i'm going there someday

Anyone who went to primary in the church knows the song "I Love to See the Temple." As a child, it was one of my favorites. We lived in Utah at the time, and every time we saw a temple while we were out driving (which was a lot, because ... well, it's Utah) I would start singing the song.

"I love to see the temple

I'm going there someday

To feel the Holy Spirit

To listen and to pray

For the temple is a holy place

A place of love and beauty

I'll prepare myself while I am young

This is my sacred duty."

And I did prepare myself. Throughout the years, no matter what trials came my way, I always had this goal ahead of me: to get to the temple. And on January 2nd, 2015, I was endowed in the Manhattan temple.

Goal achieved, right? Well, if there's one thing I've learned in the past nine months, it's that it's not about getting to the temple - it's about going to the temple. Regularly. Renewing and reminding yourself of those covenants. And constantly living your life worthy of that little card in your wallet.

We need to constantly be preparing ourselves. It's not enough to just prepare once. Having the proper spirit with us when we enter the Lord's house is paramount, and it may mean that we need to rethink certain habits we've fallen into. What could keep the spirit from being with me? What could distract me from the purpose of temple work? What, if anything, do I need to change?

I've found myself re-evaluating myself and my choices over the past couple of months, and recommitting myself to temple work and service. It is such a blessing to be so close to a temple and be able to go as often as I wish, especially since I commute into the city for school. This semester, I've made a goal for myself to attend the temple weekly, and to always have it on my mind.

I want to keep with me the spirit of that song, the spirit I felt when I was little. The wonder and love of that place. It is just as wondrous now as it was when I was little, and I know that though I've been there, I still have so much to learn. I want to pursue that knowledge relentlessly and with determination, so that I can return to the presence of my Heavenly Father.