Giselle and Tanya had never played in the snow, so everyone went outside and made snow angels and a snow man and had a great time. I was a party pooper and stayed inside cooking dinner. I did take a few photos from inside the house.
After dinner, we headed downtown to City Creek and Temple Square. I had felt sad that we just didn't have time to take the girls to see the lights at Temple Square this year. But it ended up working out beautifully to go the day after Christmas. It was snowing lightly but it wasn't that cold, and our visitors had never been. They wanted to see everything and we ended up spending over 3 hours there. We saw the window displays at Macy's.
We went inside the South Visitor's Center and saw the displays there. My heart was touched as I read about the building of the Salt Lake Temple. I don't think I read anything that I hadn't heard before, but still I am so touched by the sacrifices the early saints made to build a temple. I am grateful for the temple. Alfredo and I answered questions that Adrian and his wife had (although mostly Alfredo, because they are most comfortable in Spanish and I am not fluent.)
We also went in the North Visitor's Center to see the Christus. The Spirit was strong as we listened to the Savior's words... "Learn of me. Listen to my words. Walk in the meekness of my spirit.... For behold, I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent...."
Adrian had heard about the Conference Center and really wanted to see it. So we headed over there and got a tour of the Conference Center. It was the first time anyone in my family had gone on a tour besides me.
Years ago, before Alfredo and I married, I had a dear friend named Diane. She served as a church service missionary at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building. She was a teacher at my school, and we became dear friends. We traveled around Europe together and went on several trips here in the US as well. She loved serving at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building and so I looked into it and was able to be called on a church service mission at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building as well. We served one night a week, on different nights. I served with wonderful older couples and two single women. They were amazing people and it was an amazing experience. It was while I served there that I began to date Alfredo and we got engaged and married. I was released just a few months before my three years of service were up because I was very pregnant with Michelle. Anyway, while serving there, the Conference Center was dedicated and they had each of us take a turn going on a tour. I have been on another tour, but I can't recall for certain who it was with...perhaps my parents? Anyway, this was my third tour...but everyone else's first. Michelle and I had been there just a few weeks ago for the Savior of the World performance and the girls and I had been there a couple of years ago for stake/regional conference. Alfredo and I have had tickets to conference there a couple of times. But on each of these occasions we saw just a small part of the conference center. We had a wonderful tour guide who showed us the assembly hall which was beautifully decorated for Christmas. She told the children about President Hinckley's black walnut tree in his back yard that had died and how he asked a carpenter if there was any possible use for it and how it had been carved and made into the podium.
She told us about the number of seats and how every seat is a good one and how the building is supported. She showed us pictures of the gardens on the roof (which was closed due to the snow) and she explained about Utah's symbol, the beehive. It stands for industry (working hard...doing your chores), thrift (not spending money you don't have) and cooperation (working together...minding your mommy). I loved that she spoke in a way that the kids could understand and she really kept their attention nearly the whole time despite us being on the tour for 45 minutes. She showed us the Book of Mormon hall and asked if the children had favorite paintings there. She talked about the importance of keeping a journal and how Lehi took the plates which was a journal or a record and how that helped his family and his posterity.
She showed us the paintings of the prophets and apostles and explained how our church is organized just like the ancient church at the time of Christ. I am reading/listening to President Monson's biography and I felt such an outpouring of love for him (as well as President Hinckley) as she talked about them and we saw their busts and their paintings.
One thing that I didn't know (or at least I don't think I had ever heard this) was that years ago, Brigham Young saw a huge building near the temple. It had trees on the top and fish ponds. It seated thousands of people. He wrote about his dream in his journal. Then in the 1950's the apostles thought they should build a bigger meeting place. But it was so difficult, so they put it aside and didn't. Then when President Hinckley was prophet, he set out to build the conference center. He didn't know about Brigham Young's dream. It wasn't until construction was underway that someone showed him the journal that described Brigham Young's dream. It is so amazing to be reminded that we have living prophets on the Earth today. They truly are inspired by God and cause prophecies to be fulfilled. I am so grateful for my testimony of the gospel. It is such a blessing.
The spirit was strong and she patiently answered questions, showed us as much of the building as we had time for (tours are supposed to end at 9, and we didn't finish until about 9:15). She said as we were leaving that one of the prophets or apostles (I can't remember now who) said that everyone who comes there is meant to be there at that time, and that the spirit had led us there to be there that night. I believe that is true. I am not sure whether Adrian's family felt the spirit as I did, but they were at least favorably impressed with what they saw and heard. Perhaps some small seed was planted that may take root later. If nothing else, I am grateful that my family was able to not just see the lights at Temple Square but to have such a spiritual experience.
After our tour, we headed back to City Creek to get some hot chocolate and then headed home. What a wonderful night!
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