The Temple of the Mayas

This weekend we visited Quetzaltenango, the unofficial "captital of the Mayas."  It is also known by its Mayan name, Xelajú (meaning "under ten mountains") or simply Xela for short.  It sits in a beautiful, agricultural valley high in the mountains (7,600 feet in elevation), surrounded by volcanoes, hills, and mountains.  Every inch of it and its surrounding hills is cultivated and produces rich harvests of corn, coffee, and all types of fruits, vegetables, and nuts.  The population is predominantly Mayan and traditional Mayan dress is the norm.  It is the second largest city in Guatemala, but it is not Americanized like the Capital; it is much more traditional.

We attended the temple on Saturday morning.  It really is the temple of the Mayas!  I can't describe how beautiful the temple is!  It sits atop a hill overlooking the city surrounded by expansive and beautifully manicured grounds.  It is built on the theme of the Mayan temples of antiquity both in its architecture and in its appointments.  It is such a beautiful and peaceful place!  On Saturday it was teaming with Mayas, most in traditional dress, and large youth groups doing baptisms.  It was moving to see them in their temple and so filled with the light of Christ!  It truly is the Temple of the Mayas.

We visited the beautiful central plaza and other sites in the city and attended church in a vibrant ward near our hotel.  On the way home we stopped and visited the impressive property "Las Colinas" which is the stake camp near Chimaltenango where they hold SOY (like EFY) and other youth camps and other church gatherings.  It is a most impressive property with first class facilities.  I haven't seen anything like it before, even in the States.

We travelled this weekend with our friends here, Ross and Kari Sanford, who serve with Mary Ann in the Dental Clinic.  It was a very enjoyable trip.

The Pure Love of Christ

I have been thinking much this week about the wonderful spirit of peace, joy, and love we feel here in Guatemala.  There is a spirit in this Work that is hard to describe.  It hearkens me back to my days as a young missionary in Colombia.  There too I felt this same special spirit and experienced the same spiritual growth that we feel here in Guatemala.  We feel this special spirit in our work in the Area Office and Dental Clinic, and we especially feel it in our work in the Guatemala City Temple.  Last night at the temple, I officiated in a session of the endowment where an elderly couple came to receive their endowment and then be sealed as eternal companions.  The spirit in the session was marvelous and moving.

As I have contemplated this topic this  past week or so, I have come to realize that the feeling we are experiencing here is the pure love of Christ.  It is our love for Christ and for the Father that brings us here to serve as missionaries, but what I mean is that God loves his missionaries and He shares that love with them in a very special way.  That love fills our hearts with great peace and joy, with gratitude, and a desire to do always that which pleases our Father.  There are many things which we could be doing with our lives right now, but I can´t think of anything that we could be doing that could possibly bring us such love, peace, and joy as serving here.

I hope and pray that each of my grandchildren will gain a personal testimony of the Book of Mormon, the Prophet Joseph Smith and the Restoration, the Church, and our Savior, Jesus Christ, and that each of them will have the experience of tasting his pure love as a missionary.  There is nothing sweeter than the love of God.