My Day of Dedication

This past Wednesday our ward dedicated an entire day to working in the Salt Lake Temple. For those who follow our Relief Society blog you know that we have been preparing for this day for 9 months. Many members worked hard to prepare names to take to the temple, while others prepared themselves to enter the temple, some having been absent from the temple for 30 years.


During Sunday School we learned a bit more about all that was accomplished. The youth were proxy for 560 people's baptisms. One of the breathren was delighted to report that he was able to complete all of the ordinances (baptism to endowment) for one of the names another ward member had brought to the temple. We were told today that between the youth and adults we had a total of 141 people attend the temple from our ward. We were told that the temple workers were delighted with the number of people we brought as well as the spirit we came with.

As a group in Sunday School we agreed that seeing so many people we know and love in the temple was just a small glimse into the Celestial Kingdom.  There were many spiritual experiences, a few were shared today in Sunday School and I was asked to share mine here.

As a convert to the church (I joined at age 14) and the only member in my family, family history work has fallen on my shoulders. I caught the family history bug early, thankfully I did because my Mother and Grandmother have now passed away and my Uncle does not want to share family history with me because he is so opposed to the Church.  My Grandmother was a walking family history library and remembered the names and birthdates of her side of the family as well as her husbands for several generations back.  Thanks to her I have been able to complete a lot of work.

Over the years I have had spurts of activity with my family history research and temple work. During one of those spurts six years ago I printed out a number of names and set to work on completing my relatives ordinaces. The advantage of being the only member has been performing the work for people I have heard about my entire life or personally met, known and loved.

After quickly completing baptisms, confirmations and initatory work it took a little longer to complete the endowment work. Once all of the endowments were complete the cards were wrapped up with a rubber band, set aside and basically forgotten until the day of dedication.

That afternoon, after an endowment session, lunch with the ward and some initatories I finally made my way to the sealing rooms. All of the cards I had were people who needed to be sealed to their parents.  I gave my cards to Bro. Walker, our sealer, and asked him if we could try to complete some of the names, and specifically that we try to complete the mens names since we had plenty of priesthood holders available.  Bro. Walker found that some of the names were children of the same parents and so we proceeded to seal these children to their parents all at the same time. After completing some of the couple sealings provided by the temple, Bro. Walker looked at the rest of my cards and decided we should finish the three female names despite my request to complete the male names first. I didn't point out this request again but rather jumped up for the chance to serve as proxy for these three woman. I was touched when I heard Bro. Walker mispronounce Aunt Louise's last name and felt happy that I was able to serve as a proxy for one of my favorite aunts. When Bro. Walker read the next name I was taken by surprise: Phyllis Ann Clay. I wanted to shout "Wait! This is a special moment! That is my MOTHER!" Fortunately I restrained myself and was able to feel a warm spirit as we sealed her to her parents and I felt certain that she is delighted with her temple work.  I did not realize I had not completed this important ordinance for my Mom and was grateful I had the opportunity.

Bro. Walker said "There are no accidents in the temple." To this I can attest. The work of the temple is important and I'm grateful I had such a special opportunity.