A Special Assignment

Tuesday night at the temple, the assistant matron and shift coordinator asked to speak privately with me. They had a special assignment for me.

Sr. Price told me that a woman was coming to the temple who had been very traumatized. Her birth father had tracked her down, shown up at her home, and held a gun to her head, telling her that he was going to kill her. Fortunately, her two daughters, who were hiding in a closet and had access to her phone, called the police who arrived and were able to save this woman.

Sr. Price, an old friend from our Illinois days, shared that this woman was also the foster daughter of mutual friends of ours in Illinois, and that she and Sr. Jacobson wanted me to do an endowment session with her as she had only been to the temple twice before.

I was happy to do so, and so I gathered what I needed and sat down in the great hallway to wait for her.

Sr. Price was also waiting. She stood in the foyer, checked the dressing room, peeked into the chapel, and kept watch, but the sister never came. I suggested that she might come to the 7:30 session and asked if she'd like me to see if my other duties for the evening could be rearranged so I could attend that endowment session instead. Sr. Jacobson did some juggling, and so at 7:00 when the sister arrived, I was ready and able to help her get ready and do an endowment session with her.

Sr. Price came into the celestial room when we were done and sat with the woman on the couch. I wasn't sure if I was still needed, but decided that it would not hurt to stay quietly in the background and see if I could be of any more help. The three of us sat together until nearly 10:00 PM, enjoying the spirit that was so strong in the celestial room.

Afterward, the woman hugged me and thanked me before she changed back into street clothes and went home. Sr. Price then took me into her office and asked if she could give the woman my contact information, saying that she needed good friends right now and a support network. I was glad to do so, and heard from the sister the next day, again thanking me and chatting just a bit.

The temple draws people in for a variety of reasons. Some people come to serve, and others come because they need to be served. This gal definitely fell into the latter category, and I think her cup was overflowing when she went home.

As for me, I found something very holy in this unusual assignment. To sit with someone so traumatized and watch the peace of the temple settle into her, was quite a privilege.