Spiritually Blessed.....

Since Taylor has turned twelve, we have had many opportunities to feel spiritually blessed.  The first of these opportunities is when we took her to the temple to do baptisms.  After she got over her fear of drowning in the font, we were able to relax and feel the Spirit at work.  It was an amazing experience for her, as well as Reed and I, to share some of the love we feel for such a sacred place with her.  

The next opportunity happened at the Draper Temple dedication.  Reed and I were able to take Taylor and Torey with us, and once again we felt the love of our Savior as we participated in this sacred event.  Even though we enjoyed most of the dedication, we all felt a sense of loss because one of our family was missing.  Jake was not old enough to attend, and we all felt the loss of his sweet presence.  I guess we learned a little bit about what it will be like in the Celestial Kingdom if our whole family is not there.

The next experience we had was also amazing.  Taylor's friend invited us to accompany her, her mom, and her grandmother with them to Young Women's General Conference at the Conference Center.  We were so excited and grateful for the invitation.  On the way we were rear-ended on I-15 by a trio of girls also attending conference.  The miraculous thing is that neither vehicle was damaged and we were all able to safely continue our journey.  We arrived at the parking garage and were shuttled through the underground tunnels to the Conference Center...

Taylor and I were so excited to be sitting where we could actually smell the flowers adorning the pulpit and enjoyed the Spirit that resided in the building.  Taylor could not get over the size of the building, and I failed to tell her that you can actually park a 747 inside.  We were able to hear the General Young Women's Presidency speak to us, as well as our beloved Prophet, President Thomas S. Monson.  Afterwards Taylor was able to meet Sister Mary N. Cook, the first counselor, who hugged her and asked her about her favorite part of the conference.  

Back through the tunnels to the Lion House Pantry where we enjoyed a lovely meal.  It was a spectacular night - one we will not soon forget.  We are so grateful for the opportunity we had to attend.  The blessings we experienced were truly once in a lifetime.  
We also gained a strong testimony of the truthfulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  We know that Thomas S. Monson is a true and living Prophet upon the earth, listening to him in person was an amazing experience.  We felt the love he has for all of the young women of this earth, and were able to laugh along with him at the disparity between his generation and Taylor's.    We know that Heavenly Father protects his children, especially if they pray in faith and are on the Lord's errand.  We know that through the atonement of the Savior Jesus Christ we can all be reunited with our family and live for eternity together.  We know that the women of this Church are strong and independent women who are given a charge to protect their virtue in an increasingly evil world.  The Young Women's presidency spoke a lot about virtue and the importance of remaining sexually pure, something that the rest of the world seems to forget.  We are grateful for their messages, and for their love.  We cannot wait until next week when we can hear the Prophet again...