God invited Noah into the
Ark for protection. He creates arks today for us to dwell in for safety. Our temples today may be one of those
arks. Genesis 7:1
I began attending church on Sunday when I was
12 years old. When I was fourteen, I felt a desire to gain a testimony. I found
the Standard Works not interesting to read.
The standard works included The Bible, The Book of Mormon, The Doctrine
and Covenants, and The Pearl of Great Price. I love to study history. I was given a copy of Joseph Smith History of
The Church. I read and journaled about
what I was learning.
With this scripture study, I gained a desire
to live a better life. I gained a desire to live a more moral life. My family was participating in some activities
that were not morally correct. I wanted
to be an influence in helping them to live a more ethical and joyful life.
I love my family and do not want to shame or
disgrace them. I came to an understanding
that God could set apart and dedicate places where he could dwell with his
children. I wanted my bedroom to become a place like that in my parent's home. I dedicated my bedroom to be a place of sanctuary
like the temple in the center of our town—the temple built by grandfathers
where God would dwell with his children.
I think God invited me to create this temple
and to dwell in this temple as he invited Noah into the Ark. The Ark became a temple for his family and
animals to dwell with God.
