Temple and change.

This is Danielle....The last couple of letters have been an ongoing conversation with Adley so  I thought I would include different parts of it so you would understand her letter this week.  (Above is a letter from Charles, one of the boys we are trying to adopt from Africa...it's been 2 years....)

(Adley) I had some questions about the temple too... Just what do you feel is so important about the temple? I have been thinking a lot about it lately and I just want to know why for you personally it is so great. 

(Me) So here are the reasons why I love the temple, they are in no particular order.

1.  I love that God is just.  I love that God has rules.  I love that God has mercy.  He therefore provides a way for each of his children no matter what their circumstance to be able to fulfill and accept commandments and covenants.  

2.  I love that there is a place sacred enough that we might be able to draw closer to God.  A place to make higher covenants and promises.  A place to kneel with humility, to understand the Plan of Salvation,  and to promise to live our lives to the best of our ability.

3.  I love that he knows in order for us to be saved we must be given an opportunity to save others, to become like Christ, Saviors on Mount Zion.

4.  I love the impressions, thoughts, ideas, feelings, communication from spirit to spirit that comes from being at the temple.  I have received many very clear impressions while at the temple.  I remember when I was at the temple and received the impression I was pregnant with Adrienne.  You and Carissa were very close in age and to have a third baby even closer in age was a little bit of a shock.  I was so glad to find out about that at the right place, because I was reminded of all my blessings a healthy body and the blessings of the Priesthood, and I was grateful.  If you are humble you can't go to the temple without receiving direction.

5.  I love beauty.  I love order.  I love cleanliness.  I love light.  I feel at home.

6.  I love that God is always waiting to give us more.  Like a baby sitting in a high chair eating...the mother is always waiting with a spoon full of food waiting for the child to open it's mouth.  He wants to teach us so many things, about Heaven, about love about covenants and promises.  He wants to give us more to teach us all things.

I think of it this way.  We live in a world that is Telestial.  Our Father in Heaven lives in a place that is Celestial.  The gap between these places is too wide, he must bring us up a level he must try to close the gap from the world we live to His home, so he creates a medium in which we can be instructed more fully.  His thoughts are higher than our thoughts, His ways are higher than our ways.

I also think about a math teacher who moves from basic math into Algebra.  When he presents ideas that are different than what we have learned we can have two responses.  We can shake our heads and say I just don't understand, why do I have to learn this stuff?  It doesn't make sense.  Or we can say wow this is different but I really want to know how this will help me, I want to learn more, I am excited to learn more and I can see the common threads, the addition and subtraction.....the basic elements to both math classes are the same.

7.  At the temple I am reminded of my worth, my potential, who I am, who I can become, who I was destined to be. 

8.  At the temple I am reminded that every thing I sow on earth I will reap.  My relationships with my husband and my children will be sealed up unto me for eternity if I am righteous.

9.  I go to the temple because Heavenly Father has asked me to, and I always want to be obedient.  I go to the temple because I truly believe in the sealing power that reaches out with spiritual protection and physical safety for my children. 

10.  I love the temple because I am reminded of what I once knew :) 

I love you keep up the amazing work.  When I got home from Rexburg I thought to myself, I am never leaving home again, and then I got this letter in the mail from Charles. :)

Love Mom

(Adley) Mom. That letter broke my heart. You guys need to go over there as soon as possible! Maybe you could all go and when I get back I can watch the farm or something?  I wrote everyone personally today and it is transfer day so I do not have a lot of time.

I loved that about the temple. I was thinking this week what the temple was and I have always just been super impressed with your testimony of the temple. I seriously think your testimony of that is so strong.  I just remember when I went to the temple you were so genuinely excited for me and so grateful to go with me. I love that mom. I miss the temple a lot out here. You two are so beautiful too. I miss you guys.

I need your help a little bit, I hear these stories from all the missionaries about people changing, and I am not sure I have seen that yet! It makes me so frustrated I want to cry.

I don't know if I am doing something wrong or if I am not desiring something that I should. I don't really know if it is me that has to change first? I know it happens, but what if it doesn't happen before I come home? We met this super great guy on the street the other day, and I prepared really hard for his lesson because he was searching for something and when I got in that discussion I could NOT remember anything, I couldn't speak, I couldn't understand, and when I prayed I didn't get anything.  He was like, " Well, at least I have heard your perspective, that was nice." But you know what? That is NOT enough. It is so frustrating for me. So, so frustrating. I don't know what I am doing wrong or if I am even the problem. I can't ever write about my investigators because we don't have any!

Mom, I don't want to just convert myself. Maybe that is what the Lord wants I don't know. But it really hurts. And I don't want that. I didn't come to just share a point of view this is really how we can be saved!!!!!

GO GET CHARLES AND IMMANUEL!!!!!!!!!

We went to the orphanage this week and all the kids call me " Flower" or Virág. They drew me some pretty pictures and I just love them. Other than that I am just trying to figure out how to close my mission. I know 5 months still....but you know that will go by so fast. I love you mom. Be safe. Sorry I didn't write another family letter.  Tell the boys I really do love them I just do not have a lot time to reply!

Love Sis. Fowers