For my older sisters who attended BYU-I, the announcement, groundbreaking, and slow building of the Rexburg temple was big news. Now I got to witness the dedication. I got to volunteer at the openhouse, I got to attend the temple celebration, and today I got to watch a broadcast of the dedication of that grand majestic building up on the hill. It was a really great experience.
For te temple openhouse I got to usher. I was stationed right outside the celestial room, it was amazing. I lived in the Newport Beach temple district when it gotdedicated in 2005, and for that I Got to help with the open house too. With that one though, I got to sit outside and put shoecoverings on people's feet as they entered the temple. I'm glad I got to be inside the temple this time. There is suh a great spirit in there, even before it was dedicated.
The temple youth celbration was a lot of fun. They told the history of the rexburg area, and the youth and primary children danced, while a choir made up of university studentssang. I almost was a part of that choir, but I couldn't make it to enough of the rehersals, so I really missed out. I did get to attend the celebration where it took place, most of the other people had to watch a broadcast of it in other buildings on campus. Elders Nelson and Bednar were there to watch, I was sitting probobly 100 feet away from them or so. I was thinking though, They are men just like others. They're not celebrities, they are just representatives of Christ as we all should be.
I couldn't help but to compare this temple celebration to the one that I got to participate in two and a half years ago for the Newport Beach temple. Presidents Hinkley andFaust came and spokke to us at that one. That too was such a great experience.
So there is now a dedicated temple a short walk away from where I live. I can still only do baptisms there, but I plan to frequently. I love being in the temple, it is just the greatest feeling. I can't wait until I can go through the rest of it. That probobly won't be until I serve a mission in two years or if I happen to get married before that. I'm so excited  to go through the temple. Baptisms are still important, and I'm eager to do as much of that as I can.

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