Date Night

Saturday night, Will volunteered us to help clean the Snowflake temple for our date night. It was the neatest experience! Between the adjoining community of Taylor and Snowflake, there are more than 20 wards up here, and each ward takes turns assigning members to help clean. The temple workers alternate between light cleaning and deep cleaning every other day. We were assigned a deep clean day. The thought behind the thorough cleaning is that if you keep on top of it, it won't ever get dirty in the first place. I can attest to that! I wiped down marble on the floors for over an hour with my white rags, and I returned them at the end of the night only very, very slightly soiled. I clean my floors at home with a steam cleaner at least once a week, and sweep after each meal, and I am certain that a single swipe with a white rag would yield more dirt than the yards and yards of marble flooring I worked on did!
I know that Will agrees with me when I say that we will count this as one of our most awesome experiences, ever. I love the temple, but having the opportunity to help care for it somehow gave me a sense of ownership-for lack of a better word. It made me feel at home. By getting down on my hands and knees and scrubbing, I felt completely comfortable. The beauty that surrounded me felt familiar. Still awe inspiring, but no longer intimidating (like I was going to break something or get it dirty). I knew deep in my soul that the temple, and the beauty it has to offer- both physically from it's appearance, and more importantly, spiritually- was for me, specifically. I am so grateful for temples, but the testimony I carry in my heart is a little more familiar now. I am so grateful for Will-for both volunteering us to help clean and for being the man I walk through those beloved doors with.