Opportunities to feel the Spirit

Took Brenden (10 years old) and Kyleigh (8 years old) to Zion's youth symphony and choir on Sunday evening. It was wonderful. Powerful. I asked them what they thought and Brenden said, "I want to go with you again the next time". Kyleigh agreed. Brenden's favorite song was Hosanna. The first one. It was powerful. Opened the performance with such penetrating power. Kyleigh said she liked Green Hill and Christmas symbol.
We felt peace.
We felt good.
We went home happy.

Then, the following day, the kids didn't have school because of Parent Teacher conferences, so I took advantage of having them all with me and drove directly after meeting with B and Ky's teachers up north 3 hours to Cedar City. We had stopped by the book fair, so the kids had new books and were totally engrossed until St. George in their books. It was amazing. So quiet.  I bought everyone Chick fil a and we practically were just finished eating when I pulled into Cedar city. Dean and Kent were already dressed in their Sunday best. Kyleigh and Brenden had to change in the car to clothes appropriate to go through a Temple of God. We parked on the hill slanting downward, held hands and crossed the street. Asked the nice man who was all bundled up from the windy cold where to go, and he pointed across the temple and said keep walking all the way across. We had to stop so Brenden could zip up Kent's jacket (which was kind of B and nice to have Kent bundled better). Kyleigh said her legs were cold and Kent said his legs were fine, Kyleigh replied that's because he can wear pants to church. Cute interactions. We finally trek across the entire campus to the small line forming to be directed to one of six white tents for the intro video. We are told to go to tent 6. The man at front asked me if I had a reservation, I said no, and he said that's ok, and pointed where to go. We get a seat on the 2nd row of about 5 in the large white tent. A large screen tv is put on a stand with 2 sister missionaries on each side. Kent looks up at me during the video and says the wind is going to blow the tent over because it's so strong. I was worried about it knocking the tv over so I said a silent prayer to protect these temporal things so others can learn from the video being presented on why and what we do in Temples. Soon, we followed more Ushers to the tent where people were seated beside baskets full of booties to put on our feet so we could walk inside the temple and not ruin the flooring. Once inside the temple, we were told that the beautiful stained glass behind desk was donated by the Presbyterian church....that was so nice. It was very beautiful. We go through the baptistry and Dean keeps doing man grunts when looking at the huge oxen holding up the font. Kent looks impressed that the Temple has a giant pool inside. Kyleigh surprises me by saying "12 tribes of Israel" when I ask her how many oxen there are. Dean is so impressed by the strong looking beasts that he keeps going grunts and getting loud.
We walk through the Bridal room, dressing room, chapel, instruction room, celestial room and sealing rooms. The kids wanted to all kneel on the altars they passed.
I showed them how the images of people seem to go on forever when you look at the mirrors in the sealing room, and how one mirror symbolizes all your ancestors who have gone before you and the other mirror symbolizes all your posterity to come behind you and how this ordinance of the sealing that happens in this room, is like a lock that binds those chains together forever. Kyleigh was so enthralled with that that she went to the mirror and looked closely at it and asked, "How does it do that?" (...making the images go on forever).

The choice to take Brenden and Kyleigh to the Zion's Symphony and choir and then all 4 kids to Cedar City was one made to provide my kids with opportunities to feel the Spirit. I'm reading in the Book of Mormon and Laman and Lemuel complain alot, they fall away from God and they never sought to keep companionship and be guided by the Spirit. Nephi and others did. I want my kids to feel the sweet fruit of feeling and following the Spirit. The more opportunities they have to be in Heavenly presence, my hope is that it will bolster their resolve to stay close to this Spirit. Not stray. Always seek to be worthy and if make a mistake, that they will humble their self and repent so they can get it back.
I told Trent last night that it feel like there is more love, peace and happiness among the kids....and I don't believe it is coincidental that it occurs after we go through a Temple of God.
Blessings are real and tangible, sometimes immediate, sometimes not. And this one I hope will permeate through many decisions they make for a long time to come.
That they always remember their feelings as they walked the halls and rooms of a real Temple of God.
Outside the Temple, as Kyleigh and I talk about our feelings and thoughts, I asked her,
"So Kyleigh, did you like the Temple?"
She shakes her head yes.
"Did if feel different than outside here in the world?"
"Yes, it felt like a portal".

I loved her word. Portal. It is. The Temple is not a building like any of this world. And it's not quite in Heaven, but surely feels like a portal between one place and the other.