Lift Thine Eyes to the Heavens, Part 2 — The Portland Oregon Temple
A Photographic Essay by Scot Facer Proctor

The Setting and Grounds

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I love flowers. All the flowers surrounding this temple seemed to also be reaching to the heavens and praising their Maker.  I just felt happy to walk around the temple.

The Saints in The Netherlands might have something to say about these tulips, but though they were ready to depart, they were still deliciously beautiful.  I couldn’t stop staring at them.

Looking at these lovely tulips I thought about Alma’s bold testimony to Korihor: “The scriptures are laid before thee, yea, and all things denote there is a God; yea, even the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it.” [i]

The blossoms of the trees and shrubs are so prolific here it was a true sign to me of the abundance of the Lord.  “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” [ii]

I looked through the lens on this shot and thought, “Wow, I can just see a beautiful bride and groom decked out on their wedding day here — what a gorgeous scene it would be to take their picture coming towards me on this walkway.”  I would have them walking, holding hands and looking at each other as they contemplate time and all eternity together. That was a happy thought indeed!

I’m always looking for water or water symbols around the temple.  This fountain was joyful and reminded me of the Living Water that Christ offers and is.

The symmetry of the temple is also fascinating to me.  The very building and its lines draws us closer to the Lord.  I thought this would also be a great angle for a newly-married bride and groom or even for a family picture.

Here were two beautiful spring “flowers” on the temple grounds.  I just could not help asking permission to take some pictures of these precious girls, Kelsie Kenner and Rachel Ard of the Oregon City Stake and the Vancouver West Stake respectively.  Their mothers, Angie Kenner and Heidi Ard, are best friends and met at the temple to take some pictures of their precious darlings.

Click here to go to Part 3 of Lift Thine Eyes to the Heavens, The Portland Oregon Temple.