On the bottom floor is the desk where Mormans have to show their card that they have earned by righteous living. After this has been verified by the clerk they have to change their outdoor clothes for white clothes before they enter the Temple proper.
It had I think 6 sealing rooms, where the marriages take place and children are sealed to their parents. It is believed that you are married to each other in this life and the next.
Splendid plush rooms where the bride gets ready, plush waiting rooms for wedding guests.
It had lifts, drinking water fountains and many many other rooms.
An ordinance room where the Latter Day Saints are taught Gods plan for his children. Not only in this life but the next where they believe that family will be reunited.
On the 2nd floor there is a baptismal font where Mormons, often young people over the age of 12, will be baptised in the name of people who didn't have the chance to be baptised in life. They believe that the spirit of the dead can accept this or refuse. The font is held on the backs of 12 oxen who represent the 12 tribes of ancient Israel.
The top floor is the celestial room, very ornate with big chandeliers. The celestial room is one of the most sacred rooms in the Temple. It has an ethereal brightness that's meant to evoke images of heaven.
We were not in there long and I didn't feel it right to even ask to take photographs. There was a lot to take in and it has given me a lot to think about.
The gardens all around the Temple are beautiful
For some reason these horses were to be seen all over the city.
The plan was to go to lunch and then visit another cousin. However we got side tracked by a visit to the Antelope Island. A truly beautiful place where the Great Salt Lake is, 75 miles long and 28 miles wide. I am so grateful to DeLene and Jay for taking me there to dip my foot in the Salt Lake..it is a 7 mile drive along the causeway to get to the Island. But a birders paradise! the Lake was full of California gulls, avocets, and stilts
Would have loved to have seen one of these but I didn't.
A yellow headed blackbird. There were also supposed to be tufted puffins but I didn't see them either.
I was in the car so it was a bit difficult.
However, I did see these little darlings flying almost in a murmuration around the visitor centre.
These were nesting just by the door.
It has been a very dry summer so I guess that was why so much of it looked like salt plains.
It would have been lovely to have say I dipped my foot in the lake but I didn't because it was
so far out to walk. We went to the marina but it looked slimy with thousands of tiny brine flies on it and I couldn't quite bring myself to do it! Had we had time, there is a beach where I could have swam,or rather floated. It's five times saltier than the sea.
They also have coyote on the island but I didn't see any of them thank goodness.
We didn't leave there until the time we should have been at Luther's, another cousin,so the planned visit to Delene's favourite eating place had to be scrapped and we had a quick burger.
Luther and his brother Bud have been doing the family history and it was a privilege to be able to look at his records. Aunt Harriet was his grandmother. I found out such a lot about her and her family. Not only that but he had a striking resemblance to my grandfather. We had a lovely hug when I left which I must admit moved me to tears.
I took a lovely photo of him but don't think I should put it on the blog without asking.However, I will put this one on. How about this after nearly 52 years of marriage. Great ain't it!
Lovely DeLene and Jay.
No comments:
Post a Comment