The Fort Collins temple dedication was a few weeks ago, and it was an amazing experience. I'd really been looking forward to it from the first moment Sammy and I walked inside when we were being ushers. I couldn't wait for the dedication so that we could go there and spend time inside whenever we wanted.
The day of the actual dedication though, my anxiety was bad. I was coming off one of the worst weeks I'd had at work, and had to work six days in a row. All of that stress and fear and just blaaah had built up. I'd tried my best to relax the night before, because I was really looking forward to the dedication. However a half hour before we were about to leave, this awful pain just came over me. It wasn't like anything I'd felt before, and I knew that it was from all my stress and such, but it wasn't going away any time soon. Added to that was the stress of what if I get sick in the middle of it, what if I pass out, what if what if what if. I honestly was this close to not going to the dedication.
Sammy and I went though and met up with my family. I did my best to calm down, but we had to be in our seats for a half hour before it even started. The pain kept coming and going along with the panic. Finally the dedication started and we saw that Dieter F. Uchtdorf was conducting and would be doing the dedication. Uchtdorf is Sammy and my favorite apostle. He always gives the most inspiring talks that speak to us, and he never makes us feel like failures or guilty. He has a sense of humor too, which is very important.
I loved seeing Uchtdorf because he was his usual self. He was laughing, smiling, and joking around with people. When they did the cornerstone ceremony he was telling his wife not to clean up after him when he dropped some grout. When he invited some little kids to come help, he then told them to turn around and pose because their parents would want pictures. He also invited a woman in a wheelchair to come and participate. Just seeing him there with them reminded me of Christ. If Christ were there, he would be asking the children and everyone to come and help him.
I don't really remember what was said in the talks because I wasn't feeling well, but I know that truths were spoken. Finally the moment of the dedication and Hosanna shout came. It was a simple ceremony, but a powerful one since it's the same one used for all temple dedications. That was the part that I remembered when Nauvoo was rededicated forever ago.
My favorite part was singing the Spirit of God right afterwards. That is such a powerful hymn, and the Spirit was so strong in the room I got choked up, and Sammy started crying. I just looked at him and my family sitting next to me, and felt this overwhelming happiness that this is what forever and Heaven are going to be like, and all of that is possible because of temples.
We're going to visit the temple on Friday and I absolutely can't wait! I'm so grateful for this temple and all the blessings that will be made possible because of it.
Comments
Post a Comment