I Caught a Glimpse of Heaven

Last night we received Matt and Lindsay's Christmas present. On Christmas Day we were informed that on January 22nd we needed to be in dressy dress ready to be picked up at 5:15 p.m. and prepared to be blindfolded for the beginning of our adventure. (We were able to get out of the blindfold part with a promise not to peek.) Matt took us on a 30 minute wild ride so we wouldn't know where we were going. After arriving we climbed out of the car, still with our eyes shut, and walked a little ways. That part was scary. When we were allowed to open our eyes in front of us, lit up and beautiful, was the Draper Temple. We were going in to do sealings. What a wonderful way to start the evening! The only drawback was I had left my glasses at home so my vision past 10-15 feet wouldn't be as clear as if I was wearing them. I had taken them off when I thought I was being blindfolded.

After getting dressed in our temple robes, we climbed the stairs and found the sealing room we were assigned. We walked in and I saw people already sitting in the corner obviously waiting for us so the sealing session could start. But without my glasses I didn't realize who they were. David took my face in his hands and turned my head towards the corner again. Sitting in the chairs were Talya, Ryan, Carly and Robbie. I was in the temple with six of my ten children! Along with them in the room was another young couple. We later came to find out they were newlyweds of about ten days from St. Louis. He was the only member in his family. She was a convert of a year because of him. They had waited for a year to get married so they could do it right the first time and be sealed in the temple. Utah or "Temple Land" was their choice for their honeymoon. They wanted to spend their time in as many temples as possible. By then they had made it to seven of the temples in Utah. It made me feel a bit embarassed about my honeymoon to Disneyland...

One of Elder David B. Haight's sons was the sealer presiding over our session. He would stop every now and then and teach us about the temple; about the words in the sealing ceremony; about giving and receiving; about eternal marriage. He spoke tenderly of his parents and the love they had for each other. He said that four months after his father died when the grave marker was finally in place, he stood with his mother, his brother and his sister at the grave. His mother pointed to each one of them and said, "You don't need me. He does. He is my eternal companion. I need to be with him." A short time later Brother Haight received a call stating that his mother wasn't doing well. By the time he arrived she had passed away and started eternity with her husband on the other side of the veil. Brother Haight feels that they willed each other to be together. It was then I whispered to David that four months would be way too long for me to be left behind...just so he knew. He challenged us to remember the covenants we make in the temple and apply the principles to our marriage not just to our membership in the Church. If you've been through the temple, think about that next time you go. What a blessing it is to be married to my best friend for time and all eternity and to know that each one of my children also have that blessing in their lives. After a few minutes in the Celestial Room we went off to a enjoy a delicious dinner at Carvers.

It was a beautiful evening; a fabulous Christmas present; a dream come true. It truly was a glimpse of heaven. Thank you to my children who sacrificed to make it happen. We deeply missed the four that were unable to come. I look forward to the day when I can again be with all my children in temple.