THE IDAHO FALLS TEMPLE

WE ASK IF WE COULD GO TO THE TEMPLE ON MAY 14TH AS THAT WAS OUR ANIVERSARY. BISHOP JOHN DALLING SAID NO AS WE NEEDED TO FINISH OUR TEMPLE CLASSES. THEN THE WHOLE GROUP THAT STAYED WITH THE CLASS WOULD ALL GO TO THE TEMPLE TOGETHER. THE DATE WAS SET FOR MAY TWENTY FIRST. WE WENT OVER EARLY IN THE AM AND WAS THE VERY LAST TO BE SEALED A VERY LONG DAY FOR ALL OF US AND ESPECIALLY THE FOLKS.
MOM WAS WITH ME AND SHE WOULD LEAN OVER AND WHISPER FOR ME TO LOOK AT DIFFERENT THINGS IN THE CREATION ROOM AND OTHER ROOMS IN THE TEMPLE. LITTLE DID I KNOW SOME OF THAT WOULD BE CHANGED AS CHANGES WERE MADE TO MAKE ROOM FOR MORE MODERN CHANGES. IT HASN'T TAKEN AWAY FROM THE CEREMONY OF THE TEMPLE ORDINANCE BUT FOR A TIME I MISSED SEEING WHAT WAS ONCE THERE.
AS WE KNELT IN THE SEALING ROOM WITH OUR CHILDREN AND SOME MEMBERS OF MY FAMILY BEING IN ATTENDANCE I'LL ALWAYS CHERISH THAT TIME OF FAMILY BEING SEALED TO US. WHAT AN ETERNAL BLESSING TO KNOW WE CAN BE TOGETHER AFTER DEATH IF WE CONTINUE TO LIVE GOOD PRODUCTIVE LIVES. AS I THINK BACK HOW TIREING THAT MUST HAVE BEEN FOR MOM AND DAD. I'M EVER GREATFUL THAT THEY LIVED LONG ENOUGH TO SEE US COMMITTED TO THE GOSPEL. THEY DID CONTINUE LIVING TO SEE ALL THREE OF OUR CHILDREN GO ON MISSIONS BOTH DID LEAVE THEIR MORTAL BODIES BEFORE PENNY AND CLAY GOT HOME.
WE WENT TO THE TEMPLE AS OFTEN AS WE COULD THRU THE YEARS DOING WORK FOR WHO EVER WE COULD.
OUR FIRST CALLING AFTER WE BECAME ACTIVE AND BEFORE GOING TO THE TEMPLE WAS TO BE THE DANCE DIRECTORS. WE'D ATTEND STAKE MEETINGS AND
LEARN WHAT DANCES WE COULD TEACH THE YOUTH. WE WERE NOT VERY SUCCSSESFUL I'M AFRAID. THE YOUNG FOLKS WERE NOT INTERESTED IN LEARNING.WE DID HAVE FUN DANCING AT THE STAKE MEETINGS AND MEETING NEW PEOPLE FROM THE NORTH STAKE WHO WERE DANCE DIRECTORS IN THEIR RESPECTIVE WARDS.
THE NEXT CALLING I REMEMBER WELL WAS ONCE AGAIN TEACHING THE BLAZERS IN PRIMARY. IT WASN'T THE SAME GROUP OF BOYS AND I WAS MORE DEDICATED TO TEACHING THEM GOOD LESSONS. FROM THERE IT WAS THE GUDE PATROL AND THAT SUMMER WE TALKED ABOUT GOING ON A HIKE. ONE OF THE BOYS HAD MOVED FROM DOWN AROUND THE BASALT AREA AND WANTED US TO GO TO SEE THE ROCK FORMATIONS IN THE LAVA BEDS. WE HAD A GOOD TIME ALL INCLUDING THE TEACHER CAME HOME EXTREMELY WORN OUT. I THINK THAT MADE FOR A GOOD RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TEACHER AND BOYS. SOME TIMES YOU HAVE TO STRETCH YOUR IDEAS TO MEET THE BOYS ABILITY'S TO KEEP THEM INTERESTED. I BECAME A GOOD FRIEND TO HELEN NEIDERHOUSER AT THAT TIME AS SHE TAUGHT THE TREKER CLASS FOR MANY YEARS IN THE TENTH WARD. SHE HAD LOST ONE EYE TO CANCER YEARS EARLIER BUT SUCH A DEDICATED SISTER IN HER CALLING WAS MOST ADMIREABLE. I'D PICK HER UP TO GO TO WARD AND STAKE MEETINGS AND WE'D TALK ABOUT OUR TEMPLE SEALING AS SHE WENT LATER ALSO. THEN WE TALKED ABOUT PATRIARCHIAL BLESSINGS. SHE DIDN'T HAVE HERS YET AND SAID SHE WAS TOO OLD. I TOLD HER SHE NEEDED IT TO FIND HER LINEAGE SO SHE TALKED WITH THE BISHOP AND DID GO GET HER BLESSING.MORE ON THAT A BIT LATER.
ONE SUNDAY MORNING THE BISHOP CALLED AND I WAS TAKING MY BATH AT THE TIME. WHEN I CAME OUT PENNY SAID YOU NEED TO CALL BISHOP DALLING RIGHT AWAY. WE NEW PHYLLIS CLARK WAS BEING RLEASED FROM THE PRIMARY SOON AFTER BEING MRS. PRIMARY FOR NUMEROUS YEARS. OF COURSE I SAID WHAT DOES HE WANT AND PENNY SAID HE'S GOING TO CALL YOU TO BE PRIMARY PRESIDENT. I SAID NO THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE I HAVEN'T BEEN ACTIVE LONG ENOUGH AND WHAT MAKES YOU THINK HE'LL ASK ME ANY WAY? SHE SAID "JUST WAIT AND SEE YOUR GOING TO BE THE NEXT PRIMARY PRESIDENT."
AS VERELAN AND I WAS DRIVING OVER TO THE CHURCH A NAME CAME VIVIDLY TO MY MIND AND I THOUGHT JANET IS GOING TO BE THE PRESIDENT AND SHE WANTS ME FOR A COUNCILOR ARE SOMETHING. I COULDN'T GET THAT OUT OF MY HEAD. IF I'D HAVE BEEN SMARTER ABOUT OUR HEAVENLY FATHERS GIFTS TO US I'D HAVE KNOWN IT WOULD BE THE OTHER WAY AROUND. THEN WHEN BISHOP DALLING ASK ME TO ACCEPT THE CALL AS PRIMARY PRESIDENT I WAS SO IN A STATE OF SHOCK I COULDN'T THINK WHO TO CALL AS COUNSILORS. I STATED THAT AND BISHOP DALLING SUGGESTED JANET AND PEGGY WHO BOTH ACCEPTED THE CALL. I WAS TO GO HOME THINK ABOUT IT AND OF COURSE TAKE IT TO THE LORD AND THEY WERE THE ANSWERS. BETTY OMANSON WAS IN NEED OF A NEW CALLING SO I ASK FOR HER FOR MY SECRETARY AND WHAT A GREAT ONE SHE WAS. I LEARNED EARLY ON THAT PEGGY HAD TO HANDLED DIFFERENTLY AND SOME TIMES IT WAS EXASPERATING BUT FOR THE MOST PART I HAD VERY GOOD DEDICATED LEADERS WITH ME.
WE USED A LOT OF YOUNG GIRLS FOR THE YOUNGER CLASSES AFTER THEY GOT OUT OF SCHOOL. MANY OF THE TEACHERS WERE LESS ACTIVE SISTERS WITH UNINTERESTED HUSBANDS ARE NON MEMBER HUSBANDS AND THEY WERE VERY SWEET TEACHERS. I GREW TO LOVE SO VERY MANY FROM THE TENTH WARD.
WE HAD A MONTHLY INSERVICE LESSON AND OUR INSERVICE TEACHER WAS VOLA BAGLEY AND SHE WAS CALLED TO TEACH ONE OF THE YOUNG WOMENS CLASSES. NOW WHAT DO WE DO??? FIRST WE TAKE THOSE CONCERNS TO THE LORD THEN GO FROM THERE. I HAD SUCH A STRONG IMPRESSION TO ASK HELEN BUT JANET AND PEGGY DIDN'T WANT TO LOOSE HER FROM THE BOYS CLASS. IT WAS DURING THAT TIME THE CHURCH CAME UP WITH THE IDEA THAT WITH APPROVAL FROM THE BISHOP THE HEADS OF THE ORGANIZATIONS WERE TO APPROACH PEOPLE ABOUT BEING CALLED. WELL WE ASK SEVERAL SISTERS AND WAS TURNED DOWN BY ALL AND FINALLY MY COUNCILORS GAVE IN AND SAID ASK HELEN SO I DID. AFTER SHE HAD TAUGHT A WHILE ONE NIGHT SHE ASK IF SHE HAD LET ME READ HER BLESSING AND SHE HADN'T SO SHE TOLD ME THAT IN THAT BLESSING SHE WAS TOLD SHE WOULD HAVETHE OPPORTUNITY TO TEACH WOMEN AND CHILDREN. SHE SAID SHE NEVER DREAMED AT HER AGE IT WOULD HAPPEN. AGAIN WE NEED TO HEED THE LORDS COUNCIL.