Yes, Cassandra. Think of That.

I've sat through many endowment sessions in the past year and a half. I mean, today marked my third session this week; you can guess how many times I attend the temple normally based off of that number. Today, as I was working the 1pm, own endowment session (that's probably my favorite part of working in the temple! I love, love, love working the sessions), I kept feeling an overwhelming sense of emotion and love during the session. I frequently had the thought "Why am I so emotional today?" Finally, at almost the end of the session, I looked around at the sea of people dressed in white and had this thought go through my head: "Wow, Heavenly Father, this is a packed session. We have almost two hundred people in this room. That's crazy, right? Can you believe that we had to turn people away from this session? There are no empty seats. That's amazing." In response to this, I had a wonderful thought pop into my head: "Yes, Cassandra. Think of that. In just two hours, almost two hundred people on the other side have been able to move forward." I had a few more powerful thoughts after that, and sat stunned at the love of God, but also at all the people who make sacrifices to attend the temple and do the work that others cannot do.

As a patron, I would go through the session, and besides the occasional coughing fit from another patron that would irritate me (yes... I'm not perfect. It drives me crazy when that happens! Someday I'll have the patience of Christ, but it is not this day, unfortunately), I would mostly forget about the rest of the patrons and get so wrapped up in the session it felt like I was the only one in the room.  As a worker, I see all the people. They are my responsibility, and my main focus of the session. I see them as they are given a name to do the work, as they move throughout the session, as they make covenants, and finally, as they finish the session and get to seek guidance and counsel in the Celestial Room. It has made the session so different for me. I no longer am thinking of myself, and the problems I have, but of the patrons, and of the people they are, and the work they are doing, and lives they are changing, and, really, the greatness that they are. 

I keep seeing this quote all over Facebook:

I've loved my time working in the temple. I love doing the other side of the work. I love having everything memorized, so I can think about the promises and covenants more clearly and often. But mostly, I love getting to work with the patrons! I have learned so much from all of you who attend the temple; the ones who are new, the ones who have been attending for years, the ones whose children are going through for the first time, the ones who used to work in the temple and can help remind me of the words in initiatory (thank you, Sis. Stevens, for helping me today!), and the ones I work with outside of the temple. It doesn't matter where you are in your familiarity with the temple - what matters is that you are using that temple recommend and doing the work! It's ok to not know everything! The temple workers are all there to help, every step of the way! And we love it! We love getting to help you! It's my absolute favorite thing to get to help the people who are trying! You patrons - you have all taught me more about God's love, and I am just so grateful to get to serve with you. You have all already changed my life more than you can know. Thank you for attending the temple.