When I was a teenager my ward would go to the St. George Temple and do baptisms for the dead 2-3 times a year. These trips were always fun. We would load our sleepy teenage bodies into the vehicles of the youth leaders early in the morning and drive 3 hours to the Temple.
One visit while the girls waited in the chapel for our turn to go into the fount one of the temple workers told us a story about a girl who had come to do baptisms for the dead and when she got home she was visited by the spirit of one of the people she was baptized for. The lady wanted to thank her for doing her work.
I remember thinking who amazing it would be to have an experience like that. After that trip to the temple I prayed that I would be in tune with the spirit so that I could have an experience like that. I don't remember if it was the next trip or one later on but I had the amazing experience I had prayed for.
I was 15 or 16 years old and this day we were be baptized for the names of Holocaust victims. The spirit was so strong in the temple that day. I remember that Jacob Carter and my cousin Micah Griffin did 50 names each while everyone else did 25. After doing the baptisms I went into the confirmation room to be confirmed. My Uncle Gilbert Griffin was one of the men doing the confirmations.
As I sat in the chair with my arms folded, eyes closed, and my head bowed. As the priesthood lay their hands on my head I could see each of the girls I was being confirmed for kneel down and accept the Holy Ghost. Each one in turn. One right after the other. Amazed by what I was witnessing I sat there with my eyes squeezed tight as tears poured down my face. When I was finished I was speechless to what I had just experienced. I left the temple that day and I didn't shared that story with anyone for at least 10 years. I felt that it was to sacred to share with just anyone at anywhere.
It breaks my heart today when I hear about the church being made to remove the Holocaust victims from the records and the work that was done for them because I have a strong testimony from that day in the temple that those girls had the desire to have their work done for them and that they were thankful for it. I saw it and felt it in my spirit and my mind. I have faith in the Lord that all is well with them no matter what happens here on earth.
I am so thankful for this faith building experience that I had in my youth. I am thankful for the love of Jesus and my Heavenly Father. I am blessed every day by their love.
