Idaho Falls Idaho Temple - Sacred Trust and Impressions

For a couple of months, each summer, Bill's mother would travel from their home in Idaho Falls, to a town in Pennsylvania, where her ancestors were from.  She studied maps and gathered books containing records, so she could identify her relatives and submit their names for temple work.  Her desire was to unite and link her family together.  My husband has inherited her research books and the family history records she gathered.  It is a sacred trust, and we are quite overwhelmed with the task of how to preserve and add to the work she began.

I can only imagine the greeting she received, when she passed away, from the relatives she found and grew to love over her many years of research and sacrifice.

While looking for someone to take our picture before entering the front door of the temple, Bill approached a young father who was there with his wife and two children.  It took me a moment to see that there were two missionaries with them.  He graciously took our picture, and then we observed his smiling family gather in front of a small water feature, while one of the missionaries took their picture.  I wish now, we had taken more time to visit with them.  I could see evidence of multiple tattoos along his arms and around his neck.  I'm sure he has an interesting story to tell.

While sitting in the Celestial Room, at the end of the session, Bill recognized and greeted a childhood friend.  Later he mentioned how much it meant to him to see a friend who has come to this time of their lives, who continues to serve and have a strong testimony of the gospel.  So many of his friends have had very difficult and troubling lives, and he was glad to have discovered someone who was also happy, like hmself.

Soon Bill's brother-in-law entered to greet us.  He is serving as the men's coordinator in the temple.  I took a moment to ask if he would explain one of the murals on the wall.  He simply referred to the opportunity each person has of receiving personal revelation each time they come.  And we might receive different impressions about each of these things during subsequent visits. I could tell he had been asked to not offer an interpretation, but to allow each temple visitor, myself included, to ponder and receive personal thoughts and impressions.

Waterfalls cascade along the river running in front of the Idaho Falls Temple.  It reminded me of a recent talk by Elder Packer and a scripture he quoted from D&C 121.

Regardless of opposition or “wars, rumors of wars, and earthquakes in divers places,”²⁰ no power or influence can stop this work. Every one of us can be guided by the spirit of revelation and the gift of the Holy Ghost. “As well might man stretch forth his puny arm to stop the Missouri river in its decreed course, or to turn it up stream, as to hinder the Almighty from pouring down knowledge from heaven upon the heads of the Latter-day Saints.”²¹