When my older sister and brother were born they were given a name and blessing at both Dad's church and Mom's church. I am the only biological child not to have been given a name and blessing at my Dad's church. Mom kept telling him to call and find out when they where going to do it and he said "Why do it again? When you did it right the first time." I have never really questioned any doctrine of the church. There are a few that I do go "Uh...ok. I don't really understand that, but ok." Which is weird for me because I question everything. Why is the sky blue? Is what we call blue really blue?
Baptism
The normal age to get baptized is 8. I didn't follow that rule at all. I've never been one for rules and I do tend to bend them to the point of breaking. Sometimes I do break them. I am human after all. Mom started asking me when I was about 7 1/2 if I wanted to be baptized. No. Every few months over the next few years she would ask me. My answer was always no. I was waiting until the time felt right to me. When I was almost 11 I decided that I wanted to be baptized. So the missionaries came over and started to teach me. I loved those missionaries very much. Elder Blake Murdoch and Elder Gale. I wish I could remember his first name, but I can't. :-( I had to actually fight to be baptized on my birthday. Not physically, but with words. The Canton 1st Ward was having some sort of dinner that night and they didn't want me to be baptized on that day. I said the one thing you never say to a missionary when they are getting ready to baptize you. "If I can't be baptized on my birthday then I don't want to be baptized." Never ever say that to a missionary unless that is truly the day you want to be baptized on because they went to bat for me and I was baptized 11 years to the minute after I was born. It was the most amazing thing I have ever done in my life. It was also heart breaking too because Elder Murdoch got the call that he was to be transferred that night. First missionary crush. He was adorable with his dark hair and blue eyes. :-) I bawled when he left.
Missionaries
Over the years I learned not to let missionaries get close to me. They come and go so quickly that it breaks your heart when they either get transferred or they go home. I got to know another missionary years ago, but he never kept in touch. Elder Tobler was his name. I'm sure I have it spelled wrong, but that's how I remember it being spelled. Anyway, he was nice. Well all the missionaries I've met over the years have been nice. Then last year we got a missionary named Elder Andrew Rogers and earlier this year we got Elder Kidd. They were at my house all the time it seemed like. LOL And of course I let my guard down and let these two missionaries into life. Elder Andrew Rogers stayed until he went home last month and we still have Elder Kidd and we now have Elder Poe. Because of Rogers and Kidd, a prayer, and a vision I am going to the temple and getting endowed.
Preparing to go to the Temple
This is the scary part because I have to follow all the rules and I just don't like rules. So for me to be a good Mormon girl is very hard and trying. I have noticed though that since I have committed myself to going to the temple I have become a much sweeter and caring person. Which kind of freaks me out. I've always been a sweet and caring person, but I also have a very bad temper. I've always been able to control it and I am slow to anger. Unless you lie to me or accuse me of something I didn't do or tell me what to do or call me woman instead of my name. Then I'm ready to fight. There is more to the story of why I am going to go get my endowments now. The first part is Andrew is one of those people that I can't say no to. Which is unfortunate for me because no is my favorite word. The second part is I had prayed about a specific thing the Saturday before they came to talk to me on Tuesday. As soon as I said amen I had a vision and I cried because I had no clue how I was going to get to what I saw in my vision.
Then they talked to me about going to the temple and it clicked. The third part is because of my Gramma and Grampa Archer. They need to be sealed together and I want to do it. In order for me to do it I have to be an endowed member of the church. Plus I did ask Andrew to stand in for my Grampa so it gives me a nice goal to work towards. Plus I get to do all my Great Aunt Carol's work for her. She is my Gramma's only sibling and I'm glad that I get to do her work because I didn't get to do my Gramma's work. I'm really excited and terrified at the same time. I'm terrified about what will happen in the temple. I'm terrified that I'm gonna mess up and do or say something I shouldn't. I know I'll be great, but I'm a very clumsy person and tend to make a fool out of myself. We shall see how this goes. It should be a good experience because I will be going to the temple to be endowed on my birthday. :-) Let's not go into what number that one will be. Let's just say 20 something. LOL
