Always Wanted It...

So, finally I got my wish...that there would be a Vancouver, B.C. temple built. Being born and raised there I just always thought Vancouver should have a temple. And here it is! I think it is so pretty. I need to get out there and see it sometime.

The public open house is from April 9-24th. I hope my aunt's sister and her husband take advantage of this. They aren't members and I think it is an amazing chance to be able to take a tour before it is dedicated. The dedication is Sunday, May 2. So, if you are in the area at that time...

Latter-day Saint temples differ from the meetinghouses or chapels where members meet for Sunday worship services. Temples are considered “houses of the Lord” where Christ’s teachings are reaffirmed through marriage, baptism and other ordinances that unite families for eternity. In the temple, Church members learn more about the purpose of life and make covenants to follow Jesus Christ and serve their fellow man.

The Vancouver British Columbia Temple is the 131st temple of the Church worldwide and the seventh temple in Canada. Other Canadian temples include Cardston Alberta (dedicated 1923), Toronto Ontario (1990), Halifax Nova Scotia (1999), Regina Saskatchewan (1999), Edmonton Alberta (1999) and Montréal Québec (2000). An eighth Canadian temple to be built in Calgary, Alberta, was announced in October 2008.

Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints first arrived in British Columbia in 1875. Church growth was slow at first but has steadily increased. Now some 22,000 Church members from 91 congregations located in British Columbia and northern Washington state will be served by the Vancouver British Columbia Temple. A total of nearly 180,000 Latter-day Saints live in Canada.

I love temples and the amazing work that is done in them. I am thankful that I get to be a temple worker. It is a great foundation in my life. I am very blessed.

Happy Thursday! A nice sunny day!

P.S. I have wonderful nieces and nephews. All of them! My sister Tracey's two oldest boys were over at my mom's last night. They are just such good kids. And they are even both teenagers! 13 and 15. Just sweet boys. I really am lucky. Their cousin who is 13 is a great kid too. Just good boys. It's so fun hanging out with them. (This 13 year old just got baptized last week and the missionaries stopped by last night to show him the film "The Restoration"...the story of Joseph Smith. We invited Zach and Elijah to watch it too. I hope it touched their hearts.)