I wish I had the words to express what happened at the temple on August 18, 2012. The feelings of love and excitement were so strong and I am grateful that Melinda let me be a part of it.
We went to the temple so that Melinda could do the endowment work for her mom, seal her mom to her parents, seal her parents together and then to finally seal herself to them. Lots of work to do!
The endowment was wonderful as it usually is. Then we all went to the sealing room. The sealer began to talk and share his feelings and testimony about what was taking place that day. I wish I could remember all the things that he said, but I distinctly remember him saying that it really didn't matter when we were sealed. It just mattered that it was done. Yes, of course there are added blessings for those who are sealed in this lifetime. There are blessings that even go unnoticed, but as long as the work is done, it doesn't matter when.
After he finished talking, Roger, Melinda's cousin (Sister Murphy, sorry, I can't remember her first name), and Melinda all knelt around the alter to seal Charma to her parents. I cannot describe the emmence feelings of love that filled the room. Those parents love their daughter Charma SO MUCH. I could tell that they were very grateful to finally be sealed together.
Next, Roger and Melinda knelt across from each other, acting on behalf of Lee and Charma. Again, such great love filled the room. It was a different kind of love though. It was the kind of love you feel when you are twitterpated, when you are in love with your choice, when you are newly-weds. I could sense how much they missed each other and how excited they were to be reunited. Later, I thought about how they had been married on earth until death, but now they would be married again, for ETERNITY. They were newly-weds in a sense. Lee loves Charma so much! At the same time I could feel a sort of sadness from him, almost as if he regretted taking so long to be there with her.
Finally, Melinda knelt down to be sealed to her parents. Again, love filled the room. I felt as if Melinda was fulfilling one of her divine purposes on this earth. I felt honored to be her cousin and to be in the temple with her that day. I felt she was a very strong person and a great example to her family.
This experience strengthened my testimony and I am grateful to have been able to attend. Families can be sealed together forever in the House of the Lord. I know that life continues after we die, relationships continue, and learning continues. We have a Father in Heaven that loves us and does all He can to bless us.
