"Who can see the temple!?" This was a game my mother played with us as we emerged from Sardine Canyon into Cache Valley Utah, on our way home. Way off in the distance, our young eyes searched for the white capped spires of the Logan temple on the hill. As soon as we spotted them we called out, "There it is! I see it!", and waved our fingers trying to help each other find it. This marked the spot we called home.
Perhaps my mother was just trying to entertain restless children, the final few minutes of a long drive. Riding in the back seat of a car, four abreast, before seat belts or other restrictions were required, made for a lot of elbowing, and imaginary lines separating what was my space and what was yours. Focusing our attention on finding a glimpse of the temple, we were now excited and united in a quest. But, perhaps she also had another goal in mind, to point her children to what really matters in life. Regardless of her motives, the result was unforgettable. Even a very young mind doesn't have to be told that the temple is special. They can see and sense it.
Over my lifetime I have observed the devotion of my parents as they attended and then served in the Logan and other temples. As I walked the halls and gazed at the beautiful surroundings, I felt a personal connection to this place, and imagined my mother and father quietly blessing and helping others. In most recent years, my father received the sacred calling of Sealer, (given the power to perform eternal marriage) and on at least one occasion, we, his children, joined him and my mother for a session. I am forever grateful to my parents for the love they showed me, and for helping me find my way home.
In April 2009, Elder Gary E. Stevenson shared the following experience:
I remember a warm, sunny afternoon when spring was trying to nudge its way through a long winter in Cache Valley, Utah. My father, whose Saturdays were always filled with chores for his grandsons, stopped by our home with an offer to “go for a ride.” Always happy to ride in Grandpa’s truck, our four- and six-year-old sons scurried into the back jump seat, and I joined my father in the front. Our drive took us through the streets of downtown Logan, which wrap around the Logan Temple, prominently situated on a hill, centered beautifully in the city. As we moved further away from the city, we turned from paved, busy streets to seldom-used dirt roads, where we crossed old bridges and weaved through trees far into the country. We were far from any other traffic and all alone.
Realizing his grandsons were in a place they had not been before, my father stopped the truck. “Do you think we are lost?” he asked the wide-eyed boys as they gazed out the windshield across the valley. Followed by a moment of silent assessment came the profound reply of a young child. “Look,” he said, pointing his finger. “Grandpa, you are never lost when you can see the temple.” Our eyes turned, focusing with his, seeing the sun glistening off the spires of the Logan Temple, far across the valley.
You are never lost when you can see the temple. The temple will provide direction for you and your
family in a world filled with chaos. It is an eternal guidepost which will help you from getting lost in the “mist of darkness.”
1 It is the house of the Lord.
2 It is a place where covenants are made and eternal ordinances are performed.
Mrs. Noah
