The Temple & Garden of Eden, 18 May 2014

It is amazing all that we are doing, seeing, and being a part of here!  We cannot believe we are having this heaven-sent experience!  We met the temple minibus at 9:30 a.m. and were off to church in Crowley, attending the Crowley Ward in the stake center.  A high councilor and returned missionary spoke with a musical "item" in between. There was a pianist, a cellist, and a male soloist.  It was outstanding.  The cellist was  a missionary, and boy, could he play.  He moved his mouth one way and then the other but never got the tongue out like Jack.

Bob & Barbara at Crowley chapel.

The ride in the minibus was great with meeting even more people!

Sister Smith - from New Zealand and remembers President Pedderson.

Elder & Sister Strong - our trainers.

Elder & Sister Davis - he is our home teacher.

After church, we were invited to dinner at the Christensen's, our shift coordinators, along with the Parkinson's.  It was a delicious meal of roast, mashed potatoes, steamed carrots, homemade applesauce, and a perfect chocolate cake for dessert.  They live in the lodge and their window looks right out at the temple.  What a gorgeous sight to see!

We walked the temple grounds and relished in the beauty.

From the east.  The sun was too bright to focus straight on.

The mild temperature and light breeze made it perfect for a stroll.

Green met green, from lawn to shrubs to trees.

The walk ways go various directions; yours for the choosing.

Could this not be the Garden of Eden?

Between temple and reflecting pond.

The David O. McKay Oak

  

Living beauty and inspiration

Great strength and stability

Reaching toward heaven

Responsive to God’s sunlight

Casting friendly and comforting shade

Gentle in its contribution to mankind

Unmoved by disturbing winds

To be remembered.

Looking closely, you can see a plaque that is on the trunk of this oak tree.  It bears the words above.  President McKay dedicated the temple in 1958.

Our picture of the temple and reflecting pool.  There is a foot bridge over the pool where the red flowers are.  We are sitting on a bench beneath a tree.  The Accommodations Centre is to the left.  Birds are singing throughout the trees.

We learned that families are encouraged to come to the temple and bring their children; let them walk through the grounds, have picnics, play, and enjoy the beauty of this sacred place.  When we heard this we thought of the time we were at the Manti Temple as a family and when we came out, we discovered that our children had gotten in trouble for rolling down the grassy hill of the temple.  There seems to be a different attitude here.

I also was reminded of  Jane Austin's books and movies that depict this very type of landscape in England.  There various people scattered throughout the grounds, some visiting, some relaxing, reading, a couple on a blanket with their picnic, and some meditating.  It would in deed be a perfect place to take a nap.