Twin Falls Temple Dedication/President Monson

Just wanted to share the expericence that we had in the Temple on the morning of the dedication of the Twin Falls Temple. I was lucky enough to get tickets for Mark, Ryley, McKinley and myself to be in the temple for the 9:00 dedication. We got to the temple 2 hours before the dedication (which means we had to be up at 5:00 AM) to get seats. We were seated in one of the smaller sealing rooms. With a T.V. to watch the dedication on. Mark was really hoping to be in the creation room because the painting in that room is so spectacular, but no luck it was already full. They had placed folding chairs everywhere to allow for as many people to be in the temple as possible. I had several people ask me if I thought the Spirit would be any different in the Temple than at the Stake centers where the dedication was being broadcast they acted like I was crazy to go to all the trouble of getting to the temple that early. I just kept saying YES it will be. Weeellllllll as we sat on those folding chairs trying to be reverant and wait for everything to begin (which for 2 hours is pretty hard for me let alone for my kids) I began to wonder if all those people had been right, about 45 minutes before the dedication was going to start the girls and I thought we better make a trip to the bathroom. We went out into the hall and were directed to the restroom all the way downstairs. (aaauuurrrghhh I thought) So we went down the stairs and around thru all the chairs down in the main waiting area and people sitting waiting. We stood in line for the restroom for what seemed forever. When we got done and came out to head back upstairs to the sealing room and Mark, everyone in the main area was standing I began to panic because I figured we had been waiting in the restroom long enough that the dedication had started I didn't have a watch on so I had no idea of the time. I got in front of the girls and began to quietly excuse us through the crowd of people standing to get back around to the main staircase to get upstairs. I heard a big strong voice and I stopped in my tracks as He laughed. I looked wide eyed at the lady standing near me, she nodded her head and mouthed " yes it is the Prophet" I stood on my tippy toes, there he was in his "street clothes" Suit and tie..... I turned to my girls and motioned for them to come past me. The crowd standing by us was mostly adults they parted and motioned for my girls to come forward so that they could see the PROPHET OF GOD and hear what he was saying. One lady even lifted Mac up so that she could see him better. He was just chatting with people as he walked by and telling stories and laughing, taking the hands of the children along the way. He stopped at one little boy I would guess he was 10 or so he asked the little boy if he was planning on serving a mission the boy said YES! The Prophet laughed and took his hand and said good. I don't know where you will be called but I can tell you it will be the right place for you. The little boy pipped up and said I hope it is somewhere warm. President Monson laughed hard at that and then said so you like the sunshine, me too. Do you want to know how I learned to swim? He then told a story about when he was a young boy and his sister and her boyfriend were swimming in the Provo river and the boyfriend threw young Thomas in the water and told him sink or swim. I couldn't quite hear all the details over the laughter from the crowd but I think that when he got out of the water he punched the boyfriend in the nose and when they got home the sister told their Father that Thomas had punched the boyfriend and when Thomas explained to their Father what had happened their Father said "Well, I would have punched him in the nose too!". He laughed, his shoulders shook up and down. (For a minute I thought I saw the family resemblence.) With that he moved on a little further and then stopped again taking the hand of another child in the crowd. He told another story about one day his wife had asked, "Tom, why do you line your shoes up by the bed the way you do every night?" He said he told her he didn't know.... he said then I began to think about why did I line my shoes up the right shoe 2 inches in front of the left shoe right next to my bed every single night. Then it hit me, I joined the service when I was 17 years old he said and they taught us to do that so when there was a problem in the night we could find our shoes in the dark and get on our way. "Isn't that funny that 70 + years later I still do that, Well, that just goes to show you what a habit will do!" He told the kids make sure they learned good habits because habits are so hard to change. He then said, "When I told my wife why I lined my shoes up do you know what she said to me? She said, "Well, I hope you don't expect me to start doing it!" Then he giggled again. He moved on down the row shaking hands and greeting people all the way to the elevator. As I stood about 15 feet from him watching him and listening to him I swear I could see the Spirit around him..... Even in a dark suit he glowed. Does that sound crazy?????? I could feel the Spirit in that room sooooooooooo strong again.. It was just like the night before at the Youth Cultural Celebration I think I could have reached out and touched it the Spirit was just that strong. (One of the little girls that he shook hands with lives in Declo and goes to school with McKinley. We saw her after the dedication waiting to get onto the bus that took us back to where we had all had to park our cars. I asked if I could touch her hand that the Prophet had touched ..... She had to think for a minute whether or not I would ruin it..... After a few minutes she did let me touch her hand)
We made our way back to the sealilng room. We were sooooooo excited we could hardly stay quiet. ( We couldn't wait we had to whisper the experience to Mark) It was an amazing thing for me and 2 of my beautiful daughters who are at such an impressionable age. They both felt the Spirit and it did make a huge impact on them. A young boy seated behind us heard us talk and asked the hostess couple in our room if he could stand by the door to watch for the Prophet to get off the elevator. They let him in fact they had all of the children in the room stand at the doorway to see him . They did see him, he waved at them and then they came back to their seats the boy behind us said to his Mom, "he looked me right in the eyes Mom" I turned around and said then you better do everything he has said like serve a mission and get married in the temple hadn't you he said Yes, for sure I will." Do I even have to tell you that I have loved to tell every single one of the people who said to me..... "do you think the Spirit will be any different in the Temple,......." YES IT WAS....... WE SAW THE PROPHET OF GOD..... WE FELT HIS SPIRIT...... I do know that those members who were at the Stake Centers felt the Spirit also and that it was a truely wonderful experience for them. We were just lucky no we were blessed so very blessed to be able to have this special once in a lifetime opportunity to feel His Spirit to reafirm that God does lives, and has a Prophet on this earth to lead us Thomas S Monson is that Prophet...... I testify to you that this it true!!!!

I love you all my dear, dear family.......