Historical Site Training

At 8:00 am we met with Sister Cottam who is over all the historic sites and visitor centers for the church. She shared with us the goal to have the sites welcoming and inviting. For example, there no longer is a rope around the Christus statues in the visitors’ centers. You can go up and touch them, if you wish.

About 9:30 am we headed to Temple Square for a tour with the sister missionaries. The spirit there was so strong. What a marvelous experience.  They were amazing.  Our missionaries were from Mongolia and Mexico. (And would you believe the young lady from Mongolia was best friends with the elder we met last week. We took her picture and found Elder Oyumgerel at dinner tonight and showed it to him. He was thrilled. My picture of him is a little blurred.)

Our first stop was the video presentation on the importance and eternal nature of the family, which was extremely touching. It was so powerfully presented as you move through the five segments.

We were on Temple Square for about an hour.  As we sat in the Tabernacle I had several memories and feelings flood through my mind remembering when I was in high school and had attended General Conference with the youth in my ward on at least two different occasions. Those were testimony building moments for me. I attended Conference in the Tabernacle and Assembly Hall while at BYU. Other memories were when George and I helped clean the Tabernacle as part of a ward assignment, we attended baptisms for grandchildren and we attended conference as newlyweds. Before our group left the Tabernacle, we were able to have them demonstrate the acoustics when a pin is dropped on a plate on the podium, it can be heard throughout the whole Tabernacle.  Even though all of us had experienced it before, it was as amazing as the first time we heard it.

We stopped at In and Out in Orem for a quick lunch before returning to the MTC. As we left the In and Out we saw a Dickeys Barbeque just around the corner! Ug, had we know we would have had lunch there.

The afternoon training was excellent as we learned how to greet and get acquainted with our guests. Several times during the day, I realized that this is where I am supposed to be and what I am supposed to be doing just now. I am thrilled to be doing it with my eternal companion.