Temple moments: Heavenly day
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In 1952, shortly before I was born, my parents, Stan and Birdie Young,
moved to Downey, Calif. Activity in the Church was far from their minds,
because my father was not a member and my mother hadn't been to Church
since her baptism at age 14. However, when home teachers came by, my
parents welcomed them. One of these early home teachers was VerNon
Petersen, who faithfully visited each month. One day he asked if his wife,
Dorothy, could take my sisters and me to Primary each week. My parents felt
some religious training would be good for their children, so they
agreed.
This began our lives of Church activity, which continued as we grew up and left home. Some 42 years later, my parents moved to Peoria, Ariz., where, experiencing some spiritual hunger, my mother agreed to attend sacrament meeting. The ward was very friendly. My mother began to attend regularly, and sometimes my father accompanied her. Again, faithful home teachers began to visit and my mother became active.
My father even took the missionary lessons. A few months later he called an inactive grandson, Kevin Ruffner, and asked if he would do the honor of baptizing him. This young man didn't reply for two months. But in January of 1998, he called back and agreed to perform the baptism. My father was baptized March 28, 1998, at age 74. Four months later, Kevin left to serve in the Chile Santiago South Mission.
But the highlight of my parents' conversion came in June of 1999. On one summer day my daughter, Elaine, married David Lane in the Denver Colorado Temple. A few minutes later, just eight days before their 55th wedding anniversary, my parents were sealed. Then my sister, Sharon, and I were sealed to them. In attendance and making the day more memorable were VerNon and Dorothy Petersen. Truly, there were many tears of joy shed in that sealing room on that heavenly day. — Denice Morgan, Colorado Springs (Colo.) 9th Ward
Another in a series of "Temple Moments." Illustration by John Clark
