Stockholm Sweden Temple

Temple #70

May 3, 2017

Stockholm, Sweden

     From Germany to Sweden we went! After the temple in Freiberg we took three different trains to Berlin. One was like the trains you imagine on Harry Potter or other shows, where you get your own little room with benches and a large window that even opened up. We finally got an awesome train I had dreamed of riding in!

     Berlin was fun, yet a little cold when we got there. We went and saw the Brandenburg Gate, a holocaust memorial, and the Berlin Wall, which were all pretty neat. Berlin holds a lot of history which should be experienced and seen, yet other than that it wasn't too exciting. 

     We then went to the airport where we took our late flight to Stockholm and got into Stockholm at 11:10. Somehow we were in the second row on the airplane although we had bought cheap, economy tickets. This was a tender mercy because we were able to run to a bus that left a minute after we got on it. We then took it for forty minutes into Stockholm, found the metro station, and luckily got onto the last metro that went near the temple. We arrived around 1:30 to temple housing, and were let in. 

     It was like a little miracle we made the last bus and the last metro to the temple, because otherwise we would have had to take a taxi which would have costed over $100. The Lord sure blesses us when we are in route to righteousness. 

     We first saw the temple that night from the metro and then as we walked to temple housing. It was lit up and gorgeous at night, and we couldn't wait for the next day. Temple housing itself was a blessing because it's affordable and convenient. Ivy also guessed their email, since it wasn't on the website, which was lucky for us. The temple housing was incredibly nice and we were finally able to get a good night rest, although it was short. We got up around 8:00 and went to the temple. It was a blue, sunny day, and we were more than excited. 

     The temple is different than a lot in design where the steeple is apart from the temple, and stands on its own in front of it. It also has four other steeples on each corner of the temple. The temple workers told us an interesting fact that it was built on and near old Swedish or Viking burial grounds.

     We were first welcomed by very kind temple workers, and many kind members within the temple. A nice thing about Sweden is that nearly everyone speaks English, and so it's easy to communicate with everyone. 

     In the session Ivy and I were able to sit next to each other, where only a few other temples let you do so. The session was in Swedish which was interesting but neat. 

     The Stockholm Temple is a smaller temple, although it doesn't look it from the outside. When we went into the Celestial room though we were still surprised and delighted. It was beautiful! There was a sun roof in the top of the ceiling where we were able to look up into the blue sky. The chandelier was unique as well, and was a large oval brass pipe with candle-like lights in it. It was different than usual, but very pretty. 

     We enjoyed the peace and comfort of the Celestial room and then left. Randomly, a man named Ron Meldrum was there in the session too, and I ended up talking with him. He’s a Mormon author who has written a few books on the proofs and evidences of the Book of Mormon, and also gives seminars on it and the DNA proof that exists as well. It was fun to talk to him and hear some of what he talks about. 

     After the temple one of the workers was kind enough to let me borrow a shirt and tie so we could get our picture. I had forgotten my shirt and tie somehow while packing, and we really wanted to get pictures in a white shirt and tie and not a Hurley shirt, and so we were extremely grateful to him. 

     The Stockholm Temple was amazing. The pine trees surrounding it were gorgeous, and everything about it was wonderful, from the temple housing, to the members of the church. It was a great experience!

     We then headed to downtown Stockholm, which was a fun place. It was a nice, warm sunny day, and we walked around the streets for a while and took some pictures of downtown. Most of what to do in Stockholm is museums, but just walking around the city was nice as well, especially the section named Gamla Stan where a lot of unique and old buildings are built, along with a beautiful palace. 

     Stockholm was incredible, and the temple was even more amazing. We loved it and were so glad everything worked out and we were able to make it to temple housing and the temple. We enjoyed our time there, but couldn't wait to fly to Spain, to our next destination of Madrid!