Mosiah 2; 1-7

This chapter has so many gems in it, I decided to break it up into smaller paces. I just feel like there is so much I can apply to my life here.  I love everything about this chapter.  I was impressed this morning as I read about the people being called to gather at the temple.  They were called to gather at the temple and they came, but this morning I was particularly impressed at what they did before they came, or as they came.
Verse 3 tells how they brought the firstlings of their flocks to sacrifice at the temple.  This made me think how going to the temple does require sacrifice.  But they didn't bring their second best to the temple they brought their firstlings.  The thought I had was how often do we put the temple at the bottom of our priority list, or we wait until it is convient, instead of putting the "firstlings of our week" forward and making it a top priority, and sacrificing what we need to, to be there.
Verse 4 says that the reason they brought these sacrifices was so that they "might give thanks unto the Lord their God." and it lists the many blessings that they were grateful for.  I was again struck with the thought that as we enter the temple so often we have a vague sense of gratitude or a prayer in our hearts of something we are needing, but if we take the time to actually COUNT OUR BLESSINGS before we go, that opens our eyes to see how the hand of the Lord works in our life, and I think that will help us be more open to the promptings and teachings of the temple while we are there.
The third impression I had was how in verse 5 and 6 they talk about how they brought their family and pitched their tents with the "door thereof towards the temple" and they were EAGER to hear the words that King Benjamin would speak to them.  I know it is important to have our home focused on the words of the prophets, and on the temple, and I thought how important it is when Mom and Dad leave for the temple, that we should go eagerly (not grudgingly or halfheartedly, wishing we were doing something else, or in a hurry to get it over and done with) and that when we do go we let our children know how excited we are to be able to go to the house of the Lord.  I also had the impression of how important it is to have a picture of the temple in each of my children's rooms.
Like I said there are SO many things that can apply to our lives today, in ways that we can get more out of the temple, and help our children focus on it more.
A.C.T. Today I will plan a date (in stone) for when we are going to go to the temple, and before we go I will 1- make that trip to the temple a top priority on my calendar, not to be rescheduled for a more "convenient" time 2-Make a detailed list of my blessings that I can thank the Lord for when I do go 3- look forward to that visit eagerly.  I will also check to make sure that each of my children have a picture of the temple in a prominent place in their rooms.
RETURN AND REPORT:  On March 19th, John and I are going to go to the temple that morning, since he has it off work.  I will report more after we have been.  WOW! We went to the temple on the 19th, and before I went I spent some time writing/discussing with John our "blessings" and suddenly the things we were going to ask the Lord about on our part were really insignificant- I found my heart turned to others, but most importantly, I found such gratitude and faith in a God that LOVES US and blesses us, and it helped me see that all he does is for our good, so even the trials and tribulation that come in this life, is to teach us (I already knew that, but it reaffirmed it), and that he truly does have our best interest in mind.  As we fasted a week or two ago about some trials (furlough, lot loan, family issues) we were both given the answer that God is aware, he will not let us "sink" to quote a story told by Elder Clark at Stake Conference.  He said, the men on the boat on the sea of Galalie when Christ was sleeping and a storm came, forgot one important thing- Christ was on the boat! He is on our boat with us (as long as we are being obedient and faithful) he isn't going to let us sink.  Our trip to the temple, reminded me of this very things again.  By counting our blessings, I was reminded of how many times the Lord has kept us from sinking in the past, and that he will continue to do so.