The interview with a member of the temple presidency...

 I drove to the Bountiful Temple with so much excitement. It had been over a year since I had been inside a temple, let alone my favorite temple. This temple is my favorite because I have spent more time here than any other temple. I have so many memories of special spiritual experiences and it really just feels like home. I pulled into the upper level parking lot to find it mostly empty. It was nice to get a spot closer to the door but so sad at the same time, when precovid this place would have been packed. 

As I walked to the front doors I see a couple in their wedding dress and suit taking pictures. The bride was so beautiful and I was so excited for them to get to start on their journey by being sealed in the temple. I thought back to how young Henry and I were when we made those first steps almost 13 year ago.

I went through the front doors and was probably grinning from ear to ear, I was so excited to set foot in a temple again. 

I pulled out my recommend and the Brother at the desk scanned it. "Sister, your recommend is expired". 

Oh no! You have got to be kidding me! In my rush and excitement of going to the temple after over a year, I had forgotten to swap out my expired recommend with my renewed one, that had been renewed in the summer of last year. Day one, I have already failed.... and my interview is supposed be in the next ten minutes!

Luckily the Brother was able to track down the clerk quickly to look up my name in the system to see that I had in fact renewed my recommend.

Within five minutes the clerk returned and escorted me back to the administration offices. I sat on a couch waiting for my interview. I tried to read an ensign but was just too distracted. I sat and closed my eyes. It felt so peaceful to just sit there. I still couldn't believe I was sitting in the temple. It just felt like I had come home after a long journey. 

When it was my turn to meeting with a member of the temple presidency he went over some of the logistics of serving in the temple and told me he would be the new temple president come November. He told me that my bishop spoke highly of me in recommending me, which caught me off guard. I mean I didn’t expect my Bishop to say negative things, it was more or less just a reminder that we leave an impact on people we don’t even realize most of the time.  After deciding on a shift, Saturday from 2:30-6:30, starting with Phase 3. Phase 3 would be when patrons could come and do proxy work for all ordinances by appointment only. He then told me he would set me apart as a temple worker in the Bountiful Temple. I didn't realize it would be happening so fast. I wish I could remember the beautiful things he said in that blessing. But I do remember the tears streaming down my face as I felt so much love from Heavenly Father and my Savior that I was meant to do this and that they were proud of me for accepting this calling. 

At this point I didn't have a start date but felt additional strength that day as I walked out of the temple. I am sure I walked out with more angels than I walked in with. I truly felt different after being set apart. I thought to myself, I wonder if this is what it feels like to be set apart as a missionary, since I have never had that opportunity. 

The week before my interview in the temple...

Once I found out I was going to be meeting with a member of the temple presidency on May 5th, Satan decided that was his cue to jump into my mind and try to discourage me in any way that he could. He quickly brought to the forefront of my mind all of my imperfections and shortcomings and decided to put those on repeat for the days leading up to my interview. Daily making me question my worthiness to go. During this time, I came across several things that really touched my heart and helped me to know that I was worthy and that I was going to be ok. And then we sang in church that Sunday, Be Still, My Soul. When we sang the "The Lord is on thy side" the Holy Ghost spoke peace to my mind and my heart that everything was going to be ok, and that I was worthy to go into Lord's house to serve there. 

1. Be still, my soul: The Lord is on thy side;
With patience bear thy cross of grief or pain.
Leave to thy God to order and provide;
In ev’ry change he faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul: Thy best, thy heav’nly Friend
Thru thorny ways leads to a joyful end.


2. Be still, my soul: Thy God doth undertake
To guide the future as he has the past.
Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake;
All now mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul: The waves and winds still know
His voice who ruled them while he dwelt below.


3. Be still, my soul: The hour is hast’ning on
When we shall be forever with the Lord,
When disappointment, grief, and fear are gone,
Sorrow forgot, love’s purest joys restored.
Be still, my soul: When change and tears are past,
All safe and blessed we shall meet at last.


Additionally I had come a cross a scripture in come  follow me that morning that was in the opening section. It almost seemed out of place after reading the whole lesson that was actually more focused on the second coming. These scriptures were truly an answer to prayers I had been having all week. 
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   D&C 45:3-5
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3. These scriptures reminded me of the simplicity of the gospel. At that moment I needed that reminder that our Savior is our advocate with the Father. That he loves us, and if we sincerely believe on his name we can have everlasting life.

4.  The Holy Ghost brought peace to my mind and my heart in that sacrament meeting and I ended up bearing my testimony of these experiences that day to our ward.

5. Here some of the memes I came across during this time that also helped to uplift me and overcome Satan's tricks.


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How it all started to becoming a temple worker...

It's September 2020. The Covid Pandemic has been well underway since March of this year. Our lives have changed more than I could have ever imagined. Never in my wildest dreams, or nightmares, could I have imagined that not only would our churches be closed, but that our temples would also be closed in my lifetime. Life is surreal and feels like the twilight zone. At this point there is no future date of when life will even open back up. As of November of 2019, Henry had been serving at the Bountiful Temple. He says it's because I kept telling him he needed more balance in his life with things that were spiritual. So he made the decision to once again work in the Bountiful Temple and I know we have been blessed for his service ever since. I, also, always had the desire to work in the temple, but after five days  commuting into the office and church on Sundays, Saturdays were the only day I felt like I could get things accomplished. When I attended the temple it was usually Friday nights or Saturdays, but it wasn't every weekend and life inevitably got in the way alot of the time. Also I always had a somewhat guilty conscience, thinking if I become a temple worker, I will be spending all that time in the temple helping other people perform work for their ancestors, but what about my ancestor's and Hen's ancestor's? Shouldn't I be spending my time on their work? Additionally, I thought being a temple worker would always be a goal of mine, but would make more sense when I retired from my job around 65 and would have all the time in the world on my hands.

So many of my thoughts and attitudes about being a Temple worker changed once the opportunity to go was completely taken away. Since the Pandemic started I was basically working exclusively at home. With being home so much, I no longer felt like I was so trapped into my 9-6 schedule. I had and felt a whole new level of freedom that I hadn't had in the 14 1/2 years since I started at the company I work for. And with Covid hitting the older population worse than the younger population, I started to think there might be a shortage of temple workers because they won't likely allow the older temple workers back for an extended amount of time. Henry and I were also at a place in our lives where we had acceptance and closure that we would not be parents in this lifetime. Not for lack of trying, but the Holy Ghost had spoken to both of our hearts that our children would come in the next life and that we do have purpose here in this life, even without being parents. And that guilt I talked about previously, was also taken away. The Holy Ghost spoke to my mind, that whether I am doing our own family names or helping others to do theirs in the temple didn't matter in the long run. All that matters is that we are serving in some way. So on a Sunday in September 2020, I sent the below e-mail to my bishop.