Giving our Children to the Lord

Monterrey Temple behind Jacarandá tree

The missionaries keep coming like clockwork to the temple--every day, both morning and night, more and more missionaries. Just as Hannah took Samuel to the temple as she promised, the parents of these future missionaries come to the temple and consecrate their most precious possession to the service of the Lord. It is always touching to be part of that sacred experience. Considering what Ana did, the Lord asks little of us: We get to keep our precious children longer, and the Lord returns them to us in a short two years or less.

Saturdays are always our busiest days with between ten and 15 bus loads of members from as far as eight hours away. The buses begin rolling into the parking lot around 4:30 in the morning and keep coming most of the day. The early birds fill the 6:00 a.m. session and then others line up every hour and 20 minutes until the last session at 6:00 p.m. Most of the buses bring their own ordinance workers who fill in wherever needed in the temple; but on Saturdays, when hundreds of baptisms (think overalls and towels) take place, these wonderful people are the real work horses in the laundry--serving with joy, love, and grace.

As each bus arrives, the people are directed to "their" area in the stake center where they keep their belongings, corral their children, rest, study and eat. They and their children do as much temple work as possible while they are here because they know that it may be months before they are able to return. Many come with stacks of family names. It is very touching to see the impact that these family names have on the youth and new members doing baptisms--they really feel the connection to the ancestors they are serving.

In July this temple becomes an appointment only temple. It will probably not impact the schedule too much during the week, but it will be a big change to the Saturday participants. If they have not made a prior appointment, they may not get in to do anything at the temple at all. The church is hoping that this will facilitate better service to those who come from both far and near, and fewer long waits for first timers on Saturdays.

Monterrey Temple taken by Dani Delgado de Santiago, former Visitors' Center Missionary