Temples Opening: An answer to our prayers and an invitation (with video)

Before General Conference, and also on Good Friday, we as saints followed the Counsel of our prophet, and fasted and prayed that this current pandemic would be controlled, and that our lives would be normalized. 

As you may remember, in last week's post, I mentioned that I miss the temples the most, and stated I would Fast this last Fast Sunday, May 3, that temples would open. And I invited people to fast with me. 

I'm not a prophet, and I didn't make any promises that temples would open.  But the prophet had invited us previously to fast that things would normalize.  And just a month after the first 2 fasts, and 4 days after this last Fast Sunday, just today, the church made the following announcement;

“With profound gratitude to our Heavenly Father that He has heard our prayers, we rejoice in announcing a careful, phased reopening of temples. With this letter,we are authorizing the reopening of 17 temples.”

They went on to say that just live ordinances are being done now, with limitations, but proxy ordinances may soon be done, and that more temples would open as conditions permit.

How knowing he heard our prayers changed my heart
As I prayed about it, my soul was filled with love, and I knew the Lord had heard my prayer.  To receive that confirmation was worth every sacrifice.  And the words of the First Presidency confirm that the Lord heard all of our prayers. 

An invitation to feel the love of God

So I have another invitation.  I invite all people who participated in any of the fasts to pour their hearts out in prayer, and ask the Lord in the name of Christ if he has heard their prayers. And wait for the confirmation from the spirit.

As you read the announcement, you may have already felt the confirmation of the spirit that the Lord did hear your prayer.

But whenever it happens, I pray that you might feel of the Love of the Lord, and know that your faith joined with saints of all ages, and helped these temples to reopen. 

Though there may be some more time before the temples are operating at full capacity, and still some time before proxy ordinances may be done, my heart is rejoicing with the knowledge that the Lord heard my prayer, and I feel such a sense of unity with all of the Saints on both sides of the veil whose prayers opened the windows of heaven.

One thing we can do to prepare
While we are waiting for proxy ordinances to start, I encourage you to prepare by opening the Family Tree Mobile App or go to the Family Search website, and check the "ancestors with tasks" section and see if there are more of your ancestors you can add to your Family tree, and then reserve their names.

Our prayers joined with the Saints across the ages

Because I believe the prayers of those who have passed on, whose ordinances need to be done were joined with ours as we fasted and prayed. 

The Heavens and Earth are rejoicing
It is my opinion that the heavens and the earth, and multitudes of our kindred dead are rejoicing today. And I hope you can feel of that. The Lord pleads with us to turn to him so that he may bless us with his love. And today's announcement lets us know that he has blessed us as we have done just that.  To close, here is a brand new 2 minute long video with a message of hope from President Nelson

The announcement is at the Church Newsroom, and the details are in the following letter from the First Presidency.  Pictures courtesy of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.