For members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, no church-built facility is more important than a temple. Different than chapels, where members meet for Sunday services each week, temples are sacred places where relationships are sealed together to last through the eternities. They're a place where earth and heaven meet and where we feel close to our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.
The Oakland California Temple commemorates its 50th year on November, 17, 2014. Ten years ago, I was called to serve as a missionary at the Oakland Temple Visitors Center, across the temple parking lot. Along with other 'sister missionaries' we would greet visitors, introduce them to the LDS faith and share testimony of Jesus Christ. Each day, as a new visitor arrived, we'd invariably hear something like, "I don't know why I'm here, but felt like I should come." Smiling in response, we invited them to learn about the temple or the Savior and they'd leave nourished with a greater measure of peace and hope.
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