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LAYTON — Sarah Tarma said it was cool to watch the progress from her family's backyard as the Layton Utah Temple was built.
The biggest moment for her was when the lights were turned on and lit up their home too.
"It's just so beautiful, and even just looking at the temple you just feel the spirit," she said.
She said the Bountiful Utah Temple, which her family attends now, is usually very busy, and they are excited to have more opportunities to visit a temple.
"It's just such a great blessing to be able to go to the temple and feel of the spirit and participate in the ordinances there and feel closer to our Savior," Tarma said.
The open house for the Layton Utah Temple is beginning on Friday. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is inviting anyone to tour the temple until June 1. Reservations are recommended but not required.
The interior of the temple is decorated with blues, greens and golds, and the building has stained-glass windows with cherry trees and blossoms. A statement from the church said the motifs in the temple were influenced by Layton's agricultural heritage.
Sister Amy A. Wright, first counselor in the church's Primary general presidency, said children and youth in the community were invited to write something on a rock that is "near and dear to their hearts." Those rocks were then mixed into the foundation of the temple.
She said many of the rocks had images of God's creations: families, names of others, a scripture, Jesus Christ or other temples.
"Our children and youth in this community literally are part of the foundation of the house of the Lord, and that foundation is built upon their faith in Jesus Christ," she said.
Tarma's three children each contributed to the temple foundation. Isabella, 11, painted a flower; Eva, 12, painted a family; and Helaman, 17, painted a scripture from the Book of Mormon about building a foundation on Christ.
Eva said she remembers seeing a picture in Primary of the concrete block that contained rocks painted by her and her siblings.
Helaman Tarma said he remembers the excitement he had while finding the perfect scripture to go on his rock.
"Just having that rock in there makes me feel like I helped build this temple, and that's just a wonderful thing," he said.
Isabella said it is cool to have something of hers that will always be in the temple's foundation.
Their father, Spencer Tarma, said they are planning to visit the temple as a family, and with other friends who are not members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, during the open house.
Sister Wright said the symbolism in the youth being part of the temple's foundation is part of every temple, although not always through painted rocks. She said the rising generation is not a replacement but a reinforcement for older generations, and the youth in the church are thinking outward toward people they don't even know as they perform baptisms in the temple for people who have died.
"They have a role, right now, in building the kingdom of God," Sister Wright said.
She said the invitation to visit the temple during the open house is not just an invitation to see the beauty of the temple but to "come and feel and know of the love that God has for each and every one of you."
Sister Wright said the temple is a place where members go to heal, and everyone needs that healing even if they don't realize it.
Lynette Checketts, who is helping with the temple open house along with her husband, said there was "so much rejoicing" in their home when the temple was announced. She said the location has already been a sacred place as they have felt peace and love.
Checketts said they can see the west spire from their kitchen window, so she makes sure to give her children the opportunity to do the dishes.
"We are fortunate to have raised seven of our eight children in sight of those spires of this temple," she said.
Their other child, Caleb, died 17 years ago, but Checketts said the temple gives her hope.
"Because of what happens inside this holy house ... I know that death is not the end and that we will be together as families," she said.
Checketts said she is excited to share their love for the temple with friends, neighbors and the community through the open house.
Elder Christophe G. Giraud-Carrier, a general authority seventy and assistant to the Utah Area presidency, said temples point members to their Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.
"In the temple, the things that start in this life can go beyond the grave as husbands and wives, parents and children are united together ... for time and for all eternity," he said.
He expressed a hope that people going to the open house will feel the spirit there and share it with others.
Elder Giraud-Carrier said many church members in the area will benefit from having a temple in their neighborhood, and community members can come to the temple grounds and feel rested.
"It's just a great place of peace," he said. "The whole atmosphere calls for reverence and peace."
He said people are excited, and many have registered to attend the open houses at both the Layton and Taylorsville temples.
Elder Kevin R. Duncan, executive director of the church's Temple Department, said the church continues to build temples so that more members will be able to access the things they feel and learn in the temple.
"I hope that as you're inside this temple you'll really feel that it is a place of refuge from the storms of life for all of us," he said.
He said they hope as many people come as possible and that they come multiple times and bring friends and neighbors.
Elder Duncan said the art in the temple is intended to "elevate our vision" and shows Christ, his creations and his teachings.
"It's there to help us realize that Jesus Christ is the center of everything that takes place in the temple," he said.
One of the art pieces on the second floor is a glass piece made in 1915, depicting the resurrection of Jesus Christ, that was purchased from a United Presbyterian Church in New York that was torn down in 2015.
He said there are already 2,300 volunteers who will be helping in the temple after it opens, and over 2,000 more who have volunteered to help with just the open house.
"People love the opportunity to serve in the temple," he said.
After the open house, the temple will be dedicated by Elder David A. Bednar, of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, on June 16. It will be the church's 195th temple in operation.
