So I had two experiences this week that uplifted and strengthened me. The first experience was that I was able to go to the Draper Temple Open house with my family. It was amazing I wish I could accurately describe the emotions that I saw Lily experience it was very humbling to watch her face look at the pictures of Jesus and to see her face as we entered the sealing room and celestial room. She loved the "sparkly lights" that were throughout these two rooms.Lily also was very excited because she got to see Grandpa Teran at the temple as he was an usher the night that we went.
I was very grateful to be reminded of the blessings that I have through the gospel and covenants I made in the Temple. I am especially grateful to know that I can have an eternal family. This reminder was very strong as i had my second spiritual experience of the week on Saturday as I attended Larry Miller's funeral. Larry is my second cousin as his mom is my great Aunt and my dad's Aunt. I believe I have that right, anyway I attended the private as well as the public portion of his funeral. My testimony was strengthened about how much one person can do for the cause of good things. Larry was a very good man who did many good and great things at the service I had the chance to hear from President Monson and from Elder Ballard. Their tributes and talks were amazing and they just reminded all of us that we can do better and that we can all do things to help others. I also had the privilege of shaking President Monson's hand he is an amazing person and has an amazing spirit. he shared poem called "the bridge builder" that Larry had made into a beautiful statue and gave one to each of his children as well as President Monson. President Monson said the statue sits in his office and he has all visitors sit and read it. Here is the poem
The Bridge Builder
An old man, going a lone highway,
Came at the evening, cold and gray,
To chasm, vast and deep and wide,
Through which was flowing a sullen tide.
The old man crossed in the twilight dim;
The sullen stream had no fears for him;
But he turned when safe on the other side
And built a bridge to span the tide.
"Old man," said a fellow pilgrim near,
"You are wasting strength with building here;
Your journey will end with the ending day;
You never again must pass this way;
You have crossed the chasm, deep and wide --
Why build you the bridge at the eventide?"
The builder lifted his old gray head:
"Good friend, in the path I have come," he said,
"There followeth after me today
A youth whose feet must pass this way.
This chasm that has been naught to me
To that fair-haired youth may a pit-fall be,
He, too, must cross in the twilight dim;
Good friend, I am building the bridge for him."
Will Allen Dromgoole
I will just end with saying I know we have prophet of God and that we have the blessings of an eternal family available to us. I hope all of us will strive to remember those who will come behind us and build our own bridges to help others like in this poem and like Larry did for so many in Utah as well as for the state of Utah.
