Lubbock Temple

I know this picture isn't very good quality, but here are my little Payne's touching the most beautiful building in Lubbock! I am so grateful to be 8-10 minutes from a Temple. There have been quite a few times where I'm talking to someone or introducing myself, and when the topic of religion comes up, I tell them I'm a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Sometimes, they know, but if not I say I'm a mormon. Then it clicks. But then, they say something about the Temple--either that they walked through it when it was first built, or their dad walked through it, or their friend--and whoever it was who walked through this magnifisent building is always impressed. I, too, am impressed with the Lubbock Temple. It is one of the smaller temples that has been built, but definitely a "grand" building.

Something kind of interesting about the Lubbock, Temple (I'm 90% positive it's true :), and this is it: There is more gold in the Lubbock, Texas, Temple than any other temple in the world, with the one exception of the Salt Lake Temple. The reason for this is that when President Hinkley announced the building of small temples, they began, but then they were too small. So he said to build them bigger. The Lubbock Temple was the first of what I call the "bigger of the small ones." They wanted to put everything into it, so that when President Hinkley saw it, he could decide what he did/didn't like about it, then pattern other temples from it. And there is a lot of gold in that building--very beautiful, very bright!

This building is what brought our family to Lubbock. It is a place where I can go, then come out a better person (President Hinkley's words). It has been a place of peace and learning for me.