Blessings of the Temple for My Family

My father believed "there is nothing on the other side. You live and you die . . . that’s all!" How sad, I remember thinking every time the subject came up, and now that he is gone and I see how quickly my own life is rushing by, it seems even more sad that anyone could truly believe this is all there is! As mortals we all share the reality of the bleak, final and unrelenting experience described by Shakespeare as "the undiscover’d country from whose bourn no traveller returns." But can anyone really believe our loving Heavenly Father would bless our lives with joy, achievements and family relationships only to snuff all of these blessings into oblivion in death? I am absolutely certain my father was pleasantly surprised on June 17, 2008 when he stepped through the veil and into the loving arms of his mother and father, his brothers and sisters who preceded him in death. I am even more certain he is eager to remain with them for the rest of eternity.

So, on Friday, October 16, we drove to Provo where we picked up Michael, then headed to the Mt. Timpanogos Temple to act as proxies for my father Dexter LeRoy Henion, his sisters Leodice Wheeler and Eloise Elford, as well as Eloise’s husband Lloyd; my great, great grandfather Ernst Wilhelm Werner (my grandmother Elsa Henion’s grandfather) and Johanna Theresa Dorn, a multi-great grandmother. We completed the baptisms, confirmations and initiatories for these six family members, then broke for the evening so we could meet Kelly and Gary at Macaroni Grill on 64th South - about halfway between Ogden and Provo - for dinner. It was a lovely day, ending with good food and good conversation with Michael, Tara, Kelly and Gary.

All that is left to do now is for mother to do her own temple work, then Doris and Dexter Henion can be sealed for time and all eternity.

Will my father and his sisters accept these ordinances? I can’t say, but I cannot partake of all the blessings of the gospel - nor will it be heaven without them - unless I make these ordinances available to family members who have gone on before me. I guess we’ll just have to wait until we pass through the veil ourselves to get the answer to that question, but I am ABSOLUTELY certain their mother accepted the gospel with all her heart, might, mind and strength. Since she accepted it, she will be - what all mothers are supposed to be - an influence for good on her son and two daughters. The rest is up to them!