On Labor Day, we experienced great joy—personal, geographical, cultural,
and spiritual. First of all, Joanne and I were able to trundle to St. George on
Sunday afternoon to meet up with some of our compadres with whom we served in
the Caribbean Area, specifically the Dominican Republic. It was pure joy in
meeting them again after several months of not seeing most of them. We met some
additional new friends and enjoyed the company of those who served with us.
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| Joanne and Sandra Glazier |
The joy that comes from reuniting with eternal friends is difficult to
explain. For most of us, the extended time we served with each other was always
less than 18 months, primarily because people come and go. While the time we
spent together in the Dominican Republic was relatively short, the friendships
we established have become eternal.
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| Elder Snow and President Glazier |
We love them, and they love us, no matter
who we are. It is a complete delight!
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| A panoramic view of it all! |
The geographical component emerged as we whizzed through the Parunuweap
Wilderness Study Area in southern Utah. We all rose early, ate a hearty
breakfast, and then motored to this area. Joanne and I had never take a four
wheeler ride in our lives. Lots of motorcycles but no four wheelers.
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| Some of the group looking at the incredible views from up on top.... |
The ride
was delightful yet dusty. We probably rode 50 miles or so at a pretty fast
clip. Unfortunately, we didn’t have all day because we needed to be back to St.
George prior to going to Tuacahn. But the sights we saw were incredible.
| Peter Pan at Tuacahn |
The cultural component came on Monday night. We all crowded into a few
vehicles and headed to the Tuacahn
Center for the Arts (Tuacahn) where we ate a delicious meal prior to the
production of Peter Pan. The meal was good. All of us took up almost four
picnic tables. It was a buffet of BBQ chicken and pulled pork with all of the
trimmings. Plus, we topped it off with….ice cream, a crowd and personal
favorite. Peter Pan was great! Peter came flying from the mountain side and
looked like he was running through the air, so elegant, so Peter Pan. The
singing and acting were all extraordinary. The weather was absolutely beautiful and delightful. Tuacahn puts out an incredible show.
The spiritual component was going to the St. George Temple with our
friends early Tuesday morning before leaving to come home. Arriving around 8:30
a.m., we dressed and then headed up to the waiting room for sealings. We were
so many that they had to divide us up into three groups. Most of us had names
of spouses to be sealed to spouses or children needing to be sealed to parents.
It was delightful to hear the names of people you knew. Joanne had brought
three to the temple, one of them a cousin who Joanne knew who needed to be sealed
to his parents. After we finished with the sealings, we entered the sacred
Celestial Room. Beautiful! Glorious! The stillness enveloped us immediately. I thought
of all of the people who have entered this sacred room since its dedication—from
prophets to people like us, all dressed in white, all feeling a sense of peace
and understanding of the truthfulness of it all.
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| A view from the top |
We had just an enjoyable time, even though it was just for a few days.
Unfortunately, we had to leave because we needed to be home early on Tuesday.
Before going, however, we walked around the temple and basked in its beauty.
What a great way to spend a few days.
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