Today Becca B, Papa, Gram, Melissa, Kelly, Rebecca, Me, Heidi, David, and Anthony all went to the Gilbert temple to do baptisms for the dead. There was a huge youth group ahead of us in line and they told us that it would be a three hour wait. After some discussion, we decided that our best option was to wait and hope that things went along quicker than they estimated. Grammie and Granpa Mangum had the four younger kids and we didn't want to overburden them. In the end, the wait was about half what they had said. It gave us some time to read and reflect in the waiting area. Becca B took an hour getting dressed so we wouldn't have been much faster even if there had been no line. The experience was a spiritual one. I heard more than one person say that it made them feel closer to their ancestors.
I took this picture because it was Rebecca Noelani's first time getting to go inside an operating temple. She's done prededication tours but this was her first time doing ordinances. She has a talk to prepare about testimony. I am so glad that she had this opportunity to be in a place where the Spirit can be felt so strongly.
Kelly made it home first, since Heidi and I had to go pick up the others, so she took the hot dogs and bread out of the freezer. They thawed out fast in the 110 degree Arizona heat.
What a wonderful family experience for those on both sides of the veil. As always it is emotional for me to see Becca doing these baptisms
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