While Joan and I have been serving on Maui, my brother Bob Hardman has been busy in retirement driving buses, refereeing soccer, and researching genealogy. During the latter he came across a ‘green temple’ symbol attached to a near relative. For those familiar (or unfamiliar) with FamilySearch.org, this means that the associated person or couple might have some unfinished temple work to be done. The couple is our mothers youngest sister and her husband, our Aunt Dee and Uncle Hal Reddick. When we were young we often visited and played with their children, our cousins. We didn’t have a lot of contact in our adult years. After more research on Hals ancestors, Bob contacted the oldest daughter Karen who confirmed that Dee and Hal had not been to the temple during life and she “was thrilled at the thought of her cousins doing her ancestors and parents temple work. We have her permission,” Bob said in a text to my siblings. After more discussion, plans were made for each of us to do specific ordinances in our local temples where our family members are living or serving missions (Orem, Buenos Ares, Hawaii, Idaho Falls, and Phoenix). After ordinances were performed in the Idaho Falls Temple, those who travelled there met with Karen afterwards. Bob reported, “The six of us visited just like close family… We shared old times and recent times. A closeness was felt, and some emotion shared. Karen seemed to be emotionally overjoyed that her parents work is getting done…” Spiritual experiences were reported by those doing the temple work, and by Karen. She reported to the family on our Griffin Facebook page, “I want to thank our cousins… It means SO much to me for all they are doing and to take the time to care. I am so sure that Mom and Dad are happy and that Grandma Griffin is even more pleased. This family are holding us together. Thank you, Aunt Dot and Uncle Glenn, for teaching your family to love and care…” Dot or Dorothy and Glenn are our parents. Karen’s post brought tears to our eyes.

Since Joan and I were traveling to Utah, Bob planned a session at Saratoga Springs for Hal and Dee’s sealing. As Joan and I knelt across the alter representing my aunt and uncle, the memories of Hal and Dee powerfully flooded my mind and heart. The spirit was tangible and we all knew there was special joy, even cheering among our ancestors that day in heaven.

The above story was a tender mercy in many ways after a painful Utah-local and world-impacting tragic event. We had traveled from Maui to San Diego on Monday, September 8 to visit family before going on to Utah for a couple of doctor’s appointments. While in California we had a joyful time with our daughter Bonnie, her wonderful husband David, and our grandson Dexter. They were so welcoming to us. We drove to Utah on September 10^th. Mid-day, we and our whole family received a text from our daughter Melanie that started with, “Hey family, I just wanted to let you all know that I’m safe.” She then reported, “there was a shooting just barely at a public event on campus.” Melanie, as well as our grand-daughter, and a special friend of another grand-daughter are students at Utah Valley University (UVU) and were on campus at the time of the shooting. Melanie was locked down with other students in her building and reported what it was like among students who were getting immediate and graphic information via social media, even before information came to them from the school. Text messages of “shock, compassion, concern, and love” from family members poured back to Melanie on the text stream including status of other family and friends. The students were soon released to leave campus. We tuned in to news sources and the remaining drive through central Utah was heavy on our hearts. We eventually passed by UVU going toward our home where we were able to hug our daughter and get more details. Stating details of the event here is not my desire since the world is likely now tuned in to broadcasts of the latest. For me the days since that loss of life have been hard on my soul and I pray for peace, I pray for our world, I pray for people and leaders to turn to God and be wise and compassionate and to love one-another. We have since been able to hug and spend personal time with each family member who was on campus that day. We are grateful for their physical safety, and now we all work to recover from our emotional wounds.

As part of our therapy, Joan and I took a ride to our local and familiar mountains. We rode the Sundance Resort chair lifts to the top and breathed in Mount Timpanogos, the fresh air, life, beauty, memories, and each other’s company. We felt an extra measure of love for strangers that day we saw along the way. We felt a small tender measure of peace amidst the ashes of the week. We felt increased desire to love and care and be patient.

Back on Maui we are grateful for our friend and Senior Missionary, Elder Jeff Taylor who has substituted during our absence providing addiction recovery support meetings to our friends there. We know that mortality is challenging and that our good and loving Father in Heaven provided a Savior for us who has the power to redeem whatever needs to be redeemed. We know that as we believe in Him, and faithfully follow Him, we can be partakers of that sweet redemption and tender mercies. God bless you all.