The opportunity to go through the temple was something Julianne was very excitedly looking forward to. This was a girl who already tried weekly to go to the temple to do Baptisms for the Dead. Who suggested going to the temple for date night with her boyfriend or a girls night out with her besties. It was the temple that she came whenever she felt like she needed an added dose of peace or clarity. To finally be able to go through fully and receive her endowments was a huge deal for her. In her study and pondering she had realized that going through the temple was not just something you do in preparation for a mission...but a goal in and of itself, no matter what it is that brings you there for your first time. And she was ready.
In her year of living in Provo for school at Utah Valley University, Julianne had come to have very strong feelings for the Provo City Center Temple. So it was her first choice when we talked about where she wanted to receive her endowments.
So there, seated between her older sister and her mom, Julianne experienced the fullness of the temple for the first time. Both sets of grandparents were there, as was the bishop of her YSA ward, the one who not only worked with her in getting her mission papers submitted, but also who she got to know very well as Relief Society president.
It's hard to find words to describe the feeling of watching your children go through the temple, to be there with them in that very sacred and special place.
