Rebekah turned 12 years old 10 days shy of the cutoff for youth to perform in the cultural celebration (which we watched on TV), but her Grandma Scott (our stake Young Women president) was able to receive permission for her granddaughter to accompany her and other leaders and youth to prepare the temple for its rededication.
Rebekah planting flowers on the temple grounds.
Stacking folding chairs with baby socks rubber banded around the feet in the temple cafeteria.
The day of the rededication (June 4), Seth, Rebekah, Analee, Aunt Jessica and I went to our stake center to participate via satellite in the first of three dedicatory sessions. Grandma Scott had embroidered handkerchiefs for us to use, and Grandma Susan watched the younger girls for us since only those 8 and older could attend. The talks were enlightening, the choir was polished and the prayer was powerful.
Throughout the session I felt the Holy Ghost strongly, but as President Henry B. Eyring offered the dedicatory prayer, I experienced a new sensation. In the Book of Mormon, Alma talks about a swelling feeling (Alma 32:28) associated with the Holy Spirit. Many times before in my life I've felt the calm, warm, peaceful reassurance of the Holy Ghost, but this was the first time I've felt a swelling. That's the only way I can describe it.
Since the temple's reopening, it has been a pleasure to return to the temple. We had the sweet experience of taking Rebekah for the first time to do baptisms for the dead on June 23. We had to carefully double-bag her hand with the gauze and wrap on it (see previous blog post about breaking her finger), and Seth had to modify the way he held her so she could plug her nose with her left hand. Rebekah was baptized on behalf of deceased family members she had found on Family Search. Seth performed those baptisms while Grandma Scott and I watched. Then Grandpa Dennis and Grandpa Scott performed the confirmations for those family members. It was easy to feel the connection the temple forges between family members while three generations worked together.