I will confess, I never thought I’d say this. I am starting to miss you.
When Karl and I attended the open house of the Ogden Temple, I thought of a way you can give away a copy of the Book of Mormon at work. Always have a copy sitting on your desk. Read it at lunch and have your testimony of it written inside.
At Thursday morning’s devotional, one of the senior CSMs shared an example of how despite all the challenges that the pioneers faced to come here to Salt Lake City, they continued to trust in The Lord that everything would be okay.
This was my last week working in the member locator department of the Global Service Center. Next week I start check reconciliation. While everything there builds up the Kingdom of God here on Earth, it will be nice to see my work here have a more immediate impact. I will continue to serve in event ticketing on Tuesdays.
Yesterday, I did three endowment sessions in the Salt Lake Temple. The spirit there was beautiful and it was nice to have all day in the temple and not feel like I was rushed to get in or out of the temple. I will never buy a meal in the temple cafeteria again. I never thought it would be so expensive.
The reason I went to Walmart was unexpected for me as well. I needed a black shirt for the stage crew for the Tabernacle Choir. The stage crew work is going very well. The people on the crew are wonderful people to work with. They are full of the gospel, as everybody else associated with the Choir is. There is a different spirit about the Choir when you get to know the members of it and hearing them in their home, the Tabernacle.
I was not able to attend church this past Sunday as it was Stake Conference and it was well under way by the time I was done in the Tabernacle. I did, however, hear Lloyd Newell’s address. I particularly loved: “We find a greater measure of peace and joy when we put compassion before contention and people before opinions.” I will be able to see at least one session of Conference in person. I’ll be helping out for Music and the Spoken Word Conference Sunday. I’m not sure about any other sessions.
After the broadcast we did a partial strike of the stage in order to lower the center portion of the stage (where the French horns & woodwinds sit) to load recording equipment onto the stage and haul it back up to stage level. There are so many things that one does not normally get to see. This past week the Choir had a recording session, in which I was able to be at.
Today, I went to the Organ recital of Sister Bonnie Goodliffe in the conference center. Afterwards she allowed me to play the organ for the space of about a minute. I played one verse of “How Firm a Foundation,” and I made sure to use the 64′ stop at the very end to rattle the hall. I also did my grocery shopping today as well.
Thank you for sending the coat and pants. It is still in the mid 80s here, I won’t need the coat yet, but it will be nice to have it before it gets cold. I won’t need jeans any time soon, I haven’t worn them yet and don’t think I’ll be wearing them any time soon.
Yes the Ogden Temple dedication will be broadcast via the Church satellite systems to all of the Stake Centers in Utah.
Elder Blodgett
