Stand in Holy Places

So sorry—a week has slipped by us and we haven’t written in our blog. Our first week back in the temple was terrific and terrifying. We did have a lot of patrons come. We were super busy and really worked at remembering everything. Both Niel and I came out of it with a few battle scars, but I think we will be able to adjust and get feeling better. The work carries us along and reminds us of the importance of doing the Lord’s work. We are getting to know and love the new Temple Presidency. They are awesome.

This last week, the spiritual thoughts in our prayer meetings have been taken from a talk by Elder Boyd K. Packer, Reverence Invites Revelation (November Ensign 1991). It was very interesting to hear the thought of our fellow workers as they referenced his talk. 

This week we are studying a talk by Elder James E. Faust, Standing in Holy Places (May Ensign 2005). When President Irwin introduced this talk, he told us of an experience he had while he was a student at BYU. He was a “theater major” and was acting in a university performance of (you’ll never guess), 

Once Upon A Mattress

This is a play-DVD that our family (and some of my grandkids) have really enjoyed over the years. So I was interested in what he had to say. The BYU cast of this play had been selected to go to Hollywood to perform it. He was acting in the role of Sextimus (the mute King) and so he had a large part to play. While in Hollywood, they were wined and dined and were able to meet many famous people. They were introduced to all the workings of Hollywood. However, on the way back to Provo, he told his roommates, who were all theater majors that he needed to sign up for some education classes because he was going to become an educator. Well, they were all shocked, as they knew he had been working for a long time on his theater degree. When they questioned him, he told them what he had really learned about theater life. He felt that behind the kind and talented people they had met, he could feel an atmosphere of evil. He had witnessed a lot of immoral behavior. He said that if it were just good versus evil, he could have withstood it. But, it really frightened him that behind the kindness of their hosts, was a deceiving evilness and he could feel himself being led carefully away by it. He recognized right then and there that this theater profession would provide little opportunity for him to be able to stand in holy places. 

The Lord truly blessed him to become an educator. He and his lovely wife just recently returned from being the Mission President in the Czech Republic. He has been leading our training these past two weeks and we enjoy and appreciate his teaching abilities and personality.

Well, this week is turkey week. I want everyone to know that, yes, I’ve made the rolls and cooked the turkeys. We are having about 50 temple ordinance workers and others come on Sunday night. In fact, we just walked in the door from the feast.

Everyone helped with the food and, boy, was it ever good. I am pleased to say that I got many complements on my rolls and honey butter. The English don’t usually have hot Parker House rolls with their meals. Their bread is quite crusty, more like baguettes. So it was a treat to give them some good ole American rolls. Cooking the turkeys was a little bit trickier. There are four ovens (or cookers) in the Accommodation Center kitchen and each one cooks differently.  We cooked two turkeys at the same temperature, 275 degrees, for the same amount of time, 7 hours, and only one got completely done to the point of collapse, like I like them to be. (We ate it anyway.) The best part was that Niel actually helped me with the food, which is totally different from me cooking and him watching football, huh?

Hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving. Let us know how the Prime Rib turns out.  And remember,                                                                 

Giving thanks (or being grateful) makes us feel good. It helps us maintain our balance.

To all we give our love and gratitude!   

Niel and Carolee