Dear Sennika,
You were only seven months old when you went inside your very first temple. Although young, I will never forget your little face as you took in the visual beauty and the powerful spirit of the Celestial Room in the Rexburg, ID temple during the Open House. President Eyring recently said, "For both parents and children, the temple is the best opportunity to gain a feeling for and a love of heavenly places. That is especially true when the children are young. Children are born with the Light of Christ. Even a baby can feel that a temple is sacred." And at your young age, we knew you could feel the significance of where you were.
After that first temple experience with you, Dad and I decided we would take you (and later, your brothers) to any temple Open House that was within reasonable driving distance. There were several that you were probably too young to remember but many that you have vivid memories of. We knew we wanted you and your brothers to love the temple, so it has been worth all the hours in the car or any other sacrifices to provide you with opportunities to be inside temples at a young age.
It's been sweet to watch you these past 6 months of having your very own temple recommend. We appreciate your examples of prioritizing temple and family history work and your reverence and love for the temple. With your brother, Gavin, being only about 6 months away from his first temple recommend, we know that your brothers have been taking note too.
Tonight, I have a few things I want you to always remember about the temple as you continue to learn, grow, and experience in life.
1. Having now performed temple work inside 12 different temples, I hope you will never forget that no matter where you go in the world, the ordinances are the same. I hope you can start to feel at home inside the temple as it has become more familiar to you (but never become casual about this privilege).
2. I hope you will always keep a current temple recommend...but if not, I hope you will never forget that you can always start from where you are to get your life in order to enter those sacred walls again. Life is going to happen, Sennika! We have talked a lot over the years about how we all make mistakes. As much as I know you don't want to, you will "mess up..." and it's okay! There is never anything you could do or say or others could do or say to you and there aren't any life experiences that could prevent you from being able to be worthy of a temple recommend again. Period. So if Satan tries to get you down as you live life and learn and grow, always remember this!
3. I hope you will never forget to attend the temple regularly. Regularly has meant different things during different times and seasons of my own life. You are old enough to have observed this time and season of weekly temple attendance for myself the past few years, but you were probably too young to remember that when I was pregnant or had a new baby (which Dad and I so much hope will happen for you some day), weekly wasn't always possible. You are probably old enough to have heard me talk about Initiatory, Sealings, and Endowments. I learned as a mom with young children, Initiatory and Sealings were much more feasible for our family because that is what I had time for. Go at your own pace. Compare you to you. Your regular won't be someone else's regular and your regular for the time and season of life you are in won't be your regular at other times and seasons of life. So take it in stride, but always remember to go regularly.
4. I hope you will never forget your ancestors. We stand on the shoulders of giants! I know you know this! It has been amazing to watch you dive into not just genealogy, but family history. Your hunger to know our ancestors personally has been so inspiring to me. Remember that you carry their legacy. I believe our ancestors can help guide and protect us. Think of the joyous reunion you will have with each other when you greet them! Your gratitude for all they sacrificed for you to have what you have, and their gratitude for your efforts in the temples on their behalf.
5. I hope you will never forget to stay on the covenant path. As wonderful as your baptism and now having a temple recommend have been for you, Heavenly Father has even more in store for you as you press forward on the covenant path. That might be hard to imagine with how amazing it has been these past few years for you. Do you remember how excited you were in the locker room after your baptism? You kept saying, "Mom! I entered in the gate!!!" And that day you did!!! We are so proud of that decision you made that day and the ways you have pressed forward, but keep going! Like I said a minute ago, if you stray, know you can always come back. Know that Dad and I love you no matter what!
6. I hope you will never forget the power of your covenants. We are armed with real power, protection, promises, and strength because of the covenants we make that bind us to our Heavenly Father through Jesus Christ. Because it is so simple and because it's something we can become used to, we can forget how much power we have at our fingertips as one of God's covenant daughters. But never, never forget. Never doubt yourself. Never doubt your Savior. Never doubt God or His promises to you, His precious, precious daughter.
You are truly a delight to me, and I hope you will never lose your awe and love for the temple.
All my love,
Mom
XOXO
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