Temple to Temple 5K

We have had the wonderful opportunity to live in Provo during a very exciting time. The Provo Tabernacle which was severely damaged in a fire several years ago is being re-built in to a Temple. (For more information on Temples click here).

I had several fond memories of the Provo Tabernacle from when I was attending BYU. I heard President Uchdorff and his wife speak there shortly after he was called as an apostle. Shortly before we were married Michael and I had the interview for our sealing with the Stake President in one of the small side rooms off the main assembly hall. I attended my brother-in-law's graduation when Hazel was about 9 months old there; during the ceremony she dropped her pacifier from the balcony down on to the stage and nearly hit someone in the head:)

It's a wonderful building and I'm so excited to see it become a temple. Our stake is the "home stake" for the tabernacle which has made the whole process even more exciting. Recently they held a Fireside with the project manager overseeing the construction. He went in to detail about some of the amazing things they've done as they've turned this 100+ year old building in to a temple that will stand for generations to come.

Part of the process has involved suspending the building on stilts then digging 40 feet below it to create a basement. We visited the construction site last month and it is incredible to see what they've done.

At another point in the fireside our Stake President shared an experience that really touched me. He was the Stake President when the fire occurred. He, like so many, loved that building. But he felt the additional burden of "why did this happen on my watch? I'm supposed to be overseeing this building." He was with the fire investigation team in the days after the fire. When he saw this famous painting he felt an overwhelming sense of calm. He also felt as if the Lord was speaking to him saying "LeGrand, you know whose house this is. If I want to do a bit of re-modeling to my house, what's it to you?" (I love how our Stake President talks in such a down to earth tone haha).

He then went on to describe how often our "houses" (our lives, our plans, our families, etc) need to take a major shift for the worse so the "remodeling" can begin. It is in the times of trial and change that the Lord is making our houses become the exulted Temples we want them to be. But it's hard! It's hard to have faith in those times of great trial. And yet, if we can but endure the Lord has planned much grander, more beautiful houses for us.

I love the perspective his talk put on our lives. I often feel frustrated by not knowing where our family will end up (for goodness sake, we have no idea where we will be living a year from now). But it is such a comfort to know the Lord is guiding us. It also helped me realize that should I be called to face one of those "burn your house to the ground" type trials it would be on the path to transforming my house in to a temple.

To raise awareness about the temple and promote family history work, our stake hosted a "Temple to Temple" 5K Run/Walk on Pioneer Day. Where else in the world can walk from one temple to the next? No where!

We got up bright and early to start at the Provo Temple (Mike was running so he had already moved in place to start when we took the picture).

Then we finished just over an hour later at the new Provo City Center temple. (An hour is pathetic I know. Remember Gabby and I had 3 children with us and Hazel walked most of the way)

Afterwards, Hazel and Eliza enjoyed some more time hanging out with Brenny before she headed home.

We feel so blessed to be here as the Temple is built!