Where Have You Been?

Tonight I went to the temple to do baptisms for the dead. As I walked in one of the temple workers came over to me with a big smile on his face and said, "How are you Sister? Where have you been? We've missed you."

I'd forgotten I used to come every Tuesday night, but this brother remembered. He remembered me and noticed that I'd been missing. In the business of this semester I got distracted and haven't attended the temple as often as I should have. But it was a silly thing to do. Life has been crazy and I need the perspective the temple provides - just like my favorite quote about the temple says.

"At the temple the dust of distraction seems to settle out, the fog and the haze seem to lift, and we can ‘see’ things that we were not able to see before and find a way through our troubles that we had not previously known.”

—President Boyd K. Packer

I was touched that this temple worker remembered me out of all the people that come and go in the temple. And I was touched by his words. It made me think about how sad it would be to have the Lord say to us, "Where have you been?" What a good reminder it was that the Lord is aware of each of us and wants us to stay by Him. But of course if we do stray (which we all do in some way or another), the Lord will greet us with a smile saying, "I have missed you," and welcome us back with open arms.

I love the temple and am so grateful to live so close to so many temples. What a privilege.