Saturday, August 22, 2015

Adventures of a Temple Worker

Not to worry I'm not going to put anything that shouldn't be on line, but I can't resist blogging about some of my experiences. One thing I will say is that, in the Temples, miracles happen. Some are so amazing, so tender, you want to "Keep it in your heart" like Mary the Mother of Jesus did.

I have been a LDS Temple Ordinance Worker at the Jordan River Temple since February of this year, 2015.  Things have been interesting. The questions that people asked me are interesting. The Temple Presidency have asked the workers to direct the Patrons to one of them IF they have a question that pertain to the Gospel of Jesus Christ or to the Temple it's self. I don't get such lucky questions. I get others. For example:

  • Is your hair natural, (curly)?
I always answer that question with a yes. followed by: "Do you want to trade?" People always laugh when I'll ask that question. What I really want to say when ask the natural curly hair question. "I took the wool from the sheep and stuck it on my head, only because I don't have anything else to do." Or "I wanted to know what it would be like if I stuck my finger in the light socket"

  • Are you a Return Missionary? You sound like one.

Sadly no. But thank you for the compliment! That is awesome! I have always wanted to go on a LDS mission, but every time I would pray and ask if it would be right for me to serve a mission the answer would always be no. However I have been through a lot of hard times. I identify with Alma 32:12

I say unto you, it is well that ye are cast out of your synagogues, that ye may be humble, and that ye may learn wisdom; for it is necessary that ye should learn wisdom; for it is because that ye are cast out, that ye are despised of your brethren because of your exceeding poverty, that ye are brought to a lowliness of heart; for ye are necessarily brought to be humble

I have to really ask myself: "Where is my testimony? Is it in the people, or is it in the Atonement of Christ?" I decided that it was in the Atonement. So I still read the scriptures, I get frustration along with comfort from them. Frustration, but that is just Isiah, he makes everyone frustrated.  

  • Where are you from? You sound like you have an accent, a British one.
 Here in Utah, born and raised. I've always thought that I had a Utahan accent. I did say that I did have family from the UK,  they come over here like a hundred years ago doing the Handcart thing with the other brave saints from the UK. So now not only do I seem like a RM. but I also talk funny! Too much BBC?

A patron had the last name as my first name, it was just spelled different, but not much. She told me that I need to marry someone with her last name. Now if you have ever seen Ghost Beakers. Bob Hope's character had the name of Lawrence. A line in that movie was: "His name is Lawrence 3 times!" All I could think of was "Her name is Hollie 2 times!" I couldn't wrapped my head around that and all I could do was laugh.

As you may or may not heard the Utah Jordan River Temple will be closed for extensive renovation. The Temple was opened the year I was born 1979. Now you know how old I am along with the JR Temple. The Temple is dubbed "The Peoples Temple". The land was donated, and the church wanted to have the people raise money to build the temple. It is currently the most visited Temple in the world! We are told that on average we do around 1500 ordinances a day in that Temple! It is still not used in full. We always have one endowment room closed, we just rotate the rooms, and if we had enough workers then all of the Initiatory booths would be open. Sadly we don't have enough workers, so the waiting time can be 1-2 hours on average. On February 15 all Temple workers will be released, yep, including me. Our Temple president and Matron wont be.  
Now here is the Rumors that is now surrounding the Jordan River Temple. These are good, remember they are just rumors, nobody really knows what is going to happen.
  1. They are going to build a second baptismal fount. That would be cool, the JR will be the only temple with 2 baptismal founts.  Makes sense, we do get a lot of Youth coming to do baptisms for the dead.
  2. They are going to get rid of the escalator's. We don't know, they are expensive to run.
  3. They are going to redo the kitchen, and cafeteria. It really does need it, plumbing problems and it is small. 
  4. They are going to rebuild it from the bottom up. If they do, then I hope they keep the outside design. It's unique, and gorgeous in it's own way. 
  5. They are going to make the Celestial Room bigger. Again we don't know.
  6. Living Endowment will be changed, because of the bathroom/toilet chorus. Well the NN area also have the bathroom/toilet chorus. Yes, it's an interesting chorus to hear.
  7. They are going to redraw the Temple districts. We don't know, but I can tell you that the Oquirrh Mountain Temple is freaked out by the traffic that is coming their way. I can't say about the Salt Lake Temple and the Draper Temple. I have also heard that the Provo Temple will be closed at the same time as the JR Temple. 
Remember the 1-7 is rumor mill. We don't know what is going on, other then what was announced a week and a half ago. The JR Temple needs it, and I think that it will be fun to see what they would do with it.  
Cheers!!  

No comments: