Fabulous Family Home Evening

This is the Idaho Falls Temple, but I really like it--mostly because I took the picture and it's so bright. 

I went to an AWESOME fireside tonight. We had the Rexburg Temple President come speak to us, and that man is fantastic. I seriously was so into the talk that I didn't even realize a whole hour went by. I'm normally so bored I don't know what to do with myself. It was a variety of reasons I think.

Reason Number 1: President Christensen looks like President Hinckley, so that was pretty cool. Maybe I'm the only one to see it, but it made me smile. It's probably the first time I've ever thought of a Prophet without seeing him on TV or having him talked about first. Sad, I know, but also I'd like to think of it as progress.

Reason 2: He was talking about the temple's influence on people who aren't taking it for granted. When I volunteered in the temple for the open house, I was able to see a lot people I knew from school and church, but also a lot of people that I knew or thought weren't members. I was able to see people who weren't probably going to get this chance again, for a while at least, and tonight I remembered how it felt to see people in the temple out of pure joy.

Reason 3: When President Christensen read a few comments from the cards in Perth, Australia, I realized again that the church really is the same all over the world and the feelings there are all the same. 

Reason 4: He wasn't preachy. The whole time I felt like I was just listening to a respected man that had important stories to tell. Honestly I only remember a few direct quote type things from his talk. Mostly I remember just the spirit and attitude of the meeting.

Reason 5: He told me things I didn't know. I called one of my friends right afterwards, left a message for her to call me back, went to a friends house and told her the story, and then when another friend called I told her. It's not even that earth-shattering of a fact, and I bet a few people already knew it. But I didn't and I was so excited. 

By the time I left the fireside I didn't want to go mingle and socialize--even though making friends would have been a great thing. I just wanted to bask in the feeling I had. I knew I had to tell people my story, so I didn't want to sit in the chapel all night. I really felt like I had been to the temple tonight. That's how great it was. 

I need to go to sleep now, but I hope this stays with me.