With an umbrella in hand, we joined the crowd at Brigham City's tabernacle to watch as the Angel Moroni was lifted to the top of the temple across the road, yesterday. We made a quick circle hunting potential spots, and settled in under a large tree towards the back. From that spot we had a good view of the two spires and the two cranes - the focus of the day. We hunkered down and watched other groups huddled under their umbrellas. Alot of families. A few missionaries kicking around a soccer ball. An obvious feeling of anticipation and excitement.
We were sheltered from the majority of the rain, thanks to the large branches overhead. A big Summer storm had dropped rain all morning. We drove through it on the way up, hoping the sky would clear as we got nearer. A few blue patches were seen as we turned off to Brigham (which gave us a chance to explain to the girls how back in '99 an unusual tornado literally jumped over the Salt Lake Temple), but the hope of a clearing was quickly filled with dreary clouds. The temperature was nice, but the wind and rain definitely had us putting on jacket hoods.
Right at noon, the scheduled time for the ceremony, the front crane lifted three workers up to the top of the East spire. By this point, we'd been on the grass watching for nearly an hour. Hurrah for things running promptly! We could watch the workers, watch the raising statue, watch the crowd clear out, and be on our way. Or so I hoped...
Turns out we watched the basket of workers go up, and down, and up, and down MANY times. According to the old man's binoculars next to us, the workers were "removing some plastic protection from the top." Some times the basket would be sent up empty. Quickly things turned into countless false alarms.
With the wind as it was, it seemed like nothing was going anywhere. Rumor began to spread that it couldn't be done that day. People got antsy. People began picking up cell phones and filling those on the other end with, "well, they are now saying something over the speakers, but from here we can't hear what it is." While hearing loud phonecalls near me, I looked towards the front of the crowd. Things had turned quiet up there. Heads were bowed. Alot of heads were bowed.
A prayer was being said. Perhaps this prayer, now an hour and a half PAST the noon start time could be what we were waiting for to really get things started.
No such luck. Still no golden statue being raised. Another halfhour after the prayer, after walks and a LONG wait to get into the one bathroom, we realized our family's need for food. Our packed snacks were long gone. The repeated raising cranes had lost interest. We were ready to go. Ready to be completely done? No. But we had to fill the bellies. We left the cranes and ominous sky behind and took off for a quick Wingers' fix.
We knew that the chance of missing the actual lifting was great. But, felt that there was no other choice with little ones (and a hungry husband). We slid into our bench. I looked out the window and saw nothing less than the golden angel being lifted in the distance. REALLY? Ten minutes and we would have seen it? Ah well, I guess I'll point it out to the girls and let them watch it through the window. Wait! A truck is pulling into the one parking stall that blocks our view. Ah, well! We'll be full when we return, I guess...
Less than an hour later, we returned to the busy crowd. The girls and I were dropped off while the car was parked. We got back just as the last few stanzas of the hymn were going. When the music shut off, the cheering erupted. We had made it back just in time to take part in the final feeling of group excitement! What a happy moment.
As the crowds shifted, we bumped into some friends. They had been sitting much closer to the front of the tabernacle and had seen firsthand when a man walked to the center of the crowd and in essence explained that with the wind as it was, the angel couldn't be placed. The church leaders were asking that a prayer be said among those watching. A prayer to temper the elements. Turns out that the moment I witnessed bowed heads was a prayer that would be answered. Answered quite immediately! Look at the obvious sky difference between the gray sky (last shot above) as the workers were trying to make preparations and the bright cloudless sky we returned to see the angel placed under (just below). Rain gone. Clouds gone. Wind gone. Jackets gone. Replaced by heat and clear skies!
Sure, the bad weather in the beginning was the cause of the nearly three hour delay. But such bad weather gave occasion for help from above. Meg will probably always be a disappointed that the need for food took over seeing the actual angel rise. But, I'll always be grateful to have been there before and after enough to have witnessed a beautiful answer to a faith-filled prayer. I'll always remember how the windless sky helped make the raising of the angel possible on the day we stood among the crowd!
I'll also remain grateful for the challenge we've set to visit the Utah temples. I know I've written of that before. But, had I not turned our family's travelling focus towards these buildings, I would have remained completely unaware of this event happening. We would have missed out on precious moments of family time on the grounds around these sacred walls. This has been a strengthening thing for our little crew.
After the final cheers were done, the crowd quickly cleared out. Within minutes the thousands were down to just a few hundred remaining. That made it easy for us to slowly walk to the front of the tabernacle's grass. The girls dipped their toes in a creek they had had their eyes on. Then we crossed the street and took in some closer angles of the temple. We stood just inches from the fence as the crane of workers lowered for the last time! What fun to peek through the incomplete walls of the temple. To see ladders and exposed walls. To see work trucks move. To see the engravings on the walls up close.
What a beautiful building. It has definitely become a prominent silhouette in this city's skyline. Definitely a different skyline than the one I passed so many times when driving to and from Logan's Utah State. Mingling with several locals during the hours there, it is obvious that it is a welcomed blessing close to their homes. What a blessing each carefully located temple is!
Utah Temples to Tour:
•Logan
•Monticello
•Provo
•St. George
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