London: Day 28 (June 9, 2012)

I know this looks really long but it is a good story so keep reading....

I went to the temple today.  It actually is a pretty amazing story.  I have not been to the temple since the first week of March.  I have tried and failed twice to get to the temples here in England.  Then today I finally actually got to the temple and realized that I forgot my recommend.  I wasn't even going to go in and ask because of the time zone difference - they couldn't call my stake president it was like 6 AM.  And then I think my records got sent back to my parents' ward and the bishop doesn't really know me there. The recommend was issued from my Midvale Stake, and my branch president in PA was released right before I left and I don't know if the new one knows me.  He certainly has never interviewed me and I can’t remember his name.  So I sat there thinking, “Well, I just sit here for a while and then go home.”  But then I decided to just go and ask.  I realized that part of the reason why I didn’t want to ask was because I was embarrassed.  Here I am this lone woman from America, traveling alone and I can’t remember to bring my temple recommend.  It was being single and American that made me most self-conscious.  But as I sat there I thought: “It can’t hurt to ask.  The worst thing that can happen is that they will very kindly tell you that you can’t come in.  But if you don’t ask then you won’t get to go in.  How sad for you to just sit here because you were embarrassed to admit out loud that you forgot your recommend when if you only asked you might actually be able to go in.  Maybe now that they have the bar codes on them they can get my records.”  So I walked into the temple and confessed that I forgot my recommend.  The brethren that helped me were so kind and reassuring. And of course the end of this story is that I was able to go in and do a session and it was so amazing.  I walked in to the celestial room and my breath was taken away by how beautiful it is.  I have seen all of these castles and museums and wonderful places but this is by far the most beautiful place I have seen on my travels.  I sat down and started to cry because I realized that unlike the palaces of earthly kings, the palace of my Heavenly King is a place where I am most welcome.  There are probably rooms in Buckingham Palace that are as beautiful physically, but I am not allowed to go there.  And even if I were invited inside I would not feel like I belonged there. However, this palace felt like home to me. I belong there and I am oh so welcome to be there.  I am so grateful that I asked if I could go inside even though I forgot my recommend.  It was a testimony to me that if we want to go into the Lord's palace He will open the door to those that knock.