I sat beside my Sweetheart today in Church and listened to him sing and thought of all the years we have sat together and sang the hymns of the Church. Tears came to my eyes. Church is a great place to contemplate and take time to ponder. Not just on the spiritual but on what comes to mind. So as I thought of the years I thought of the buildings we have worshipped in.
One of the first was 13 The Mount, Belfast, home of the Belfast Branch.
Another was 10 Oxford Road, Dewsbury, West Yorkshire. Alan's home Branch until he went into the army and we got married. It was in Dewsbury that Alan visited in 1979 and met several members whom he knew growing up and found them still faithful. It touched his heart.
There are beautiful purpose built chapels in these towns now. Actually several in Belfast.
We lived in Colchester, Essex, while Alan did his National Service.
Then we came to Utah.
We have always lived in
West Bountiful
and there are two chapels that we attended although we have been in meetings in many Utah Wards.
We went to Zion as an extended family once and my Dad organized us on Sunday morning to have sacrament. Also, in several other States.
We served our Mission in Wellingborough, Northants, England and the Branch meetings were held in this building in the foreground.
We go to the San Clemente Ward when we go to the beach and love to come out of the Chapel because this is what we are anticipating.
But the hymns are the same, the order of service is the same and the doctrine is true.
8 comments:
And you've attended in Yuma, Salinas and Rocklin.
And Bountiful 7th and Woods Cross
3rd, and Pleasant View 10th :)!
... I never thought of it that way Mom, but memories and special events do happen mostly in buildings/edifices don't they? And when you see a building even if it's the most ordinary looking can bring back deep feelings you felt there. This post put that in perspective for me somehow.
We have lived in Kaysville for 21 years. Even though we have lived in two house (which are within 5 minutes walking distance) We've lived in SEVEN wards and two stakes. (And just to make things confusing - our old house is in our stake now) OH OH OH... AND we've attended FIVE different chapels! :-)
I remember once when we had to drive PAST the building that was behind us, to get to a whole different chapel to attend our own ward, one of my boys said, "I feel like we got voted out of the church" - maybe too much Survivor being watched at that time.
When we moved into our former home we were in the WB 6th ward; in the next few years we were divided and became the WB 9th and a few years later the WB 10th. I moved and now I'm back in the 6th ward. At one time a few years ago 4 of your 6 children were in different "10th wards". One thing I love about my current building is seeing my parents in the halls or at the chapel door. Love you guys.
I guess we weren't all in different 10th wards; David and I were in the same 10th ward :-)
Can't keep track of all the wards I've been in. :-) But I do remember when there were only four temples in all of Utah. Now I can see three temples in one view each night as I drive home from work. Draper, Jordan River and Oquirrh Mountain.
I love you Bea. You always have wonderful words to get us thinking about the right things!
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