I love to see the temple, I got to go inside!! :)

Holy Moly! What an adventure it has been so far, and im not even on my mission yet. Everyone who is preparing to go on a mission. GO TO THE TEMPLE AS SOON AS YOU CAN. I went May 11 and it was easily in my top 4 favorite days.

I'm not going to lie, I was so so nervous before I went through. I was like "what is going to happen?' haha come to find out that it was amazing and i'm totally addicted to going to the temple. Here is the whole run down. So My mom and I

 were suppose to be there at 2:30, I thought that it would take us a good half an hour to get to the Draper Temple

(see how pretty it is) anyways I was so wrong. Left at 1:45 and got there at 2... oops!! haha So you know when you are going to baptisms and you always wondered what is behind the desk that all the cute old men are sitting at? Well it was so weird walking to the desk instead of turning and going downstairs to do baptisms.It was the best feeling ever to know that I was worthy to enter into the Lords house. They scanned my recommend and I was off. Some people say it is weird but it was not weird to me at all. There were so many people there to support me:

Aren't they all the best!? Yup I think so also. I loved going through the temple, and I still strive to go twice a week. Here are 10 things that I would recommend people who are preparing to go through the temple:

1. RELAX,seriously tho. I think I forgot to breathe a couple times but there is someone there the whole time helping you so you will be just fine. 
2. Fast the day before. I know it is weird because most people would say fast the day of but we got there at 2 and we didnt get out until close to 7. It is a long day so you will need food or you are going to be starving and tired.
3. Make sure you take a temple prep class. If I didn't take temple prep I would have been so so so overwhelmed. Temple prep is there to help you and also it is a blast. My temple prep teacher was the best. :) 
4. Remember, It is the Lords house. It says it right on the outside:
   
   So why stress?? It is His House. Enjoy being there, it is peaceful, lovely, beautiful, breathtaking, and most of all just pure WONDERFUL. You will feel the spirit so strong I promise you, It is the best thing on the earth. No building on this planet compares to the temples!! They are stunning!! 
5. Invite as many people you want or can. Having them there is such a comfort. Instead of having the session full of people you dont know, it is way better to be able to look around and see all your friends and family smiling at the wonderful decision you made.
6. Make sure you get good rest the night before. You do not want to go to temple sleepy.. haha I have done that a couple times. But yes TRY getting some sleep, I know I was up most of the night because I was so excited. Take a sleeping  pill or something ;)
7. PRAY, PRAY, PRAY, PRAY, PRAY, PRAY, PRAY, PRAY, PRAY, PRAY, PRAY, PRAY, PRAY, PRAY, PRAY, PRAY. Pray to have peace, pray for understanding, pray for joy.... just pray! :) 
8. Read your scriptures!!! Bible Dictionary Temples and read all of those scriptures. So helpful!! 
9. Read Preparing to Enter the Holy Temple. Here is the link:  (http://www.lds.org/manual/preparing-to-enter-the-holy-temple/preparing-to-enter-the-holy-temple?lang=eng)or im pretty sure your bishop will have a copy that he will give you. (I got mine in temple prep.)  
10. Be grateful. It is a PRIVILEGE to enter the House Of the Lord.

It has been 18 days since I went through the temple and I have been back 6 times. I know that temple attend is important. We live in a world that is not always in syn with the Gospel, that is why we have temples.  To get away from the evilness of the world and become closer to our Heavenly Father. My temple prep teacher is a very wise man, he was talking about keeping our recommends valid, he said: "If our bishop got up on Sunday and said "The Lord is coming the Draper temple on Tuesday," I bet most people would be making an apt.with the Bishop to get a recommend and there is no way that the Bishop and Stake President would have time to get everyone recommends. That being said, we always need a valid recommend. You don't ever want to miss out on anything because it is expired." I know that we need to keep our recommends valid. Every 2 years we have to renew them. Every 2 year, that is not hard at all. There is so many temples out there and a lot more to still be built. Here is the link so that you can look up temple times and all the info, or you can look at the beautiful picture of all the temples. (http://www.lds.org/church/temples?lang=eng) I know that if we strive to go to the temple at least once a month that we will be blessed. We have to give some time and Our Redeemer is so merciful that he will give us a lot of blessings. I know this church is true, the book is blue. I love love love this Gospel and without it I don't know where I would be. I love Chicago already, I love the people I will serve, and I pray for them daily that they may be preparing themselves to hear the gospel. I know these things are true and I can testify that Our Savior lives. He knows each and everyone of us. He is so happy when we choose what is right. All I can say is that he is really there, THERE IS NO DOUBT IN MY MIND.

"Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive the blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation." - Psalms 24:3-5

~ Hermana Wilkinson