By Sara D. Smith

aren Lillywhite slipped into the back of the room Karen, a student at Valley University in Orem, and quietly found a seat among her fellow Utah, USA, volunteered to serve in the temple because Kworkers, who shifted to make room for her. she wanted to do the Lord’s work. Even though Karen has They greeted each other happily and softly, enjoying the had to miss some activities and a little study time while atmosphere before the meeting that would begin their she works in the temple on Saturdays, she does not regret Saturday morning shift at the Provo Utah Temple. The dedicating her time to service. meeting’s hymn, prayer, and messages brought a spirit of “I love being able to spend so much time in the house peace that Karen and the other workers could take with of the Lord serving others,” Karen says. “There are things them while participating in sacred ordinances during the that you can learn from the perspective of a temple worker next five hours. that are different from what you learn as a patron. Getting

24 Ensign ILLUSTRATIONS BY DAN BURR that comeregularly tomyshift,” sheexplains. “One sister gotten toknow theothertempleworkers andthepatrons inthetempleisherassociationwithothers.service “I’ve the Lordandtothosewithwhom sheserves. to live thegospelmorefullyandhasbroughthercloserto by thetemple. asatempleworker Serving motivates her standing for me.” both perspectives opensupalotofrevelation andunder One of the things Karen appreciates most about her One ofthethingsKarenappreciates mostabouther Karen says ofherlife thatevery hasbeenblessed part Unexpected Blessings Temple and Service learned thatlearned givingthe their Lord timetoserve and Hischildrenabundantblessings. brings Workers UtahTemple inthe Provo have - those for whomthetemplework isvicariouslydone. not onlytotheirown lives, butalsototheirfamiliesand ings have realized:templework bringsabundantblessings who serve withherintheProvo Temple onSaturday- morn serve, these templeworkers whatKarenandthose learn serve intemplesaroundtheworld. Nomatterwherethey individuals whoinspiremeandblessmylife.” ing abeautifulspiritwithher. Ihave metsomeincredible comes tothetempleeachweek andstays for hours, bring- Karen is one of thousands of Church members who Karen isoneofthousandsChurchmemberswho

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Renewal of Strength the and dream of visiting The Provo Utah Temple is one of the a temple herself. She had joined the Church busiest temples in the world. It serves a with her family, and at the time there were highly concentrated population of Latter-day no temples in South America. Saints, including the missionaries at the Provo Her dream became a reality when the Missionary Training Center and the students São Paulo Brazil Temple was built near her of two universities. Many of the workers in home. She was present when the temple was this temple are young couples, students, and dedicated in 1978. recently returned missionaries. “I had the privilege of singing in the choir One of these younger workers is Jenny that provided music for the dedication,” she Perkins, who started working in the temple remembers. “It was a wonderful season of soon after returning from her mission in Russia. my life and helped strengthen my desire to Jenny works alongside her parents, Jack and be closer to the temple.” Toni, and enjoys learning from them as they Natalina wanted to serve a full-time mission serve together. When Jenny considered discon- but was unable to do so because of family tinuing her shift because she was overwhelmed obligations. After she received her endow- with school, Toni taught her about the blessings ment, she volunteered as a temple worker, and that come from temple service. this service became her mission. She served “My mother reminded me that if I was every Saturday from 6:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. willing to sacrifice for the Lord and exercise a Serving in the while working full time and taking classes. little faith, He would make up the difference. temple draws “I was grateful that I was blessed with the Now I can testify that this is true,” explains us closer to energy to be on my feet in the temple for so Jenny. “Working in the temple helped clear the Savior by many hours,” she says. “I remember coming my mind so I could finish my other work helping us home exhausted physically and emotionally, more accurately and efficiently.” reflect on His but with a testimony of the temple and the Her father, Jack, has noticed similar bless- love. work we do inside those walls.” ings. Over the past few years, he has worked Thirty years later, Natalina, now living in extra hours each week in his employment and Utah, became a temple worker once again. has held Church callings that required much She has faced many trials in her life, but serv- of his time. But as he has immersed himself in ing others in the temple brings her peace. temple service, he has felt his strength renewed. “I have found that working in the temple “I am renewed by the time I spend work- helps me overcome discouragement,” she ing on behalf of other people,” Jack says. says. “While serving others, I don’t have time “Everything else I do in the other six days to feel unhappy.” would be more of a burden if I didn’t spend that time in the temple doing service.” An Extra Measure of Blessings When they first were called to work in the Happiness in Serving Provo Utah Temple, Joel and Elaine White As a young girl growing up in Brazil, hoped to serve in the baptistry on a week- Natalina Durelli would look at pictures of day evening. But the temple president, then

26 Ensign Merrill J. Bateman, had something else in mind for them. “He was so happy,” Elaine remembers. “He made a com- President Bateman asked them to serve as ordinance plete change and has developed a love for the temple.” workers on the shift that needed the most help—the The Whites have learned that serving faithfully brings Saturday shift from 10:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. They were blessings. hesitant, both to take on the responsibilities of an ordi- “Heavenly Father cares about what is important to us,” nance worker and to give so much time on their only free Elaine says. “That doesn’t mean all of our problems will be day. But they chose to serve where they were needed solved, but we will receive help. I have learned that when and have been blessed abundantly. we are serving the Lord, He will hear us and bless us.” With their new temple shift, the Whites initially strug- gled to fit in tasks they usually completed on Saturdays, An Act of Love so they soon dedicated weeknights to chores like laundry For ordinance workers in the Provo Utah Temple and and shopping. throughout the world, serving is an act of love. “We have been blessed to be more efficient with our “My ability to love has increased,” says Toni. “As a temple time,” says Joel. “Giving our Saturdays may look like a worker, wherever I am or whatever I am doing in the sacrifice, but it has not been anything of the sort. The Lord temple, I have the ability and responsibility to reflect the has given us an extra measure of blessings.” love of the Savior. As I practice doing that in the temple, I Now there isn’t any other day they would rather work am better able to reflect on His love outside of the temple.” in the temple. Saturdays are busy, so the Whites look All who participate in temple work reflect the love of forward to helping hundreds of temple patrons participate the Savior by helping extend the blessings of the gospel to in sacred ordinances. One of the greatest blessings the all of Heavenly Father’s children. Whites have seen from their service is in their family. “The prophets have told us to do temple work,” says “It has brought us closer together,” says Joel. “We have Toni. “If you can’t work in the temple right now, you can experienced a bit of what it will be like to be together for serve as a patron or do family history work. The sacrifices eternity. Serving with my wife has helped me see her more we make for temple work allow the Savior’s sacrifice to clearly, more as the Savior does. That helps me be more reach more people.” ◼ empathetic and focused on her instead of on myself. We encourage our adult children to make temple attendance central in their lives because that makes the Savior central STEP WITHIN THE SACRED in their lives.” HOUSE OF GOD At one point, one of their sons struggled to stay strong “I am satisfied that every man or in the gospel. The Whites wanted to help him but weren’t woman who goes to the temple in a spirit of sincerity and faith leaves sure how. They continued to serve as best they could and the house of the Lord a better turned their situation over to the Lord. man or woman. There is need for One morning while Elaine was working in the temple, constant improvement in all of our lives. There is another worker told her that a patron wanted to talk to her. need occasionally to leave the noise and the tumult She turned in the direction the worker pointed and was of the world and step within the walls of a sacred filled with joy as she realized she was looking at her son. house of God, there to feel His spirit in an environ- “Surprise, Mom!” she heard him say. He had worked ment of holiness and peace.” with his bishop to build up his testimony and be worthy to President Gordon B. Hinckley (1910–2008), “Of Missions, Temples, and Stewardship,” Ensign, Nov. 1995, 53. enter the temple.

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