A Temple Marriage

"If you want something to last forever, you treat it differently.  You shield it and protect it.  You never abuse it.  You don't expose it to the elements.  You don't make it common or ordinary.  If it ever becomes tarnished, you lovingly polish it until it gleams like new.  It becomes special because you have made it so, and it grows more beautiful and precious as time goes by." -Elder F. Burton Howard*

About six years ago I learned that I had a longing to photograph the temples.  This was something that it seemed like everyone was doing, but I wanted to do it.  I soon realized I wanted to be doing this because I wanted to spend time around the temple as often as possible.   There is a peace about the temple, both inside and outside.  I longed for that peace as much as possible.

I have never considered anything less than a temple marriage for myself.  I want to start my future family off on the right foot and to me, that means being sealed to my future spouse for time and all eternity.  Why would you not want to start your new life off that amazingly?! 

I have been blessed to be surrounded by some fantastic people in my life.  As I have gotten older the friends that I associate with are also getting older.  I don't mean that in a bad way, but most of my friends are 30+ years old.  I look up to them because they know what they want.  It's hard to be a single adult in the church, everyone thinks you should be married by 21.  I was at lunch with some friends today and one friend that was recently married, and now teaches the Laurels in her ward said this.  "I cannot imagine life any differently now.  Being married to your best friend is everything.  But waiting for that was so worth it.  Waiting to find the right person and to get married in the temple was everything."  It's easy to rush in life, but this isn't something that can be rushed.  A temple marriage is special and needs to be treated as such.  We should all be striving for a temple marriage whether we are 18, 35, or 80.  I strongly believe that we should strive for a temple marriage even after we are married.  We need to keep working towards those things that keep us worthy to enter the House of the Lord.

To quote President Hinckley from a February 1999 Ensign article he says;

"This will be the most important decision of your life, the individual whom you marry... Marry the right person in the right place at the right time."** 

*General Conference Address "Eternal Marriage"; F. Burton Howard (April 2003)

**"Life's Obligations", Ensign, February 1999, 2