We Must Go to the Temple Now!

Mary Holmes Ewen, California, USA

Illustration by Bradley H. Clark

One Sunday morning a recently baptized member was introduced to the ward. Her name was Lydia. She won our hearts at once.

Lydia was older and blind from years of battling diabetes. She quickly came to know ward members by their voices and footsteps. She would say our names and shake our hands, and we never alluded to the fact that she was blind.

After the required year’s wait, Lydia met with the bishop and the stake president to receive her temple recommend. In Relief Society one Sunday, she pulled me down beside her and exclaimed, “The stake president told me I must go to the temple as soon as possible. Will you take me?”

It was the first week of December—busy times were upon all of us. I tried to make the usual excuses and said, “Couldn’t we wait until January?”

“No, we must go now!”

A group of women from the ward went to the temple every month, so I approached them about making the trip with Lydia. They were also very busy. But Lydia, with tears in her eyes, again told us the stake president had told her to go as soon as possible.

At that we all agreed to make the 150-mile (241 km) trip the following week. On the way, we filled the van with the chatter and friendship of eight women. Lydia was overjoyed by her temple experience and the blessing of receiving her endowment.

The first week of January, Lydia’s condition worsened and she entered the hospital for emergency care. A week later she was gone. But Lydia went with the eternal blessings she had received in the temple just a few weeks earlier.

Later I related to the stake president the story of our trip and told him how impressed I was that he had felt prompted to tell Lydia she must go to the temple immediately.

“I really didn’t mean she must go now,” he responded. “I always tell new recommend holders to go to the temple soon. The Spirit spoke to Lydia, not me!”

Lydia taught us all to listen to the Spirit and to act upon it immediately. I am thankful for her reminder to listen to the still, small voice.