What is heaven like?

In the past few days some things have happened that have reminded me of what I expect heaven to be. It seems like in the last month or so I have run into many friends from my youth and college days and have pondered some of the the fun experiences we have had that cauterized our friendships.

And yesterday my brother-in-law received his endowment at the Timpanogos Temple. It was a wonderful experience. Lots of people from their ward came to participate with them. He and my sister currently live in the ward where I was raised so I knew lots of people. Three of my childhood heros were there, Brother Cook, my only home teaching companion growing up, Brother Johnson, a Boy Scout leader, and Brother Hunt, my explorer scout leader. I have great respect and admiration for these people.

So as I was in the temple pondering these experiences, surrounded by people I love, happy for the progression of someone I am close to, I was reminded again that heaven isn't harps and choirs, it's being surrounded by people you love.

I reflected on a journal entry I had written years earlier. Bill Cox, another hero from my youth, was speaking in sacrament meeting of my mom's ward where my wife and I were visiting. Bill was the high council speaker. As he spoke I had a flood of love and emotion come over me as I remembered all the good he had done for our family. Then I had the thought that this is what heaven will be like - it won't be filled with friendly but unfamiliar faces, but we will be surrounded with people we love. And when we see the Savior again, he won't be an austere and impersonal authoritarian, but rather we will have a flood of similar emotion - of our interactions with him, of his demonstrated love for us, and our desire to be close to him. That is my view of heaven, and I think I am scripturally sound.

What is your view of Heaven?