All of these things made Temple Square a unique experience as far as missionary work goes.  Each morning we got up, went to the gym if we wanted, got ready for the day, and then walked to “work.”  We had nice accommodations too, if you overlook the fact that there were often six or eight girls to each apartment sharing one bathroom.

But they were clean and close to the Square so we definitely didn’t complain.

We worked in shifts, either the morning or the afternoon shift and we typically were there for about ten hours each day.  We were allowed one day off each week, which alternated.  When we arrived at the start of our shift, we had a prayer meeting to start the day and then we each received our schedule.  These schedules were broken down by the half hour or the hour and included various activities.  There was the gate duty,

were we stood and greeted guests as they entered the Square.  Or, we could be assigned to the Tabernacle for the day, where we gave tours inside this home of the famous Mormon Tabernacle Choir.

I learned all sorts of facts like how the organ is comprised of 11,623 pipes and how it has five keyboards or consoles and that it is considered one of the finest organs in the world.

(yes, this is me and no, I was not really playing the organ.)

Then there was duty at the Assembly Hall where we took people on tours and told them how the hall was built in 1877,

and how it boasts its own beautiful organ (3,489 pipes) and is now used mostly for concerts.  And sometimes, if we were lucky, we were scheduled during the time that a concert was held.

Still other times, I was assigned to the visitor centers talking about the temple or about our beliefs and about Jesus Christ.  There is this really cool room located in the rotunda (you can see it from the outside here).

At night, when the outside was dark, you could look through the glass windows and see the beautiful Christus statue inside.  The statue is a large replica of the original which was created by Danish sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen (1768-1844).

The remainder of my time at Temple Square I spent answering questions or telling stories about the pioneers who trekked across the country to arrive in Utah so many years ago.  I met new people every day and got to speak with visitors from all around the world.  It truly was a lovely time in a beautiful place.

I considered myself very fortunate to be there and I loved every minute of it.

Which was why I was particularly disconcerted when, after being there for almost a full year, I was suddenly told I had to leave.

To be continued…

RELATED POSTS:

The Beginning of a New Adventure

Growing Pains (Part II) – The Next Step

Growing Pains

Lots of Firsts

I was at a crossroads, again.  I knew I needed to do something now that the direction of my life had changed.  After years of wondering around (figuratively) I was feeling a pull to go in a different direction than I had imagined.  It all started with my return to church.  As I’ve mentioned before, attending church while growing up had been a big part of my life.  I didn’t realize it at the time but I was learning and making decisions about what I believed in.   When I moved out of the house and went my own way, I tried to walk away from everything including those beliefs.  Now, years later, I returned to them.  And once I did that, things seemed much clearer for me.   In fact, I wanted to do something to give back and to share how I felt with others.

In the LDS faith, it is customary for young men to do two years of voluntary service or “missionary” work when they turn 19.  Here I was at 22 feeling the same desire.  It was very surreal and foreign to me, yet it felt right.  So I spoke to the leaders in the church and asked what I needed to do.  The process included moving home to pay off some bills and save money.  It took about a year to do this but it was a great year.  

It was not without its challenges, however.  Most of my friends were not members of my faith and didn’t understand my choice.  Everyone knew I was “Mormon” of course because I didn’t drink or smoke, but never having been overly vocal about my beliefs or even remotely “preachy,” it came as a surprise that I would devote such a large portion of my life to this.  But after the initial shock had passed, people were surprisingly very supportive.  Granted, they may have said I was crazy behind my back, but they still supported me and even encouraged me. 

Their support was very helpful because planning to put your current life on hold is not an easy process.  During the time I was to be gone (a year and a half total) I would not be working and would just be doing missionary work.  There were lots of things to be taken care of from my car to my job.  But through out that year, I never lost focus.  It was an amazing time and I knew it was a rare opportunity for most people.  To be able to walk away from the worries and concerns of the world and just concentrate on helping others was an exciting prospect.

Finally, it was time.  I turned in the appropriate paperwork and received notice of where I would be going.  When you decide to serve as a missionary for the church, you don’t choose where you go, you are sent based on need and, as I believe, inspiration.  I was being sent to Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah. 

I remember how surprised I was.  I had never been to Salt Lake, Temple Square, or Utah for that matter.  I knew where it was of course, being familiar with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, and I was well aware that it was where they had their “home base” if you will.

(Images: wikipedia and wikimedia)

I soon learned that my work at Temple Square would be different from other missions in that I would not be proselytizing but would be giving tours of the Square and answering questions to people from around the world.  That sounded pretty good to me.  I wasn’t much for the idea of going door to door so it seemed like this would be right up my alley.  A little talking to visitors, taking people on tours, maybe giving a little speech or two, not too bad, right? 

I quickly learned that I had no idea just how hard it would be!

(to be continued…)

RELATED POSTS:

Growing Pains

Lots of Firsts

High School, Home of the Warriors

Making it Through Middle School

The Early Years

In the Beginning