Sister Anne William echoed the sentiment of those present at the activity. “It was wonderful! Well planned! I am very excited! You know how important it is to go to temple and it was emphasized that we go again and again. I am so happy to see so many endowed members. It gives me motivation to go to temple once again. “
Brother Krishnan, who organized the activity was all pleased with the response he received from the members. When asked why this activity was planned, “to my memory, we have not had an activity for those endowed till now. I wanted to get all those endowed at one time to feel the strength of each other.”
Salubrious conditions around the White Field chapel area was inviting. The members trooped into the chapel in solemnity of the occasion. There was euphoria, anticipation, and gladness.
The members gathered in the Cultural hall. Friends greeted each other, known to each other was easy to greet while others stood hoping someone will talk to them. Well to make everyone know each other activities were planned. Three activities helped each one get to know the other better. They had to work as a team this helped the members. There were 6 teams. The Blue group won the quiz competition. In this game, they were given alphabets. A question was asked and they had to guess the answer and with the alphabets they had to arrange the answer.
The most hilarious was the “Ha” Game. The first person will say “Ha.” The next person will add another “Ha” the chain continues till the last person has to say all of it. There were some innovators who tried to say “ha” in different styles. President Berrett started it and the other members found their own styles. President Berrett had to do 34 times and he made it as a song. Another used a kindergarten rhyme to say it, while another one was clever enough to use a church hymn to say so. It was fun all the way. Raja Doraiswamy had to say 39 times he said as a lullaby I thought I would go to sleep. He would be a good grandpa someday. It was so pleasant. President Sunderraj had the most anxious moment, he was the last and had to say 49 times ha ha ha. Uh! He had a tough time to begin with. He used some ingenuity but the crowd would not accept it so he had to get back to say in the traditional way and he courageously completed it.
After this event, the group gathered in the main hall for spiritual instruction. District president Sunderraj spoke on two important things. 1. President Berrett had said at the last district conference “a miracle should happen.” For a stake to happen. He challenged each one to bring one person who can be baptized.
2. Encouraging members to do Family History work, he shared his own experience. “In 2007 as I was preparing to go to the Salt Lake Temple for my marriage. Our flight was at 4 a.m. and I had a few hours to sleep. I woke up at 12 midnight by the Spirit. I knew not why. But the instruction from the Spirt was that I missed something. I woke up everyone and we started to search what was missing. My eyes fell on the genealogy records that I had gathered. Then I went through it and it was found that I needed to include my uncle’s name. My father and his brother had differences for more than 10 years. These differences were so strong that no contact was maintained between them, even at his death we did not go to his burial or consoled the family, so great was the contentious spirit between the brothers. I knew at that instant that his name was missing. I included this uncle’s name. I did the endowment for him and as I passed the veil I saw a face that was smiling at me. I knew it was my uncle. The feeling was so overwhelming that tears, uncontrollable tears flowed down my cheeks to know and feel that my uncle accepted and appreciated the temple ordinance done for him.
know and feelLast year, my branch president asked us to introduce one person to the missionaries. I invited my uncle’s son to church in three weeks he was baptized and today he is an active member. Doing work for our ancestors have multiple blessings.
President Berrett spoke of temple marriage, temple sealing, and family history all related to the temple.
In 1823, Joseph Smith sought further revelations, in response Moroni appeared four times and quoted Malachi on the return of Elijah. In 1835, the prophecy was fulfilled. Keys to administer in the temple was restored.
President Berrett urged members to go to the temple. If you want to know God attend and re-attend for it is in the temple; things of eternity will be unfolded.
President Berrett encouraged members to start a Temple Travel Fund and start saving this was for those going and those who have already gone. He said that these blessing will follow if you do so “Husband and wife will treat each other better, Children will be blessed that you can't comprehend.”
It was lunch time and every one enjoyed a sumptuous meal. After this the group was divided into two; one group went to build a Temple while the other group went to the workshop on planning to go to the Temple.
Members were given thermo cool sheets, glue, scissors and other materials to build a temple. They had to plan, cut, glue and paste. It was a herculean task but all did solemnly as the sacred structure was to be built. They spoke politely, they were dignified. This helped the atmosphere to be calm to plan and build. Both groups did great.
The Temple travel workshop dealt with details of travel cost patron housing and cost of stay etc.
Superb! Said sister Sheeba. She continued “The whole activity was excellently executed. I enjoyed every minute of it. I liked the Temple building activity. We put our imagination to work to construct the temple. We need similar united efforts to build a Stake.”
It was time to leave. The time spent was worth it. Brother Zion John, KGF branch said, “I feel happy to be with all the endowed members. There are so many. I feel the spirit and strength of them. I will start to save money to go to temple again as challenged by president Berrett.”