Carlsbad Stake Conference

Adult Session of Stake Conference

I was asked to speak in the adult session of Stake Conference about 2 weeks ago and was quite shocked when they asked me to speak. The Stake Presidency doesn't even know me at all and I am new to the area and the stake. I was taken by surprise but when Pres. Perkins told me my topic I was really excited to do it. I have a passion for temple service and he wanted me to discuss with the members how it has blessed me and also my role as a mother and juggling kids and getting to the temple.

I have spent quite alot of time comtemplating what I was going to speak about but to finally put it down on paper this time it just kept flowing out of me. I worked on it for a while and more and more thoughts kept coming.

Tonight I was so nervous and I got sunburned this morning from the mudrun so that didn't help either. I got their early and saw Pres. Perkins and introduced myself and I was curious as to how they would pick me. But I wasn't going to ask him.

My words were coming out but boy my mouth was so dry! I wish I would have taken my water bottle up there with me. I got through it all and didn't shed a tear until the end I was so proud of myself.

I will share with you what I complied and shared with the members of my stake:


I've been fortunate to have grown up in the church and was raised by parents who have a love for the temple. They have been to 90 out of the 132 operating temples around the world. I remember as a child they would tell us about the Salt Lake temple where they were married and I watched them get into their car and drive off to attend that temple quite frequently. My parents have been truly great examples of temple attendance.

I developed a love for and a strong interest in the temples at an early age and always made temple photography the predominant decor of my bedroom. Which has now been incorporated into my own home decor and in each bedroom. When it was my turn to enter the temple I felt like I was ready but didn't quite understand (like many of us) what amazing spiritual experiences that can happen there.

I have the great privilege of working in the temple as a receptionist, which I look forward to each month. When I was given this assignment to speak these thoughts came to me, "Do we love what we have been commanded to love?" Our temples are not as busy as they would be if we loved being there. The absence of patrons at the temple as I have worked has been saddening. We need to keep in remembrance this thought of "no empty chairs" in regards to the temple now but more importantly up in heaven.

A scripture came to my mind in D&C 60:7 and a part of it states, "I am able to make you holy". If we feel inadequate or unlearned what better place to be, than in the temple. He will help us, guide us and make us holy. Pres. Rosell when he spoke in our ward a few weeks ago mentioned that "we need to be in places where we will be filled with goodness" Isn't that what the temple is all about?

I was married 8.5 years ago and my husband and I make a commitment to eachother during that first year of marriage that we would attend the temple every week. During this time I noticed a great change in us as a new couple and we began to grow together in our knowledge of the importance of temple worship and our newly formed eternal marriage.

We made it through that first year or so and then came the children and we became more lax in our temple attendance. We knew that we needed to make a conscience effort in attending at least once a month. We found ourselves coming up with more things to do in our spare time than attend the temple.

In Stake Conference a couple years ago in the Escondido South Stake, president Haney encouraged us to sacrifice our time to attend the temple. He asked each of us to analyze how much time we spend watching TV, spending time sitting at home or using our time unwisely, but we still come up with the excuse that, "I don't have time to attend the temple". The Lord expects us to make sacrifices to show our love and devotion to him and his Kingdom. The reason it is called a sacrifice, is because we are giving up something we want for ourselves, for something better that the Lord wants for us to do.

The First Presidency wrote a letter that was read over the pulpit dated March 11, 2003 in regards to temple service it states:

"We are grateful for the increased availability of temples worldwide and invite adult members to have a current temple recommend and visit the temple more often. Where time and circumstance permit, members are encouraged to replace some leisure activities with temple service. ….

All of the ordinances which take place in the House of the Lord become expressions of our belief in that fundamental and basic doctrine of the immortality of the human soul. As we redouble our efforts and our faithfulness in going to the temple, the Lord will bless us."


If you need to, make a temple budget and eliminate another lesuire activity that require money so you can afford to pay for a baby sitter if needed. You will be blessed for your sacrifice in many ways.

Our ward conference had a special adult meeting where we met with a couple from Riverside who work in the temple there. The sister spoke to me that night and I would like to share with you a powerful statement she made to us, "Weekly temple attendance is a commitment and monthly temple attendance is an inconvenience."

If you go once a month you would be doing the work for 12 individuals a year but if you went weekly it would be around 48 individuals taking into consideration temple closings. Thats a big difference. I would like to propose that each of us make a goal to count individuals rather than the number of times you go.

The San Diego temple if you haven't noticed has already been in the process of getting some improvements made and being washed so why not add ourselves to improving and recommitting ourselves to set a goal for individual service in the temple.

Pres. Hinckley said this, "If you are geographically able, go to the temple on a regular basis. You will be better fathers and husbands, better wives and mothers. I know your lives are busy. I know your have much to do. But I make you a promise that if you will go to the house of the Lord you will be blessed; life will be better for you."

Elder Perry in last conference, along with many others, spoke of the importance of teaching your children, he said, "Teaching in the home is becoming increasingly important in today’s world, where the influence of the adversary is so widespread and he is attacking, attempting to erode and destroy the very foundation of our society, even the family. Parents must resolve that teaching in the home is a most sacred and important responsibility. While other institutions, such as church and school, can assist parents to “train up a child in the way he [or she] should go” (Proverbs 22:6), ultimately this responsibility rests with parents."

I feel this weight and my children are under the age of 7 so I can only imagine what it must be like for those of you who have teenagers! Yikes! Once again its the temple where burdens are lifted and then will you come out strengthened.

As a mother I know that it is difficult to schedule time to attend the temple especially when you are juggling activities or when you have little ones. In our ward we are starting to organize temple babysitting swap. Maybe a lot of you out there are already doing something similar but a couple who needs a sitter can ask another couple to watch their children and then swap later that week or month.

If finances are tight and your reason for not going is because you can't afford a babysitter, consider asking the young women to help. They will be blessed by giving service to you as you attend and you will be blessed for attending. I would encourage you parents that have teenage daughters to talk to them about what they can do to help couples in their wards get to the temple more often.

We are all facing so many different situations that might appear to be obstacles to attending the temple, but I just encourage you to pray for what is best for your family and ask for a solution to your challenge. Temple attendance will enrich your lives like it has mine on so many different levels especially motherhood because quite honestly it's the hardest but most fulfilling thing I will ever do. Even if you only have an hour just go in and be filled.

Why not take the whole family down to the temple on occassion and mom and dad swap and do initatory work. That way you are allowing the children to grow their own love and testimony of the temple through your attendence. You could even go as far as bringing sketch books for the kids to draw a picture of the temple or other temple related activities. If you don't have a current temple recommend try to get a limited use recommend and go do baptisms with the youth, another couple, a friend, your home or visiting teacher, or your family.

Recently I have gone to the temple with a particular question in mind and I really didn't want to know the answer to it but I knew that if I didn't pray about it that it would be selfish of me. I've been quite content with my life until this point and I've struggled with this question for quite some time and was just pushing it off. I now know why personal revelation is needed for each of us for our progression here and what better place to receive it than in the temple where we are closer to that God who gave us life. I felt the spirit so strong as I prayed to know the answer to my question. The Lord answered my prayers and helped me to know what I needed to do to continue to progress.

In closing I was touched by reading Pres. Utchdorf conference talk directed to the young women in their broadcast. He spoke of fairy tales and how we can live our "happily ever afters" here. He said, "I understand that, at times, some may wonder why they attend Church meetings or why it is so important to read the scriptures regularly or pray to our Heavenly Father daily. Here is my answer: You do these things because they are part of God’s path for you. And that path will take you to your “happily ever after” destination." May I add the temple in that part as well.

My testimony of the temple worship resignates within me and I know that I will be a better daughter, wife and mother to those around me because of my service there. I bear this in his name Jesus Christ, Amen.


Now I know how important it is to give thanks to those to whom you appreciate their thoughts and preparation. I was now on the receiving end and have to say honestly how great it felt to feel their spirit and to share with me their thoughts about what I had discussed. I love that feeling! I too will pay it forward and express gratitude.