Cleaning Up

Yesterday I had the amazing opportunity of cleaning the Salt Lake Temple. Our ward was assigned to take it's turn sprucing it up during it's winter cleaning closure and I jumped at the chance to serve. On our shift we dismantled scaffolding in the Celestial Room and carried it through the World Room out the big wooden door just across from the Tabernacle. Then we headed up to the third floor with the three big sealing rooms and cleaned up scraps from the newly laid carpet, vacuumed, washed the walls, dusted the gold trim, polished the chandeliers, and replaced the altar, couch, and chairs in Sealing Room C, and got half-way through that list in Sealing Room A. Next we headed back to the Celestial Room where they lowered the eight chandeliers for us to dust and wash and we moved all the furniture around a few times. All too soon our four-hour shift came to an end (I could have stayed for another four hours it was that much fun).


It really was an amazing experience just to be in the Temple, to help clean it, to see it out of it's usual state of perfection, to feel the Spirit that continues to reside in it despite it's current state of chaos. But to top off the afternoon, we saw Elders Scott, Perry, Uchtdorf, Holland, and Bednar pass through a hallway in front of us and they each stopped, looked our way and waved to us (well, Elder Holland saluted). Seriously, if you ever get the chance to help clean the temple near you, do not pass it up. It will be hard work but it will definitely be worth it!