What a perfect experience!  Yes, like everyone says it was a little overwhelming but I did have more of that awesome feeling of the spirit with me the whole time!  I am so glad I made that decision to enter the temple and receive my own endowment.  It made the whole experience even better and made me so much more comfortable to be able to sit next to my Mom and look behind me and see amazing family, friends, neighbors, and ward members there with me!  I love them so much and am so grateful that they came with me to support me and share that experience with me.   

I know without a doubt that God loves me.  He's always provided a way and I know that I can always trust that.  I know my Savior lives!  He provided the only way for me to return home again through his sacrifice.  I am so grateful for that!  The temple provides so many blessings and the opportunity to help others make covenants from beyond the veil through us still here on earth.  I cannot wait to be set apart as a missionary to serve the people in Merida.  I know that is what I need to be doing at this point in my life.  I am grateful for everyone who has helped me get here.  I love this gospel and I know that it is true.

In the name of my Savior, Jesus Christ, Amen

TEMPLE PREP

This is the week I get to go to the temple and I couldn't be more excited!  I've sang it since I was in primary but on Tuesday I will change the words to this..."I love to see the temple, I'm going there TODAY!"  

Saturday my Mom and I went to Deseret Book and got everything I'll need for the temple, I was excited, well I am still excited but as we were there it also became all so much more real and I became very nervous as well.  This is a little new to me and I'm not sure exactly what to expect.  But as my mom pointed this out to me my nerves left.  She said, "just like as Baptism you are making covenants to show God that you want to become that person.  You want to be better, and you promise you will try your best to do that."  That felt so right to me.  I cannot wait to enter the House Of the Lord also known as 'the Lord's university.' I want to learn, I want to make that promise to my father in heaven.  I want to be perfected through Christ.  Here I go.

JORDAN RIVER, UTAH TEMPLE

In my preparation to enter the temple I've been doing a lot of praying, reading, and listening

I have so much love for the temple and I know that the more and more I go and learn there that love will grow too.  I not only love taking pictures of the beautiful outside, within those walls precious things take place for each of us and for our ancestors.  May we never take that for granted! 

I have taken the Temple Prep class a few times.  While attending SUU I had a great ward and I took the temple prep class there where I had amazing teachers.  That young couple made a huge impression on me.  This sister LOVES the temple, and she will tell you!  I am so glad I was able to learn from them about the temple, how to prepare to enter, what to do my first time (that advice being to not worry about remembering everything that I learn because there's a lot but to just be there and feel the spirit), and to go and learn often. 

starting papers, submitting, april fools, got my call!

It's been a great adventure so far!  I started preparing for a potential mission a few years ago.  Now that I've made the decision to serve It's time to find out where I'll be serving for 18 months, my call is here!

I started my papers February 2014
Submitted my papers March 30th 2014

And then I "got my call" a few days later April 1st 2014 APRIL FOOLS!

I borrowed a friend's call (who is going to Russia btw) and sent this pic to friends and family haha


My REAL call arrived April 10th 2014

And April 11th 7:15pm I read these sweet words

"Sister Hoggan you have been called to serve as a missionary for The Church Of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. You are assigned to labor in the México Mérida Mission!! It is anticipated that you will serve for a period of 18 months.  You should report to the Provo Missionary Training Center August 6th, 2014. You will prepare to preach the gospel in the Spanish language." :) 

I am ecstatic!

The first thing I said after reading México Mérida Mission was "I'm sure glad I learned French :P"  But really I could not be happier!  I am just in shock that this day has come, I know I won't be able to sleep tonight heck-it's already 1 in the morning :/

what a BEAUTIFUL temple!!