Mission Reunion or Utah Day Three

    So first thing this morning, Sister Robley and I went to the Salt Lake City Temple. It sent a thrill through me to be walking where the pioneers walked. When I closed my eyes, I could see the members of the early church walking to the font and being baptized on behalf of their ancestors. To think that generations of Saints had come there to do work for the dead and now I was going to get to help too!
    After the Temple, we went to the Salt Lake City Cemetery and I had the opportunity to see the graves of many important leaders of the church. I saw the grave of Spencer W Kimball, who was the prophet at the time I was born. We also visited the grave of Gordon B Hinckley. I was surprised and saddened (when I first came back to church) to learn that he had passed away during the time I was away. He was the prophet during my youth. I love and sustain our current prophet, Thomas S Monson. I am grateful to live in a time when we have a living prophet upon the earth.
    I learned something later that day when I went to the Provo Temple again, this time with my good friend Andrea. Apparently I am really pale, because I managed to get sunburn on my legs THROUGH an ankle-length white skirt. I didn't even realize I'd been burned until that evening when I stepped into the font at the Provo Temple. Chlorine on sunburned skin is NOT a good feeling and distracted me from the spirituality I usually feel doing temple work.
    After going to the Provo Temple, I met up with Hermana Stock and we went to the mission reunion that was being hosted at BYU by President Holzapfel. He served as the mission president for the Alabama Birmingham mission from July 2010 to June 2013. It was neat to see him and Sister Holzapfel again. At the reunion I got to see several returned missionaries that I hadn't seen in many months. Elder Rollins, Elder Del Francia, Hermana Schroeppel, Hermana Coleman, Hermana Decker, Hermana Palmer and Sister Robley were all there. It was nice to finally get to hug the guys!

Families and Temples or Utah Day Two

    Today was ever more awesome than yesterday.
    This morning I had the opportunity to meet part of the family of my favorite Sister missionary, Sister Denning. She looks so much like her big sister! And I found out she wasn't kidding when she said that you could see the Draper Temple's Angel Moroni from her living room. Her family has a beautiful home. I was able to meet her dad and I see where she gets some of her personality from.
    Hermana Stock invited me to an Institute class. We went to a Marriage Prep class at the Sandy Institute building. The class was very interesting. The Institute building was enormous, the one we have in Tuscaloosa would have easily fit into some of the classrooms of the one in Sandy. Things are so different in Utah.
    After Institute we went to the Draper Temple. Such a beautiful Temple and I love the view from the Temple grounds. I understand why Sister Denning says Draper is her favorite temple.
    After the temple we went to Deseret Books. Hermana Stock got a big kick out of the look on my face. It was so cool being in a store where they sell scriptures and other LDS religious stuff. The artwork for sale was so pretty. My favorite part was where they had the scriptures for sale. It felt a bit strange to be buying scriptures at a store. I'm so happy now, I have new (2014 edition) scriptures and these will be the ones I take on my mission. I even decided to splurge and get them engraved with Sister my full name. Oo oo I also finally got a CTR ring. I've been looking for one since my baptism and I finally found one I really like. I could easily have spent all day there. Me and bookstores... don't even get me started.
    So after we left Deseret Books, we went to the Oquirrh Mountain Temple, where I had a rather interesting experience. The whole time we were there (and for most of the rest of the day) Hermana Stock and I were dropping in and out of Spanish. Moving easily back and forth between English and Spanish. I have so much more confidence in my Spanish now. I hadn't realized that I had learned enough Spanish to have a real meaningful conversation in it, it was awesome!!!
    After Oquirrh Mountain, we headed back to the Sandy Institute for class again. This time Hermana Stock was team teaching a mission prep class with another returned missionary (an Elder). I really enjoyed the class. We did a role play for the end of class and I got to role play placing a Book of Mormon. It was such a neat experience and really stoked my fire to share the Gospel more.
    This whole day being in Utah has felt so right. I want to live here! I definitely know that I will be moving here, it's just a matter of when. Being somewhere hasn't felt so right, since I first got to Alabama. I know, in my heart, that I need to stay in Alabama until I receive my endowment. The thought of receiving it at another temple feels wrong, but afterwards... we'll see where the Lord leads me.

Best Longest Day Ever or Utah Day One

    Wow was today long. Up at 2:30 am to get ready to go to the airport. At the airport by 3:30 am and then off to Atlanta and then Utah. I didn't think I could sleep on a plane, but I nodded off a couple times only to be awoken by my poor aching neck.
    I landed in Salt Lake City at 10:30 am and immediately knew I wasn't in the South anymore. It felt so weird to breathe, the air was so dry that my lungs felt strange.
    I was met at the airport by the awesome (returned) Hermana Stock. Seeing her again brought a big smile to my face, I had missed my big little Sister. She took me to pick-up my rental car and then we went to her family's place for a bit. It started snowing on the way there. Driving is snow is so weird, I feel like I'm stuck in a Star Trek warp speed moment.
    After a little time with Hermana Stock, I headed over to Bountiful to see another good RM (returned missionary) friend Sister Toone. It was so great to see her again. Together we went to Temple Square North Visitors' Center and took the tour for the Christus in the North Visitor's Center. The Christus was so beautiful. As I looked at the nail prints in the statue's hands and feet, my heart was both grateful and sad. I am so grateful that my Savior and Redeemer died for me and yet sad for the sorrows and pains He suffered in Gethsemane on my behalf. It strengthened my resolve to continue on the righteous path I began over a year ago, I will not have His sufferings for me be for naught.
    After Temple Square, I dropped off Sister Toone and headed down to Provo to see an RM that I I had not seen in almost a year.
    I picked up Hermana Coleman and we went to the Provo Temple. I was overjoyed to get to go to the Temple with her to do baptisms for the dead. I was sad last year that she went home before my baptism, but it made me smile that at last she was getting to see me in white. Another RM from Alabama, Hermana Simpson, joined us as I awaited my turn to do baptisms.
    I love going to the Temple, but this was such a different experience for many reasons.

1. I was going with one of my original pair of missionaries and that was so special to me.
2. There was a long line of people waiting to do baptisms. I am used to the Birmingham Temple, where there may be (at most) 10-15 people doing baptisms. I pray that I will live to see the day when our temple back home gets to be that heavily used.
3. There's this room full of chairs across from the viewing area (where you can see the font and others getting baptized, as you wait your turn) and we sat in there singing hymns with others for probably almost an hour as we waited our turn. I am used to time at the temple being full of hushed voices. I had the opportunity to sing my favorite hymn, "How Firm a Foundation", in full in the Temple. I was grinning ear-to-ear.
4. We only did a couple names and I'm used to doing ten, so it felt a little abrupt to be done after just a couple.

    After the Temple, the three of us went out for dinner. We went to Cafe Rio (a Mexican restaurant I had heard a lot about from different missionaries in Birmingham). I gotta admit, it was pretty good. I'm hoping that they'll expand and open a franchise in Birmingham.
    I was up at 2:30 am and am just now getting to bed. Seriously, best longest day ever!