Temple Trek

On April 14, 2012 we walked from our house to the Kansas City Temple. Two years ago, ground was broken for the temple. We were so excited, a temple for us! We wanted to do something special as a family to commemorate the temple. We heard the story of the pioneer John Moyle. John Moyle lived in Alpine, UT, which was 22 miles south of the Salt Lake temple. He had been called by the Prophet Brigham Young to work on the temple. He was a stone mason, and carved the “Holiness to the Lord” on the temple. He walked to and from Salt Lake each week for over 20 years, faithfully fulfilling his duty. We were very inspired by his story, and when we found out that our house was 22 miles from the temple, we knew we had to walk it.

We chose April 14 as our Temple Trek day. All that week, they were calling for storms on Saturday. We were anxious that we wouldn’t get to walk. We started praying that the weather would be okay for us, and that we would be able to walk. We had been preparing by taking little walks for the past several weeks. 

On Friday night, we got  everything ready, all the food, toys, first aid supplies, water, and extra shoes, and packed up the jogging stroller some friends loaned us. We also made our t-shirts. (Side note on the shirts: about a month prior, we had been in the Salt Lake temple and I found the scripture in Isaiah 2:2-3 which was perfect for our walk motto). The weather was still not looking good, but just as J. Devn Cornish taught in a conference talk on prayer, we were praying specifically for what we would need, and trying to maintain a submissive, yet hopeful attitude.

Neither of us slept very well on Friday. We were both anxious, nervous, excited, and worried. We got up at 5am, to leave at 6am. Todd checked the weather again, and he thought it looked like it might skirt around us. That morning, Brooke had read some of Ether 12, which teaches that miracles don’t happen until after the trial of your faith. So putting forth our faith, we decided to go for it!

We got Savannah up, and got out at 6:20. Our directions took us all the way up Blue Ridge Blvd to Highway 24. (A few weeks prior we had driven one route that was really scary, but this route was much better.) 


 
When we got to our 7 mile point, we were surprised at how quickly we were going. 1/3 done.  We had calculated that we would be able to go about 2.5 miles per hour, taking into account a toddler in a stroller.  After some quick math, we realized that we were going about 3.5 miles an hour, so we were well ahead of our schedule. This was very helpful so there weren’t so many cars out. There were periodic sidewalks, but most of the time we walked along the side of the road, on wide shoulders, or in the grass.

Right before Highway 24, there was one pretty scary neighborhood, with lots of trash, dogs, and rundown houses. We were grateful all the dogs were chained up or behind fences. But shortly after that, we were at our halfway point. Originally, we had wanted to be at our halfway point (where we would get lunch at Subway) at about 11:15, but it turned out we were there at 10:00. We ate lunch there anyway. 

When we got to Subway, we told the cashier what we were doing, and gave her a temple open house invitation. We really started to feel our joints complain after the halfway point. But, we took some ibuprofen, and headed out again. After Subway, it was a much scarier part, because we would be going on Chouteau Trafficway, where there were lots of trucks and very little room on the shoulder.

We would stop now and then to give Savannah a new toy or snack, to get a bottle of water, or dump pebbles or gravel out of our shoes. We took Chouteau Trafficway across the Missouri River, which put us into Clay County.

     Pretty soon we got to Parvin Road, and we realized that we were only 5.5 miles away from our destination.

About then, Brooke’s knee really started to hurt. She prayed that she would be able to make it, and remembered the knee brace she had thought to bring. That helped a lot. It was still aching, but definitely bearable.

The last few miles were all about endurance and willpower. One of the best moments, was coming up over a hill and seeing the temple in the distance. Now we had to finish!

   

At the very end, we got Savannah out of the stroller so we could all walk through the temple gates together. It took us from 6:20am-1:40pm to walk. We had estimated to be done at 4:15! Then we spent some wonderful time, the best of the day, just sitting at the temple, taking pictures, walking around, and of course getting a cookie from the stake center! 

We are so thankful to our Heavenly Father that we were able to do it. We received so many tender mercies, such as:

·      Our friends letting us use their jogging stroller, without which we wouldn’t have been able to do it. The stroller tires didn’t get a flat, either.

·       All the dogs being chained up.

·    The weather!! The conditions were perfect: cloudy so the sun didn’t zap our energy, perfect temperature for us walking and Savannah riding, and a breeze from the back to push us along. A huge blessing!

·    Savannah was perfect! She played, ate, slept, and just watched. We had prayed that she would be okay, and she did fabulous. Never a peep. Never wanting to walk or be held.

·       Bridges with sidewalks to cross over train tracks and the river.

·       Having the knee brace and remembering it.

·       There was a Subway at the halfway point.

·       Savannah didn’t poop until we got to the temple.

·       The Dora toy that played music from a friend that kept Savannah occupied for hours.

·       That it had rained on Friday, so that the ground wasn’t all dusty.

·       Just that our bodies could do it!

We learned more about how the temple is a symbol of eternal life. Lots of times, there was so much noise, garbage, and danger around us, but we were kept safe by the Lord. The same is true in life, that we can live in the world, but not be of it. We can keep the Spirit and continue on our journey home by praying, preparing spiritually and temporally, and working with all our might despite the difficulties (which today were represented in the hills, potholes, aching joints, lifting the stroller over guard rails, traffic, stairs, and the distance). Only through the Atonement of Jesus Christ can we hope to accomplish our mission to return to our Heavenly Father. “In the strength of the Lord, I can do and endure and overcome all things.” We had to access the Atonement and its enabling, strengthening power today to accomplish this feat. Similarly, each day we need the Atonement to strengthen us to bear the burdens, to change us, and to prepare us to live with Him again. Without the Atonement we are nothing, with Him we can do anything. That is how the pioneers did it. They accessed the strengthening power of the Atonement. They clung to their covenants. Imagine how important it was for them to get their temple covenants before they went on their journey west. Without those covenants, they wouldn’t have been able to do it. With our covenants, we have the promises of the Lord. We can’t always see our destination (like we couldn’t see the temple until the very end), but we know what it is and that it is there waiting for us. We must press forward, in faith, relying on the Lord to strengthen and help us.

Sister Dalton taught the youth that they need to do hard things; there is no glory in doing that which is mediocre. We were so happy to overcome such a challenge, even with aching feet, sore muscles, and crying joints. All day, amidst the world circling around us, we felt at peace. We felt the Spirit. We were strengthened, upheld, and carried. We were happy. And we are so grateful for this opportunity to grow closer as a family, to do something to thank our Heavenly Father for this temple, and to show our children, our children’s children, and so on, that this family believes in and is committed to the temple and the Lord always. 

Go to the board!