Today I had an unforgetable experience as I went to the Draper Temple dedication. My dad is the Stake President of the Sandy Utah East Stake, which is part of the new Draper Temple district. He got a letter from the First Presidency a couple weeks ago asking him to give the opening prayer at the Saturday afternoon dedication session. My mom was asked to be in the dedication choir and has been practicing for several months, so my dad had an empty seat next to him in the celestial room. Being the oldest paid off today and my dad invited me to sit with him in the celestial room! My other siblings also went and were able to sit in the baptistry and watch the dedication.
We had to get to the Stake Center that is next to the temple by 3 pm (we were actually there by about 2:40) and the dedication didn't even start until 4:30! The entire chapel was full, including the gym all the way back to the stage! Blue ticket holders waited in the chapel and my dad and I had white tickets so we waited in the High Council room along with a few others. While we were waiting in the High Council room I got to meet President Chamberlain, the temple president of the Jordan River temple. My mom is a Chamberlain so my dad asked him if we were related and sure enough they are cousins! We also met a younger "Tom Perry" while we were waiting who I'm pretty sure was Elder Perry's son.
At about 3:15 they had everyone head into the outside tunnel that connected to the temple. We waited inside the tunnel for about a half hour and got our booties to cover our shoes. Because there were 4 sessions of the dedication today (we were the 8th session of 12 over 3 days) we had to wait while the previous session came out of the temple and then they ushered us through the temple doors. There were chairs set up in every room of the temple and even in the foyers and hallways to accommodate those who had tickets. I heard there were about 1500 chairs set up in the temple. My dad and I headed upstairs to the celestial room where there were 106 chairs set up, along with an organ, podium, and cameras to broadcast it throughout the temple and to stake centers across the valley. The celestial room in the Draper Temple really isn't that big, but it is SO beautiful, and the ceiling is extremely high. We were seated on the 3rd row next to to the isle. There were 7 rows of chairs in the celestial room. I also sat right next to Elder Craig Christensen of the seventy and behind the new temple president. We waited for about 30 minutes in the celestial room as the ushers filled the room with people. They would find people (including families with younger children) who had blue tickets to come in and it was fun to see their faces as they wondered if they were in the wrong place when they came in. Just a couple minutes before the dedication began in walked President Thomas S. Monson, Elder Henry B. Eyring, Elder Richard G. Scott, and Elder Porter of the seventy all dressed in white suits.
Elder Eyring conducted the meeting and I have to say it was pretty cool hearing an apostle say my dad's name as he announced him to say the opening prayer! My dad did a great job! Brother and Sister Fitzgerald of the new temple presidency spoke along with Elder Scott, Elder Eyring, and Elder Porter. President Monson gave the dedicatory prayer and Elder Eyring did the hosanna shout.
My mom sang in the choir--a group of about 30. It sounded so beautiful in that room. The spirit was so strong and I will never forget the wonderful feelings I felt while being with my parents and the prophet in the celestial room of the temple. As the choir and congregation sang "The Spirit of God" and I tried to sing along I couldn't stop the tears from streaming down my face. It was such a powerful experience.
After the dedication my dad and I headed outside to wait for my mom, Lori, Natalie, Jon, and Todd. (Steve stayed home with Michael and Kaitlyn so I could come--thanks honey!) It was amazing how many people my dad new there and it was fun to see him shake many, many people's hands in his stake as they came out of the temple and see that they felt the same amazing spirit.
We met up with the rest of the family and by this time there were only a handful of people outside the temple. I then realized that Pres. Monson would probably be coming out soon because there was a car waiting for him. Sure enough we watched Pres. Monson and Elder Eyring come out. President Monson then proceeded to have us all sing the end of the song "So Long Farewell" from the Sound of Music (you know...where the kids are singing at the ball over the banister and all the adults sing back) and they sing "Goodbye.....Goodbye....Goodbye....Goodbye". Oh yes, Pres. Monson had us all sing it--up to the very highest note--it was pretty funny.
