MY SUMMERS BY THE TEMPLE

Great blessings came as my family used our vacation time to attend the each summer.

By David Isaksen grew up in . The nearest special occasion when we could go. his son. I felt I needed to repent of temple was in , , And even though the car ride was my rebelliousness and try to see the an 8- to 10-hour drive away. Need­ long and tedious, the Lord blessed us wisdom and love of his admonitions. Iless to say, any trip to the temple took for our sacrifice. The spiritual experi- These many years later those sum- careful planning and deliberation. ences I had at the temple helped me mers by the temple still shine in my Our stake planned two visits to the develop my love for the temple and memory. The temple has become temple for the youth each year; sev- its ordinances. They also brought us one of the truly beautiful places of eral wards would rent a bus and go to closer together as a family. the world, like the Waters of Mormon the temple for a weekend. It was fun One special experience I remem- were for the people of Alma: “How to go with other youth, but my fam- ber was when I was going through beautiful are they to the eyes of them ily and I wanted to go to the temple a little rebellious period. It felt like who there came to the knowledge of together sometime. I could see so many of my parents’ their Redeemer” (Mosiah 18:30). ◼ So one year we decided to go flaws, and I felt that they had no right The author lives in Utah, USA. to Stockholm during our summer to counsel me how to live my life. vacation. It was a great experience, Although I lived worthy to go to the and it soon became a pattern for temple, I was questioning my father’s

our summers. We would camp at role as the head of our family. But NOT BE COPIED; BACKGROUND AND BORDER © THINKSTOCK/ISTOCKPHOTO HALLBERG, MAY PHOTOGRAPH OF STOCKHOLM SWEDEN TEMPLE BY STEFAN a campground close to the temple. when we went to the temple together Each morning we would get up early to do baptisms and confirmations, I BLESSINGS OF THE TEMPLE for a baptismal session with other felt the presence of a sweet spirit. As hat blessings have you experienced families from Norway who had come my father laid his hands on my head Was you’ve gone to the temple? to the temple. Afterward we would to confirm me on behalf of people Consider sharing your feelings with a family play football and go swimming at the who had passed away, I felt the Spirit member or writing about them in your campground. confirm to me that he was acting by journal. These summers are sacred memo- the true authority of the priesthood. ries for me now. Although we didn’t This made me realize that although live close enough to the temple to my father was not perfect, he was still go there each month, it was always a a good father and I was blessed to be

56 Liahona