true meaning” of Christmas. Instead, they can evoke a feeling of love, service, excitement, childhood faith, and a longing for peace.

It is true that there are times, amidst all the wrapping of gifts, the baking of goodies, and the stringing of lights when our anger, frustration, and exhaustion can catch up with us. We wonder if any of the traditions are even worth it! How could these details possibly remind us of the Infant Jesus? How does it remind us of His life and mission?

But it only takes a moment to see the hidden treasures inside of the stress and chaos.

For example: We stress over service, but laugh with joy at a gift given. We worry over a performance, but rejoice with an evening of spectacular music. We sacrifice time to decorate and bake, but we are surrounded by family and friends, enjoying the symbols of love and peace (and eating good food!).

For many, truly celebrating the birth of Christ means moments of quiet reflection. It means focus upon what the birth of a Savior did for us. This is good! But with that focus, I believe we can see significance in family traditions, inspirational Christmas concerts, fun parties, gifts, decorations, and food. With all of it can come a unity and a desire to be better than we are —and isn’t this what the Christmas season is all about?

I can understand people simply fleeing the mountainous effort Christmas has become… but there are always a few saving graces and finally they make up for all the bother and distress.
- May Sarton (1912-1995)

-by Cheryl

In all of the craziness, it’s all too easy for me to forget what this season is all about. We are, of course, celebrating the birth of the Savior, Jesus Christ. I like to celebrate and remember His life and example as well. After all, His whole life was about love, about service, about sacrifice, about giving — about all which should be motivating me during this season and always.

Last week, the theme in our Sacrament Meeting (the weekly congregational meeting where we partake of bread and water, the sacrament, and where members of our congregations speak on an assigned topic) was, interestingly enough, forgiveness. I can’t recall a time in the past when the chosen theme at the holiday time was something like this. But it helped me reflect on the kinds of gifts that really are of most lasting value. And I remembered a quote that has long been a favorite of mine for this time of year (all quotes below come from this talk by President Howard W. Hunter). I shared it with my family last week for our scripture study, and wanted to share it here.

This Christmas, mend a quarrel. Seek out a forgotten friend. Dismiss suspicion and replace it with trust. Write a letter. Give a soft answer. Encourage youth. Manifest your loyalty in word and deed. Keep a promise. Forgo a grudge. Forgive an enemy. Apologize. Try to understand. Examine your demands on others. Think first of someone else. Be kind. Be gentle. Laugh a little more. Express your gratitude. Welcome a stranger. Gladden the heart of a child. Take pleasure in the beauty and wonder of the earth. Speak your love and then speak it again.

President Hunter also shared this:

Give to your enemy forgiveness,
To your opponent tolerance,
To your friend your heart,
To all men charity, for the hands that help
are holier than lips that pray,
To every child a good example,
and to yourself—respect.

While I’m frantically trying to wrap all of my presents, I am also working to do more to unwrap my heart — to be more kind, more patient, more loving, more compassionate, more forgiving.

What can I give Him,
Poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd
I would give Him a lamb,
If I were a Wise Man,
I would do my part,—
But what I can I give Him,
Give my heart.

I’ve included a video below that is a beautiful reminder of the power of forgiveness, featuring President James E. Faust’s last General Conference address before he passed away.

What quotes, stories, music, thoughts, or other things help you focus on the true meaning of Christmas?

However, there are also those who recognize that Mormons, just like any other group or individual, have the right to speak out and get involved on issues that are important to them. You can read some statements of those who have offered there support here.

We here at The Mormon Women Website* wanted to express appreciation to those who have offered their support. We encourage people to remember that clearly it is not just Mormons who have felt strongly about and gotten involved in defending traditional marriage.

We also fully support what our leaders have recently said about the need for civility and respect on both sides of this issue. While we realize that there are those who have exhibited hateful or unkind behavior toward gays, any such behavior is not representative of what we believe (or what we are taught) is appropriate.

We do understand that some will view the Church’s position on Prop 8 as hateful behavior in and of itself. We hope that in time, people can come to see, as they study more about our beliefs and read more from our leaders and their teachings, that hate has never been the motivation for those of us who have supported efforts to protect traditional marriage.

If you would like to understand more of why the Church felt so strongly about this issue, you can find links to resources here. You can view videos on a website the Church created for Proposition 8 here.

*We remind you that while we strive to keep our content consistent with the doctrine and teachings of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, this site is not officially affiliated with the Church. For more information about the Church, visit mormon.org. You can also find more official commentary, press releases, and other information at the Church’s Newsroom site.

This is a day to gather with family and friends, and to nurture a spirit of gratitude.

It’s also a time when I like to consider those who may be in need, and find simple ways to try to help others. (Friendly reminder: Have you donated to your local food bank, or homeless shelter, or another charity that can help the poor?)

Our congregation’s (ward) choir has sung a beautiful song several years in a row now, putting the following beautiful poem to music. I thought I would share it here.

O God, beneath Thy guiding hand
Our exiled fathers crossed the sea;
And when they trod the wintry strand,
With prayer and psalm they worshipped Thee.

And here Thy Name, O God of love,
Their children’s children still adore,
Till these eternal hills remove,
And spring adorns the earth no more.

Leonard Bacon, 1833

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At this time of year, there is also a scripture that is meaningful to me.

And I looked and beheld a man among the Gentiles, who was separated from the seed of my brethren by the many waters; and I beheld the Spirit of God, that it came down and wrought upon the man; and he went forth upon the many waters, even unto the seed of my brethren, who were in the promised land.
And it came to pass that I beheld the Spirit of God, that it wrought upon other Gentiles; and they went forth out of captivity, upon the many waters.
And it came to pass that I beheld many multitudes….
And I beheld the Spirit of the Lord, that it was upon the Gentiles, and they did prosper and obtain the land for their inheritance….
And it came to pass that I, Nephi, beheld that the Gentiles who had gone forth out of captivity did humble themselves before the Lord; and the power of the Lord was with them. (1 Nephi 13:14-16)

These are verses from The Book of Mormon, where a prophet, Nephi, saw some of what it is that we celebrate on Thanksgiving — people going out of captivity to inhabit a land, where they were able to prosper and build a nation. I am grateful for the sacrifices of those who helped make living in this country of mine possible.

In celebrating this day, and sharing my beliefs about God’s involvement in the establishment of this nation, I want to also emphasize my belief that God is keenly aware of and loves all of His children, no matter where they live. May we all find His peace as we enter a season where many of us will celebrate holidays that champion love, service, and gratitude.

-by Michelle

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