Atlanta Temple Open House

For those of you who don't know, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is having an Open House for the Atlanta Temple.  Normally, only members of the Church holding special recommends are allowed to enter these holy places.  There are a few times that everyone is invited to come and take a walk through these beautiful places, however.  Before a temple is dedicated when it is first finished is one of these times; another is if it needs to be rededicated for some reason - like after major renovations.

The Atlanta Temple has been closed for almost 2 years for renovations and is finally ready to be opened again!  We took this rare opportunity to take the kids down so they could see what a temple is like on the inside.  It was beautiful.  The chandeliers were the most captivating to me.

They did have fun, I promise.  The grass felt good on bare feet, but it was a little more scratchy when you sit in it. 

I want to get each of their pictures in front of the temple printed to have in their room to remind them of their experience.  We sat down yesterday and I asked them questions about our trip to the temple so I could write it down for them to help remember.  I'll share it here because I thought it was cute.

What was your favorite part of the temple?

Cade: "I liked being in that Heaven Room.  It was my favorite one.  It was the most beautiful room."  (The Celestial Room)

Ali:  "All the pretty parts."

How did you feel in the temple?

Cade: "It was good.  Very, very good."

Ali:  "The things on my shoes.  They hurted.  And I was sad because I couldn't go in that water."  (They make you put little plastic slippers on over your shoes so you don't dirty the carpet.  The water she was talking about was the baptismal font. I reminded her when she is old enough she can go in the water and asked how that made her feel.  She said, "Happy!")

Is there anything else you want to remember about the temple?

Cade: "Yes.  When I went in.  It felt...mmmm.... good.  And when I went out of the temple.  I felt bad because I was leaving the temple and I wanted to stay in it."

I am grateful for a loving Heavenly Father who gives us a way to be a family forever and not just until death separates us.  I am grateful I could take my children there and let them feel the love and the Spirit that is there and the spiritual experience we had together there.