SEALING

AUGUST 31, 1967

I was sealed to my parents on this day in the Idaho Falls Idaho Temple, as were my four siblings.  I thought of all of them today.  I am so thankful for temples and the sealing ordinance.

“I bear solemn and grateful witness that Jesus is the Christ, the Savior of the world. Certainly He is the center of our worship and the key to our happiness. Let us follow the Son of God in all ways and all walks of life. Let us make Him our exemplar and our guide.”

( “Follow the Son of God,” Ensign, Nov. 1994, 87. ) 

Howard W. Hunter (Idaho born also) helped make this blessing possible.  He was 60 years old when he met me at the Salt Lake Airport with the papers to approve this blessing.  He later became the Prophet of the Church at age 86.  I flew home with the papers and went immediately to the temple with our family.  I turned 21 twelve days later.  Thank you President Hunter for all you did for our family.

In our Relief Society and Priesthood combined meeting at the Palmyra Ward today, the message from Bishop Don Taylor was on attending the temple.  Thank you to each of the speakers today and the testimonies of the temple.   We truly are a blessed generation!   I hope each of us can make the temple an important part of our weekly attendance.

So as I pondered this great blessing I went for a walk in The Sacred Grove yesterday while Elder Bushman was watch football games.  My thankfulness led me to the garden behind the Smith Cabin.

 I saw the beautiful signs of fall and pondered the gardens in the scriptures and in my own life.

The site missionaries have made this garden beautiful and productive. 

  My Mother was a "Gardner" and The Savior Jesus Christ referred to Himself as a Gardener.

I'm so thankful for the knowledge I have of "Life" and the seasons we experience. Gardeners know all the dirt!  To nurture a garden is to feed both the body and the soul.  Elder Bushman and I are being spiritually fed and helping to nurture "the garden" on this mission and we thank President Monson for this gardening experience.

Tomorrow is Labor Day, the last day of Summer, the first day of September.
May the future help each of us to bloom where we are planted!