As part of the Feather River Temple open house, President Mehr and I were invited to give tours of the temple to invited VIP guests from various communities in the area. Prior to our giving these tours we were offered some training, and in that training Elder Jonathan Schmitt, a General Authority Seventy, shared how he had had the opportunity to give these types of tours during a temple open house in Arizona. He mentioned that giving these VIP tours changed him. This seemed like an interesting and bold thing to say, but over the several days that we spent giving tours to some wonderful people, I can say that doing so changed me too. It changed us.
When President Mehr and I began to lead tours with members of the community, they were very kind and seemed genuinely interested in seeing inside the temple. Many whom we met live in Yuba City and have been watching the temple’s construction since its beginning. As my husband and I met the visitors and invited them into the temple, we guided them from room to room and provided a brief explanation of each area of the temple. I was always touched at their visible and audible awe at the beauty of each room. They were simply in awe at the beauty of the temple. And this would happen again and again with each person, with each group.
But a really special thing happened as these tours ensued. As we moved from room to room and spoke of spiritual things in a holy place, we saw the countenance of the visitors change. We saw their eyes soften and their hearts being touched by what they were feeling and experiencing in the house of the Lord. We saw the spirit of the Lord and the spirit of the temple touch their hearts. Near the end of the tour, we invited them to share any thoughts or feelings they may have had during our time together, and many expressed the peace that they had felt, especially in the celestial room.
A few of the memorable comments made to us were that you could tell the temple was a work of love, that we all need the peaceful and calm feelings they had felt in the celestial room and that the temple engenders the reality and love of God.
When the tours ended, the visitors expressed their gratitude for the tour and many wanted to hug us as they left. We indeed had had a special and spiritual experience together. We share our witness that the temple is a holy place, that it is the house of the Lord and that all who enter may feel the peace, strength and love He offers.
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