The following article was submitted to the St. George Temple History per request from Brother Christensen.
23rd
Birthday Temple Project
“Sister
Scheri Marrow knew that I had several hundred temple names in my
Family Search file for the last few years... she came up to us with
this idea. It's been ALL HER. She said she had a dream. So
many ancestors wanted to have their work done.”
She
says, “Erik, we want to get your names done”. There are so many
ancestors that want to go through the temple and they’re excited
and we’re excited and it’s going to be just amazing.” Erik
Gray’s journal-January 2017
Back
in 2014-2015, Erik Gray, a 22 year old from Cedar City, Utah, was in
the middle of serving a year-long service mission in the St. George
Temple. His cancer had come back again during his mission and
he had to take a break from serving everyday to have cancer
treatments (chemo and radiation). During this time, he would do
indexing, arbitration (because he had indexed so many names), and
started researching on family search and found over 350 names.
Sister
Marrow had approached us in the beginning of December 2016 about this
project. His seven year battle with cancer was coming to a close.
His doctors had run out of treatment options and referred him to
hospice care. He was given a time frame of a couple of months.
Sharing temple names seemed like a daunting task at the time even
though she said we didn’t have to do anything. We only needed to
print out the cards and she would do the rest. Erik didn’t feel
good. We concentrated on him, not knowing what each day would be
like. Nothing more was said, yet.
It
was good timing to have hospice help us. They immediately assessed
Erik’s pain, what type of pain and where. They totally changed up
his medicines. They said that if Erik wasn’t feeling a little
better in 2 days, then they weren’t doing their job. He did start
feeling better quickly. Within a week, he didn’t need his oxygen,
he had an appetite again and he was his happy good-humored self.
Hospice continued to monitor his meds and changed the dosages when
needed. Erik made a 180 turn around. He loves the temple and was
thrilled to attend the temple more and feel good while doing so. As
a mother, it made my heart happy to see my boy feel good to actually
enjoy the Christmas holiday activities, trips to the temple, his
abundant amount of visitors and his upcoming birthday.
After
Christmas, Sister Marrow approached us again about Erik’s temple
names. She said she still felt strongly about helping him get his
ancestors’ work done. It sounded doable at this point.
I had mentioned just simply sharing the names electronically and she
said we can do that. “However, I’ve been thinking long and hard
about how we could do this. It was in my dream. “
What
she envisioned in this dream, was to un-share the names with the
temple. Start out with printing the ordinance cards with only the
one ordinance. After that ordinance would be completed and we would
see it reflected on the computer, the next ordinance for that
particular ancestor could be printed for another person to complete.
The person who took the ancestor name card through would retrieve it
from the temple desk, write a happy birthday message on the back and
send it to Erik through the mail. Erik would receive lots of kind
notes in mail along with seeing his ancestor’s ordinances being
completed. It would hopefully cheer him. Sister Marrow knew it would
take some time and chose January 31st
for the bulk of the project to be done. She also envisioned an
evening at the St. George temple to be spent together, everyone in
the group taking one of Erik’s ancestors through an endowment
session.
There
were so many people that loved Erik and wanted to do anything they
could for him. This was definitely a way they could help Erik. It
was timely, that Erik’s birthday was coming up.
Erik
explained the project and shared the information on social media. He
shared it with his many followers for a blog he writes and also with
other social media groups. He also sent out group emails to his
cousins, aunts, and uncles.
Part
of what Erik shared was this:
Most
of you are aware of just how much I love the temple. That's why this
project is so important to me. I'm grateful for the sacred work that
happens in the temple and I'm grateful for the knowledge I have of
this gospel. Families CAN be together forever. If you'd like to talk
more about that, please reach out to me. :)
The
response was huge! The word spread to others who were not on his
social media groups and they wanted to participate in helping with
Erik’s ancestor names, too! Erik had many of his own cousins and
aunts and uncles help in completing the ordinances as well as many
friends and ward members. There were ordinances completed in temples
all over the US, some in Brooklyn, New York and Anchorage, Alaska.
The joy on Erik’s face was priceless. The mail started flowing in
addressed to Erik. They were completed ordinance cards and most had
wonderful messages on the back. Erik’s strength continued. His
hospice caretakers were surprised about how well his health was
holding up.
Sister
Marrow would meet with us periodically to print out more ordinance
cards as they were ready. In the process of doing so, Erik found
another 40 names that needed baptisms and everything. She said she
had people that would love to do them!
The
January 19th
St. George Temple Endowment session was very special. Erik was
tired. It was an 8pm session. Erik was determined to keep going
strong. There was a great turnout at the temple, regardless of the
snowy weather. We didn’t want to miss it. We had to go. This was
Erik’s thing! We said a prayer and were all able to make it safely
there and back over the Black Ridge pass. Everyone else that
attended did as well. It was a beautiful sight seeing so many of our
ward family and our friends and acquaintances. “Each life that
touches ours for Good,” was the opening song. Erik said the opening
prayer. A former counselor in the St. George Temple Presidency,
President Arnold spoke at this chapel session. He was Erik’s
service mission supervisor/boss when Erik served his mission in the
temple July 2014-July 2015. It was an honor to have President Arnold
& his wife to be there for Erik. If I could describe the evening
I would have to say it was a spiritual
night with a reverent excitement.
Everyone could feel it. We knew others were completing that work at
the same time as well in other temples.
We
are so grateful to Sister Marrow, she had the project so beautifully
organized. There were wards that heard about Erik’s temple names
and asked for group quantities. It was wonderful. She put people on
waiting lists for certain ordinances. There were still many male
endowment names to be completed. The St. George Temple Presidency
allowed for Erik’s names to be at the recorder’s desk for people
to pick up and complete. Miracles do happen and by January 31st,
the rest of the stack of male endowment cards were completed. The
majority of temple names have been completed. Sister Marrow was both
relieved and overjoyed that it happened!
Even
though the bulk of the project was complete, there was still
ordinance work being done. Erik passed away on February 10, 2017.
The following day, there were over 100 sealings that were completed
in several different temples. Both groups commented of small little
miracles that happened and they had felt Erik’s presence.
Another
accomplishment that meant so much to Erik was visiting ALL the
temples in Utah.
From his blog:
As
I think back to all the times and temples I've attended, I'm
grateful. Many I attended because of a doctor's appointment in Salt
Lake, passing through on my way home from Logan to Cedar, or just a
Saturday afternoon road trip. Especially with doctors appointments,
attending the temple has really helped me maintain perspective in the
gospel, remember life's purposes and the plan, and feel immense peace
amidst life's craziness. It's all REAL. God is real. Our Savior is
REAL.
I am grateful for the opportunity to be able to worship in such sacred buildings. The peace, joy, comfort and love that I've felt throughout my years of temple service is INCOMPARABLE As I face the challenges of the world, and as you think about the challenges you face in the world, the peace that the temple brings makes me stronger so that I can succeed in my endeavors.
When
his health was failing in the fall of 2016, he realized that his goal
might not be reached. He had been to 15 of the 16 operating temples.
With hospice’s help in restoring some of his energy, we were able
to make the 6 hour trip to Monticello in January, and yes, in between
snow storms. He was energized to have that chance. We went through
an endowment session, stayed overnight, and then made the 6 hour trip
back home the next day. 2 weeks later we were able to make a 2 day
trip over to Vernal, specifically to attend the temple there. He was
starting to need his oxygen again and it would be tiring for him.
His health was declining. He had been to the Vernal Temple, but not
inside. This time, Justin, his younger brother, and his dad came,
too. They took off work and school. We again, had found more family
names in the process of printing cards for Sister Marrow. Justin had
some of his own family names, too, that we were able to do the work
for. Erik, Dennis and I were also able to go through an endowment
session.
He
wrote in his journal about it.
January
27, 2017- So the session started. AND I DIDN'T REALIZE HOW TIRED I
WAS! I was almost nodding off. BUT the amazing thing is that God
still taught me.
FIRST
OF ALL. THE CELESTIAL ROOM. It was glorious and magnificent and
hands down is now my favorite Celestial Room of any temple. I can
only describe it in the way it is... CELESTIAL!
Two
things that stood out to me from the session:
#1...
Even up until the last second of the session we are still being
taught. Literally right at the veil we are being taught. Learning is
a never-ending thing and we should always strive to be learning,
which is interesting at my stage of life. I love the connection. I
have a desire to just keep learning and growing. I want to read. And
study. And grow and learn more than ever before.
#2...
My tiredness was kind of an analogy... this part of my life, I'm
dying... it's the "enduring to the end" stage right now, ya
know? And I was soooo tired during the session. So here's the
connection. Sometimes it's exhausting to "be good" and to
CTR and I feel like just trying to be a good saint is hard and
exhausting. But you've just got to keep pushing and keep trying. I
pushed through and tried my very best to pay attention and to stay
awake and really just feel the peace of the session. It was hard.
Physically beat.
But
once I stepped into the Celestial Room, I was AMAZED. Peace and
humility and love just immediately entered into my soul. The beauty
and magnificent-ness of that Celestial Room, I just... can't even
describe it. Well, okay I can: Celestial. There is a giant picture
of the Savior. So the feeling of entering the room for me was Jesus
with this arms open about to embrace me, saying "Okay. You've
made it! You did and I'm so proud of you. THIS is where you rest
because you pushed and tried so hard on Earth." And the
scripture of "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy
laden, and I will give you rest."
The
5 hr drive for that session was so worth it. Truthfully, I would
drive 5 hrs JUST for those 10 minutes we were in the Celestial Room.
It. Was. Incredible. Vernal is very close to the top on my list of
favorite temples now. I'm so grateful I followed my feelings to come
on a road trip out here- even if we just came for the temple. BUT the
temple is such a good reason.
I
have such a full heart for the gospel. I'm so grateful for God. For
my Savior. For peace. For happiness despite me being terminal. I know
what's really important in life and I know I'm doing good. Grateful
every day for God.
There
were so many blessings that came from his 23rd
Birthday Temple Project. Blessings came in different shapes and
forms to not just our family, to Erik, and to the ancestors having
their work done, but to the many others from all over who
participated. The biggest blessing was that Erik was given more time
on this earth and it was quality time. Once January 19th passed, his
health started to slowly decline once again. It was amazing to see
the Lord's hand and the blessing of good health that allowed Erik to
complete this work.
I
have had many opportunities to attend the temple with my son. After
completing an endowment session going into the celestial room is
always my favorite. Sometimes you are the one who is there first and
you watch and wait for each other. As soon as you see them, you feel
joy and give hugs. It brought tears to my eyes just knowing that
this is what is to come for Erik soon. Others will be waiting there
in the Spirit World ready to embrace him and welcome him. This gave
me comfort. It reaffirmed my testimony that this earth life is just a
small moment compared to the eternities. I will miss my son, but
know that I will be reunited with him again. He will be the one to
welcome me and the others into the Spirit World when it’s our time
to pass.
Written
by JoLene Gray – April 2017
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