Payson Temple Open House

Not too far from  us, a temple was recently completed.  This means we had the opportunity to go to the open house, when it is opened up to anyone who wants to come see the inside, whether they are members of our church or not.  It is a great experience and there is a joyful peace inside the building.
The kids, who are not old enough to attend the temple and participate in temple ordinances, were very excited to get to see what the inside of a temple is like.

This particular temple is as beautiful on the inside as it is on the outside.  We were happy for our children to see that our chapels are simple while our temples are beautiful, but not gaudy, because they are built for our Heavenly Father and we want to give Him our best.

James was not too keen on pictures but we had to try anyway.  We've got a fun group of kids here.

There are published pictures of the interior for those of you who didn't get to see it in person.  Here are two of my favorites:

This is a sealing room, where families are joined to be together for eternity and marriages also take place.  It is special to kneel with your companion in this beautiful, peaceful room and make promises that will last forever.  Having a supportive, intimate gathering of the most important people in your life there with you makes a temple marriage unforgettable.

This is called the Celestial Room.  It a representation of heaven and is the perfect place for reflection.  Even with the bustle of open house attendees, this room has a different, more powerful peace than even the other areas of the temple.

I think the kids had a wonderful time even though we had to wake up early to get to the temple in time for our tour.  I hope we get the opportunity to attend another open house soon.

(If you want to know more about why the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints builds temples, read this or watch this.)