I love to see the temple

When I became a mother, I was overwhelmed by everything I thought I needed to teach my children and how to teach it. I was especially concerned about teaching them the gospel in a way that would help them to truly believe, and how to feel the Holy Ghost. I mean, how do you teach a toddler to feel and recognize the Holy Ghost? Both James and Anna quickly let me know they do not need any help feeling and recognizing the Holy Ghost, He seems to be their constant companion.

Anna, for example, loves the temple. I cannot convey how much she loves it. She instinctive knows where every temple is between Salt Lake City and Provo, and when we drive she will screech and point her little finger at the temple (even if it is just a speck) and shout "Temple." When pass it, she will crane her neck and continually "Where's the temple? Where is it?" If I drive within five blocks of the temple her excitement is uncontainable and if I don't stop at the temple and let her walk around the grounds, she lapses into tears and (occasionally) near hysterics. The only way to console her is my by singing "I Love To See the Temple" repeatedly.

The first few times Anna lapsed into tears, I thought she was just tired; it was late, we did not have time to stop. Unfortunately, that was always my excuse, I don't have time to stop. I don't have time to get both kids out of the car and walk around. I have errands to run, a house to clean, dinner to cook, etc. One Saturday as I was driving on the freeway back from Provo to Lehi, Anna was excitedly pointing at the temple, then she started singing her own version of "I love to see the temple," which basically goes like this: "Temple, mommy, daddy, Dames (James), Nana (Anna), Temple, Jesus, Temple." As she sang I realized, she truly loves the temple, that she feel the spirit when she merely glimpes it. And I also realized that I had to take her to the temple. My job as a parent was not teach James and Anna to feel the spirit; they already know and recongize it. My job was to recongize when they were feeling and to help them heed it. If I kept driving passed the temple, to busy to stop, eventually Anna would stop pointing at it and singing her temple song. Eventually she would stop feeling the spirit because I had taught her to ignore it.

That following Monday we took James and Anna to the temple for FHE and they loved running around the temple ground, smelling the flowers, and touching the building. Now I find myself taking James and Anna to at least one temple every week (with six between Provo and Salt Lake there is a lot choices). If I find myself within five blocks of a temple, even if I did not plan it, I stop. When either child is tired or needs a rest, I go the church website and show them pictures of the temples around the world. This always calms them down and they will sit for 30 minutes or more (no small feat for two active kids) just to look at pictures of the temples. But it has also helped me. On days when I am tired and cranky, going to the temple or looking at temple pictures rejuvenates me and helps me restore my patience. And I remember how much I love to see the temple as well.