Sentry - Poem, A Tribute to Mothers

             Sentry

A Sentry assigned to a battle outpost

   Watches guard against enemy attack

Rifle readied, eyes steadily searching

   Not allowing his attention to slack

Special goggles enhance nighttime vision

   Distant shadows no longer hidden

Bright warning flares and radio ready

   Should any harm or danger threaten

Men in tents behind him lay sleeping

   Feeling safe in the dark night sky

Taking for granted the care given

   By the silent sentry standing by

Likewise, a Mother stands watching

   Seeming still, as the world rushes by

Her attention focused and unshaken

   Guarding loved ones under Heaven’s sky

Her spiritual vision pierces the darkness

   So friend and foe can be easily seen

Her warning voice clear and unmistaken

   Reveals where traps and dangers might be

Standing upon no imaginary battlefield

   With diligence, a sanctuary she builds

Where love, peace, security and safety

   Will forever, by those present, be felt

               By Janice Harten
   Copyright © 2012 Janice Harten.  All rights reserved.

Mrs. Noah - Poem

Mrs. Noah

Did Mrs. Noah bottle peaches

   Or keep pennies in a jar

Have I stroked or fed a lion

   Or learned to speak leopard

Did her garden grow zucchini

   Or did she rotate soup

Have I ever cleaned an ark

   Or paddled a canoe

Did she ever ask the question

   What’s all this stacked wood for

Have I found the answer to

   How long will bagged wheat store

Did she lift and swing a hammer

   To nail the door secure

Have I recently sought safety

   Through a temple door

Did she kneel beside grandchildren

   Teaching them to pray

Have I held and read to them

   The prophet’s words today

Did she hold and comfort them

   When the torrents came

Have I knelt beside their beds

   And taught them faith again

Did she seek Noah’s opinion

   On which dove to choose

Have I sought my husband’s blessing

   When wondering what to do

Did she joy and give thanksgiving

   Viewing rainbowed skies

Have I recognized God’s blessing

   In my family’s lives

By Janice Harten

Sept 6, 2008

Copyright © 2012 Janice Harten.  All rights reserved.

Boston Massachusetts Temple

It was a little challenging getting to the Boston Temple, because the GPS coordinates didn't come up correctly on the taxi drivers unit.  So all three of us were using our phones to search for the right coordinates.  It was comical, but we finally made it!  I spotted the temple as it appeared for a moment, on the side of the freeway, and quickly motioned to the taxi driver, that that was the place.

The first thing I noticed were the beautiful flowers and landscaping.  Next, I looked up at the steeple, which compliments the many wonderful, historic buildings and churches throughout the area.  Later, one of the temple workers told me the interesting story of how the church acquired the land on which the temple is built.

This is the story, as best I can remember it.  Several years ago, a woman of a different faith, owed a large parcel of land that she wanted to sell to a church.  At the time, our church could only make use of half of the land, but they offered to pay her the full price for that half, if she would be willing to donate the remainder of the land to the church for future purposes.  She agreed.  The church proceeded to build a large church, called a stake center, on half of the land.

Around 1995, the church was searching for land in nearby areas around Boston, to build a temple on, without success.  One day, as President Hinckley was visiting the area, the Stake President was asked if he knew of some land in the area, suitable for a temple site.  The Stake President responded that the church already owned this piece of land.  So, it was a kind of rediscovery of this property.

Bill and I sat together in the Celestial Room of the temple for a long time, following the session we attended.  There were many thoughts and prayers running through my mind, regarding my family and others.  But, my heart was flooded with appreciation for my husband, and I leaned over and whispered my feelings to him.  Moments like these help sustain us during the pressures of life outside the temple.

I noticed the shape of the windows in the chapel area of the temple.  They were set back, deep into the walls, and reminded me of the thick walls, with slits for windows, in stone castles.  I thought how, even as castle walls protect the inhabitants from intruders, these temple walls protect me and my family from the darts of the adversary.