“The Temple Is His House,” Friend, Mar. 2007, 32
The Temple Is His House
(Based on a true story)
I love to see the temple. I’m going there someday (Children’s Songbook, 95).
Three-year-old Natalee shifted in her car seat trying to get a better look out of the window. “There it is!” she exclaimed, excitedly pointing her finger. “There’s the temple!”
Her mother smiled as she saw the beautiful Manti Utah Temple come into view.
“Mommy, is the temple Jesus’s house?” Natalee asked.
“Yes, it is, sweetheart,” Mom replied. “Every temple is the house of the Lord.”
“Will I see Jesus when I go to the temple?” Natalee asked.
“Some people have seen Him in temples. I don’t know if you will, but we can feel His Spirit there.”
“Does He talk in the temple?” Natalee asked.
“Jesus does talk. We learn His words through our prophets, the scriptures, and the Spirit.”
“I take my scriptures to church on Sunday,” Natalee said proudly.
“Yes, you do. The scriptures tell us about Jesus’s gospel and how He wants us to live so we can live with Him again.”
“Will I live with Jesus someday, Mommy?”
“Yes, but you have a lot of things to do first. When you turn eight years old, you will be baptized and confirmed. Then you will be a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. Someday you will be married in the temple. You also need to be good, kind, and keep the commandments so you can live with Jesus again. We can be with all of our family too. You, Daddy, me, your brothers and sisters, your grandmas and grandpas, and even your cousins can be with us. If we live worthily, we can all live with Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father someday.”
“Is the church building Jesus’s house too?” Natalee asked a few minutes later.
“Yes,” Mom replied. “When we go to church, we learn about Jesus and His commandments.”
“My nursery teacher tells stories about Jesus. Is Jesus nice, Mommy?”
“He is very nice, and He loves you very much.”
“I love Jesus’s houses,” Natalee said.
“I love them too,” Mom said. “And I’m thankful for temple blessings.”
Natalee smiled a great big smile. Then she opened her arms as wide as she could and said, “I want to give Jesus a great big hug because I love Him too.”
Illustration by Pat Hoggan