Baptism

It was August of 1946, I was 10 years old. LaVerna 13, Elvin soon to be 12 when Grandma came to the house to visit Mom one afternoon to ask why none of us children had been baptized yet. It was a wicked shame to have children that far past the age of 8 and none of them baptized. Mom had her hands full with so many children that she had neglected this aspect of our lives.

Grandma gathered LaVern and Elvin and me into her truck and took us to the Bishop where we were given personal interviews. Our next stop was the St. George Temple where we were baptized in the font that sat on the backs of 12 oxen statues. We were given while jump suits to wear for the ceremony. It was all very spiritually exciting.

Grandma had on a beautiful white long dress that she wore while in the Temple. After we were baptized, Grandma talked to someone quietly then told us we were going to have a special treat. she had been given permission to take us into an elevator to the top floor of the Temple. There we looked through a round window at the town to the North and the red hills. She told us we were to remember the Temple was special for us as our grandfathers on both side of the family had helped to build it in St. George's pioneer days;.  I was awe struck. I was filled with such a reverent feeling.

On the ride home, I remember LaVerna and I sitting in the back of Grandma's truck with the wind whipping through our damp hair that had just been washed clean from all sins. We talked about what we had just done in promising Jesus we would always try to follow him. We made vows to stop saying swear words. This was harder on me than LaVerna because she was always good and never swore anyway.

The twins were baptized on the 4th of July of the next year in 1947. Grandma must not have taken them on the tour. They still said words I was now shocked to hear.