GRATEFUL SUNDAYS

Draper Temple Dedication. What a beautiful edifice and what a special dedication. The speakers were wonderful and the music was uplifting. I felt the presence all those pioneers who came to this inhospitable valley, tilled, planted, watered, and worked mightily for it to literally bloom like a rose. I pay tribute to all of them, especially my own early pioneer ancestors. To see the new Draper Temple standing solidly upon the hill in Corner Canyon must be a dream come true. As I look upon the stunning beauty of the Sego Lily design used within the temple and the beautiful furnishings, wood, and glass, I realize it truly is a dream come true. A wonderful house dedicated to the Lord, it epitomizes the hard work and effort it took to come to this land, travel across the vast wilderness and desert, and build up a city and people. We are the recipients of this hard work.

People who arrive early. What a change!! In order to get a comfy seat in the chapel or overflow, we need to arrive at the meetinghouse at least 30 minutes early. Many folks arrive early so that they can talk to their neighbors and friends. For the dedication, we arrived at 2:50 p.m. (we needed to be seated at 4 p.m., dedication at 4:30 p.m.). By 3:10 p.m. all of the soft seats were occupied. I learned this the hard way. I left for Stake Conference at 9:30 a.m. (it began at 10:00 a.m.). When I pulled into the parking lot, most of the spots were already taken. When I walked in at 8:40 a.m., I was led into the cultural hall where I secured at chair about halfway down. The chair was really hard after two hours of sitting on it and I vowed I would get a soft seat for the temple dedication. Who knew these members come to their meetings at these early hours of the day? Usually Mormon Time is arriving 10 minutes late. It is so nice not having the interruption of people finding their places after the meeting has started. I will add extra time on the front in order to acquire a "soft" seat.