A Wedding Story

On Sunday in our Relief Society, a young woman shared her story about their journey to the temple.  Both she and her husband joined the church in India and are the only members in their respective families.  When the became engaged, they decided that they wanted to be sealed in the temple.

For a little background she reminded us that typical Indian weddings are very elaborate affairs, often lasting several days (see the picture above).  The couple is showered with gifts and money during this time and are basically set to begin their married life together.

When this young woman told her parents what she and her future husband planned, and about their desire to be married in the temple, they were not happy, refusing to help them in any way.  The day they were married in India, it was just the two of them and their parents at the ceremony.  They were left with the need to find good-paying jobs so they could save their money to travel to the closest temple, Hong Kong.  They found jobs and lived a very meager life during that year as they saved everything.  She said that they could have purchased items that would have made life easier, but with their goal of a temple sealing in mind, they pressed on.

At their one year mark they were able to travel to Hong Kong for a week to be sealed.  The temple was building patron apartments but they had not been completed yet so they shared an apartment with another couple from Mongolia.  In all there were 6 couples (all in the same general circumstances) that had come far distances to be sealed and then to spend all week in the temple.  She said that they all witnessed each other's sealings which was wonderful, but she missed having her parents there to share in their joy.

I was grateful for her example.  She and her husband are now students at BYU-Idaho and she told us with tears in her eyes that she never dreamed they would live to close to a temple.  The second testimony that I gained on Sunday was a surprise to me; one that I hoe not thought of.  This young sister told us that there had been a missionary couple, assigned to the temple, who had wrapped their arms around this couple, acting as their parents.  She said that she will never forget the kindness and love she felt from them during the week they spent doing temple work in Hong Kong.  I had never thought of that part of missionary work and I thought of Bob and Linda Browne who will be leaving shortly for Fiji to work in the temple there.  Just think of the experiences they will have as they great couples and families, coming to the temple to be sealed for all eternity.