Order
My mind is full this evening. I have been having a hard time deciding what I want to share. Should I share my disappointment that there are now curtains in the East windows of the temple or that everyone should read a book, "The 100 Foot Journey" Le me know what you think?
Or maybe I should just go with a little tidbit.
This evening, I had the opportunity to work the East Recommend Desk in the temple. It was a good time. The temple was relatively slow, except for the hour that I worked the recommend desk. They were all coming in to share the moment with a young man preparing to go on his mission.
Anyway, about half way through my rotation, President Christensen came flying into the temple. He was out of breath, in a hurry, and though he has his suit jacket on, he was not wearing a tie. It was interesting seeing him come in that way. He was not dressed in white.
Why was this interesting? Well, he had been the presiding member of the presidency during our prayer meeting. That meant that he was the presiding authority over the temple for the evening shift. I later learned that a temple recorder can be left in charge for a period of time, but a member of the presidency needs to be there to close the evening.
So, he was rushed, we had seen him must hours before, and now he was coming to the recommend desk. He had his wallet out and was fishing for his recommend. He showed it, but did not hand it to me. I moved to stop him from entering and he handed it to me with a smile. As I checked it out and scanned it, he leaned over the desk and asked if the computer read "Welcome Brother Christensen" I told him it did, handed him his recommend and he wiped his brow with a sigh of relief.
The brother and I both smiled at each other as he continued to rush into the temple. As soon as he was gone, the sister who was assigned to greet patrons came around the corner and started asking questions. She wanted to know if we really stopped President Christensen and asked him for his recommend. She wanted to know if he actually showed it to us. She could not believe that we would do that.
As she walked away, I did not doubt that we had done what was right, but I started wondering, what happens when he is the first one in the temple. So, I took the opportunity to ask later. I talked to Sister Christensen. She explained that he was allowed to leave. I assured her that I did not have a problem with him living his personal life as well. I was curious about what happens when they are the first one's in the temple.
She explained that when if they happen to be the first ones, that President Christensen stands behind the recommend desk and scans his, then hers to make sure that they are still both welcome. They do not go back to the office and change, they do not scan them later when some one is assigned to the desk. They do it first thing when they get there. She also explained that the temple recorders and engineers do the same thing if they are the first ones. They then change to their whites and wait for other members to arrive and scan their recommends until they are relieved.
I was suddenly struck with the order in the process. President Christensen had asked us to read 2 Nephi 31. I had been studying. Just like Christ, we would expect the presidency to be worthy and have the authority to enter the temple that they preside over. Yet they show their recommends just like everyone else. Christ did not need baptism, but did so because it is the order of the plan. He follows and obeys just like everyone else does.
Isn't it amazing?
Or maybe I should just go with a little tidbit.
This evening, I had the opportunity to work the East Recommend Desk in the temple. It was a good time. The temple was relatively slow, except for the hour that I worked the recommend desk. They were all coming in to share the moment with a young man preparing to go on his mission.
Anyway, about half way through my rotation, President Christensen came flying into the temple. He was out of breath, in a hurry, and though he has his suit jacket on, he was not wearing a tie. It was interesting seeing him come in that way. He was not dressed in white.
Why was this interesting? Well, he had been the presiding member of the presidency during our prayer meeting. That meant that he was the presiding authority over the temple for the evening shift. I later learned that a temple recorder can be left in charge for a period of time, but a member of the presidency needs to be there to close the evening.
So, he was rushed, we had seen him must hours before, and now he was coming to the recommend desk. He had his wallet out and was fishing for his recommend. He showed it, but did not hand it to me. I moved to stop him from entering and he handed it to me with a smile. As I checked it out and scanned it, he leaned over the desk and asked if the computer read "Welcome Brother Christensen" I told him it did, handed him his recommend and he wiped his brow with a sigh of relief.
The brother and I both smiled at each other as he continued to rush into the temple. As soon as he was gone, the sister who was assigned to greet patrons came around the corner and started asking questions. She wanted to know if we really stopped President Christensen and asked him for his recommend. She wanted to know if he actually showed it to us. She could not believe that we would do that.
As she walked away, I did not doubt that we had done what was right, but I started wondering, what happens when he is the first one in the temple. So, I took the opportunity to ask later. I talked to Sister Christensen. She explained that he was allowed to leave. I assured her that I did not have a problem with him living his personal life as well. I was curious about what happens when they are the first one's in the temple.
She explained that when if they happen to be the first ones, that President Christensen stands behind the recommend desk and scans his, then hers to make sure that they are still both welcome. They do not go back to the office and change, they do not scan them later when some one is assigned to the desk. They do it first thing when they get there. She also explained that the temple recorders and engineers do the same thing if they are the first ones. They then change to their whites and wait for other members to arrive and scan their recommends until they are relieved.
I was suddenly struck with the order in the process. President Christensen had asked us to read 2 Nephi 31. I had been studying. Just like Christ, we would expect the presidency to be worthy and have the authority to enter the temple that they preside over. Yet they show their recommends just like everyone else. Christ did not need baptism, but did so because it is the order of the plan. He follows and obeys just like everyone else does.
Isn't it amazing?
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