Piece by Piece

Yesterday I had the opportunity to sit and contemplate the beauty of one of the historic pioneer monuments of Utah: the Logan Temple. Dedicated in 1884, this Temple is the second operating LDS Temple in the world and is truly an example of excellent pioneer craftsmanship and the dedication required to erect such a magnificent building. It is estimated that nearly 25,000 people labored during the 7 year construction of this building and the immaculate interior. Women spent two months working to hand make two thousand square yards of carpet. Rocks and timber used for the temple were hauled from the Temple Fork area of Logan Canyon. The east tower is 170 feet above the beautiful hill where the building is located. All in all, it truly stands as a testimony of hard work and perseverance of the people that lived in the Cache Valley at that time.

I love to look at the temples of the church, but yesterday only one thing kept my attention: the thousands of rock pieces that make up the massive walls. I can scarcely imagine the monumental task given to the pioneers to complete such a huge and ornate building when they were still settling in this relatively new area. However, each piece of rock was carefully chiseled by hand and placed in the right spot. Piece by piece they were able to finish what many probably thought was impossible. Their work will stand as a symbol of dedication to the Lord because they were willing to haul, shape, and place each piece of limestone.

When my life is finished I want to have accomplished a few things, the most important being that I want to be able to see that I have lived a life of faith and done the best that I can with what I had available. With hopefully years to come before this day, this goal often seems monumental. How can I do my best when I'm exhausted from a teething toddler or when I can't seem to garner enough patience to deal with a three-year-old's logic? Despite my many limitations during this phase of my life, I know that if I just do what I can each day, piece by piece, I will be lifted up by others and the Lord so that things will work out. And when the time comes, I will hopefully be able to look back and see a life that is made up of tiny pieces of goodness and hard work that has been shaped into something magnificent.

"And because thou hast seen thy weakness thou shalt be made strong, even unto the sitting down in the place which I have prepared in the mansions of my Father." Ether 12:37