Festival of Colors and the Temple

Once again I went to the Festival of Colors, but this time it was even better because I was with my two best friends, too! We went to the first throwing of the colors, so it wasn't as crowded when we first got there. We danced an Indian dance in the temple and it was quite a work out! Despite breathing in all the chalk-like stuff, I had a lot of fun coloring and being colored. What a way to welcome in Spring!

Picture by Jessica Bingham, not me. :D

  

As a side note, this morning I thought a lot about going to the Hindi temple and compared it to the LDS temple. The festival is a kind of religious tradition or maybe even ritual to the Hindus. We join in with them because it's a festival and lots of fun, but for them, saying the Mantra (which they sing sometime after throwing the colors) is a spiritual experience and they believe it can sanctify them as they say it. The announcer also said that they believe this festival was started by Krishna (their deity) himself some 5,000 or 10,000 years ago so he felt like he was following in his footsteps. Being LDS, this reminded me of how I go to the temple to do the same thing-to follow in Christ's footsteps by receiving all the ordinances of the temple so I can become like Him. Although the festival was fun, I am very grateful that LDS temples are much different. The blessings of participating are much more than being sanctified and they last beyond the moment of participation--they last for eternity. Granted, I don't honestly know a lot about Hindu temple worship or all they believe they receive from it, but I do know LDS temples operate because we have the restored fullness of the Gospel and with that, the activities we participate in the temple are infused with a power and sacred feeling that no member of the church can take lightly. I don't just go to the temple, I live so I can keep that power that I feel in the temple with me where ever I go everyday.

Here are some verses from the scriptures that I feel make the LDS temple different and very important to me: 

They all come from Doctrine and Covenants 109:

8Organize yourselves; ^aprepare every needful thing, and establish a house, even a ^bhouse of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of ^corder, a ^dhouse of God;

12That thy ^aglory may rest down upon thy people, and upon this thy house, which we now dedicate to thee, that it may be sanctified and consecrated to be holy, and that thy holy presence may be continually in this house;

20And that no ^aunclean thing shall be permitted to come into thy house to ^bpollute it;

22And we ask thee, Holy Father, that thy servants may go forth from this house armed with thy power, and that thy ^aname may be upon them, and thy glory be round about them, and thine ^bangels have charge over them;

35Let the ^aanointing of thy ministers be sealed upon them with power from on high.

38Put upon thy servants the ^atestimony of the covenant, that when they go out and proclaim thy word they may ^bseal up the law, and prepare the hearts of thy saints for all those judgments thou art about to send, in thy wrath, upon the inhabitants of the ^cearth, because of their transgressions, that thy people may not faint in the day of trouble.