Being in the Temple

Now that Brandt has turned twelve, he has been able to go to the temple.  It's been a treat to be with him there.  Today we had a sweet experience doing baptisms for the dead all together, although without Blythe who isn't yet old enough to go to the temple. 

We've had a ward challenge, during the month of November, to find a family name and then take that name to the temple and do the work.  While I had found several people identified by Family Search, I wanted to find some DeMartinis.  Mom and I went to the Church genealogy library in Salt Lake in October, because we needed help in how to proceed in our research.  I was helped by a very knowledgable man who put me on to an Italian website of civil records.  From his instruction, I was able to find three generations of ancestors--my great-great, great-great-great, and great-great-great-great grandparents!  It was thrilling and fulfilling to find them.

Today, at the temple, Kent baptized me and Brandt in behalf of some of these ancestors.  I thrilled to see Brandt being baptized by his dad.  I thrilled to be baptized by Kent.  I felt my dad's presence as we began the saving ordinances for his family.  I'm confident he has been working with them, teaching them the gospel, sharing with them the joy of being an eternal family.  I know the work we do in the temple is powerful and real and that by being there, we are becoming saviors on Mount Zion.  I felt the Spirit so strongly during our time there, and I am grateful for the Lord's love, and the blessing of making convenants with Him for ourselves and for our kindred dead.  I truly love being in the temple, and I love being there with those I love the very most in life.