Payson Temple festivities

View from East side

WE get the awesome privilege of being in the new Payson Temple district. Our stake is one of 27 that will now attend this temple. It is so beautiful, as all temples are. Since the open house I have been able to see it three different times.

April 22- V.I.P. open house. Our ward needed 120 people to help that day. I took the day off work. Chris did as well and we went. We had so many people that some didn't have a job. So they got a tour and got to wait around until we were all done--we had carpooled and got all split up.  chris was one of the extras.  I was on the top floor where the sealing rooms are. Gorgeous. There were lots of smaller groups and only one  big group that day being guided by Elder Richards? the director of all the temples.  He brought in a lot of leaders of different religions. They were quite curious about the temples and our church. I tried to eves drop on the conversation in the sealing room where they spent about 30 minutes. They asked questions wondering why would we spend so much on a building.  about marriage and sealings and divorce.  And lots of other questions which Elder Richards answered without breaking a sweat. He also explained where the chandeliers come from, about the art, and glass.  It was pretty awesome. They seemed very receptive to what he had to say. I did get to see the entire temple-including places not on the official tour like the bridal room and the nursery.  I learned that there are two entrances which means two recommend desks. the east doors are one floor higher than the west doors--which is also where the baptismal font is.

April 26.  just a few days later the young women, their moms, and leaders were invited to come on a Sunday and tour the bridal room and sealing rooms. the temple matron spoke to all of us about the importance of their choices now.  She said to choose freedom which really means to obey the commandments. She also spoke to them about true happiness, not just pleasure.  The girls that came really enjoyed the experience.

Family at Temple-missing Derek;(
View from West side

April 29. Our family got to go on a tour-so basically the boys got to see it for the first time. Derek couldn't make it, but he did come to visit us the next day.  Anyway we watched the video on temples, we walked through the whole thing, got our picture taken in the tents and took lots of pictures on the grounds. This day was the best weather: blue skies and warm. The flowers are amazing, the temple is beautiful and I'm glad we live so close---only about 20 minutes.

Boys and their dad

spring flowers

The youth got to do one last session of baptisms for the dead at Manti on May 1. Jeremy and Chris went to that. Tyler was at BYU track and I stayed home with Cameron. He is 12 on the 22nd, so just missed it. He'll get to go to the first one at Payson.

The best part of all of the is is the youth Temple Cultural Celebration being held on June 6, the night before the dedication. We just had a stake practice--heres to hoping (and really knowing) that everything will go well and the kids will take the experience in and remember it always.  Cameron isn't wanting to participate, but I'm still making him attend every practice. Jeremy and Tyler are also not excited, but you wouldn't know it by watching them at practice.  I can't wait to see it live at BYU. It is being broadcast in every stake center in the temple district. tickets will be hard to come by, but my family will have at least 6. If I get a choice,  I will share with grandparents first, ward members second. I hope that isn't bad...