March 31,1972-" Good Friday- to see the Bishop ( clergy over a congregation ) at 9:00 a.m., Brother Kimball 11:00. I have been offered a job in the Salt Lake Temple helping patrons with their suitcases. I wanted to inform Brother Kimball of my job offer to check if it is appropriate in his mind for me to work in the Temple. It was. "
I was very excited for it made me feel somehow acceptable to God. I believed it was appropriate for me. Elder Kimball thought it a very positive step in living what he called " The Program " of the Church which was outlined in his book, The Miracle of Forgiveness. " God loves the sinner. In a nutshell , the program is like this: (1) The Malady: Mental and physical sin. (2) The Vehicle: The Church and its agencies and programs. (3) The Medication: The gospel of Jesus Christ with its purity, beauty, and rich promises. (4) The Cure: Proper attitudes and self-mastery through activity and good works. "
At this time I also became a member of the Mormon Youth Symphony and Chorus singing first tenor. Jay Welch was the conductor with Robert Bowden, symphony conductor. But by April 29,1972 age limits were imposed and only those ages 18-26 could remain. I was over age. It was then I felt a desire to be in the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.
June 19,1972- " I work in the Salt Lake Temple helping the patrons with their luggage. I feel so exhilarated when I am dressed in white.( all people who enter the Temple wear white Temple clothing ) I help the people with their luggage. During my break I could read the scriptures or other Church books I have never seen before at my desk. I wanted to run up and down the hall because I felt so good. My future wife tried to get a Temple recommend (necessary affidavit to enter the Temple) they told her not until 10 days before her marriage. Called Avaird Fairbanks ( Church sculptor ) - spoke to his son. Might be a possibility of apprenticing with him. "
June 27,1972 - It's wonderful to work in the Temple. I meet friends I used to know and there is the good cafeteria food. Brother Millgate ( with sun glasses ) asked me to come in July 17th to work starting at 7:00 a.m.... religious life seems so frustrating . Leaders make you feel inferior ( my new Bishop at the time).... if you're not right there with prayers and answers. Then you talk and plead and you feel no answer. I get answers when I fast. Must I fast to get answers to all prayer. If our stomachs are full -God won't speak to us? I realize I have a long way to go...Did I chose my great sexual situation.....Interview with Richard P. Condie on Saturday ( the old loveable crow )."
Very early in the morning I would help Brother Millgate, the chief engineer of the Salt Lake Temple or Steve Hansen son of Dan Hansen, the treasurer of the Temple.
We would be doing odd jobs. There was a lot of remodeling being done in the Temple. I remember being under the main east doors of the Temple under the steps, and underground. They were large steps of unrefined granite looking at them from underneath. I'd have to do a double take whenever we went outside to realize where I had been. On the outside the steps were polished granite, smooth and shiny.
July 17-30, 1972-" I have been working in the Salt Lake Temple. I have been doing touch up work on the murals in the creation room and world room which needed mixed colors of magenta for mountains, green for shrubs to a yellow tan for sand and soil. Worked on a rock area in the creation room mural by the water and beach area. It was strange. I don't seem to be color blind ( red, green ) in the Temple. Brother Millgate said the colors matched and he was very pleased. I cleaned the beautiful chandeliers in the main foyer leading to the grand staircase. It took me four days 8 hours a day because of the intricate parts. It was good the Temple was closed during this period. "
July 30,1972- "....It has been truly special to clean the Temple. I made the security check with Steve Hansen and he showed me the dome to the special room ( the Holy of Holies ), the place of the meeting of the 1st Presidency and Apostles, the towers (stairways), the assembly hall. I was overwhelmed. My Joy was full. The Lord's spirit has touched me several times as I worked, to tell me of the truth and joy of the true Gospel. "
August 11,1972- " .....started working with Avard Fairbanks moving his plastistine studies and sculptures. A little disappointed. I thought he was perfect. But the knowledge I can gain is good. He's working on the angel Moroni for the Washington Temple....Dr. Fairbanks drives carelessly, smells as bad as the hippies he condemns, and gets into discussions on immoral topics which seem to undermine his personality. He is delightfully human."
I was counseled by Brother Kimball not to judge others especially when angry with another. So I knew it wasn't good to judge. I came from an area of the country where people were very critical. Even in college I learned to be a critic of art, music and culture, in classes I took. In life, because I was different and wanted understanding, I have had to learn compassion too, like anyone else. I appreciated many hours of good advice that did not confuse me as some of the other advice offered. I was thankful to Apostle Spencer W. Kimball for taking the time to try to impliment the teachings he was proporting in his writings to me.
I did all I knew to follow his advice which I believed was a result of his inspiration.
August 15,1972- " President Harold B. Lee ( then the prophet of the Church ), spoke to MN Gleaners Fireside ( Young Adult Group meeting ). The congregation all stood up when he entered and were silent. Like not a sound. Roy M. Darley ( organist ) stopped his prelude music as well. President Lee talked about his call to be a prophet. He told how he and sister Lee were praying and they felt they could see and love all three million members.... when he bore his testimony there was complete silence, he asked us to pray for him....we sang We Thank Thee O God For A Prophet and he took his glasses off and He wept. "
September 18,1972-"....in the Temple I read Brigham Young's statement on the body and the spirit. I felt captured in the spirit and overwhelmed, a burning throughout my body. The Holy Ghost witnessing that I had a spirit..."
It was like I could see my spirit body within me especially in my hands. I shall never forget the accompanying swell within me as I wept there in the Temple. This was one of many spiritual experiences which formed the basis of my testimony of the truthfulness of the Restored Gospel.
This is one of the spiritual experiences which I had which I can never deny. It was a witness to me that we have a spiritual body within our physical body. This spiritual experience would come under attack in the future by a person in the social services department of the Church.
September 28,1972-" President Lee arrived home from a trip to England, Switzerland, Greece, and Israel. As I was sitting at my desk in the suitcase room I felt an overwhelming outpouring of the spirit. I knew that President Lee was meeting with the Twelve Apostles as they do every Thursday in the upper chambers of the Temple. I felt the spirit so strongly that my mind was filled with the knowledge that the Savior was in the building at that very moment. It was like all the warmth of a loving Father who had wrapped his arms around me. Other people verified this same feeling throughout the day when I asked them. Many other people were impelled to weep during the moments we felt that spiritual outpouring. "
October 5,1972- " ..Talked to Mary Sorenson about my family (relatives ).. how I want them to be in the Gospel. Mary bought some china and figurines when they were in Denmark and she wants us to see them. One of the vases is in the Celestial room in front of the door to the Holy of Holies...."
During the next few months I wrote many of the stories in Christmas Everyday A Storybook which I would eventually self publish. I had many moments where my work was not demanding so I took these occassions to remember my past experiences and compile them in a story book, a sentimental narration. I was growing a little homesick for New York State and through my writing I would be taken there in my day dreams.
October 16,1972- " Talked to Brother Millgate at lunch. He said I could work in the Temple or he would introduce me to a Brother in charge of Cinema Arts at B.Y.U. He said stick with the temple and the Lord will lead me. "
November 13,1972- Monday " Up and at them at 2:00 a.m. cleaned the Creation room, Garden room until 5:30 a.m. Back at 10:30 a.m. to work in suitcase room until 7:30 p.m. "
This would be my daily schedule for the next year.
November 14,1972-Tuesday-" cleaned the World room and Terrestrial room, visited the sealing
room in which my future wife and I might be married. "