I wanted to thank the youth and leaders of our ward and stake for
doing the baptisms for the names which I and others have submitted. What you
are doing is making a great difference to people on both sides of the veil!
Among the names I submitted was the name of James (Jimmy) K and his
parents. He was a very nice Catholic man who was engaged to my Aunt Margurite H
(an active member of the church) for over 55 years, although they never
married. They both passed away many years ago, but I'd received a strong
impression that I should work to get them sealed together. After Jimmy's
baptism and temple work were recently completed, I wrote the following
letter to the First Presidency, and received the following reply.
Needless to say we were crying with happiness when we opened and read the
reply. The happy ending to their love story is that we are going to have
them sealed in the Rexburg temple on Saturday, Sept. 13, where they will be joined together forever! Thank you all for
the important work you are doing! I know Jimmy and Margurite, and our
family, will be eternally grateful for your dedication to do temple work, as
will all of the others for whom you have done baptisms. With love and gratitude,
Sister Maggie (Margaret) J, Fairgrove Ward.
Letter to 1st presidency
Dear First Presidency,
I am writing this letter related to my LDS Aunt, Margurite H (name removed) , and her fiancé, James (Jimmy) K (name removed), who was a Catholic. Although they never got married, they were engaged about 55 years, and I have had a very strong impression for the past few years that I should do his temple work and get them sealed. When I asked my Stake President as to how to do this, he said that after the temple endowments are completed that I should ask the First Presidency for permission and direction as to how I should proceed. This same advice was also stated by the Bountiful Temple recorder about two weeks ago when I inquired there.
Here is some background on their engagement.
Margurite , who was strong LDS, and Jimmy, who was Catholic, met in their 20’s and fell in love and were engaged to be married in Great Falls, Montana. When they decided to get married, the Catholic Church at that time requested that they sign a document that any children they had would be raised in the Catholic Church. When Margurite refused to sign it, she and Jimmy decided it would be better if they postponed the marriage, and basically stayed engaged for about 55 years until she passed away.
They did not live together, and were morally clean, but saw each other almost every day. Margurite would light up when he walked in the room, smiling, and both talking very kindly to each other. Jimmy was a mild mannered man, a perfect gentleman. He was always there in the background, and never interfered with Margurite’s church attendance or beliefs. They were totally devoted to each other, and he was an important part of Margurite’s life. She stayed active in the church, and continued to attend in her later years even when she had crippling arthritis and had difficulty getting in or out of a car.
She was instrumental in my family’s membership in the church. My dad, her brother, was also LDS, but totally inactive, and married my mother who was Episcopalian. The H (family) came from pioneer stock, and Margurite and my dad were from a family of 12 children, my dad Arnold being the youngest. We lived about 8 blocks from Margurite, and had such a close association with her. She was like a second mom to us, and we were like her children since she had none of her own.
As we got older, she would occasionally pick up us older children in a big black taxi to take us to Sunday School. At times Jimmy drove all of us to church and dropped us off. I remember enjoying the experience of being at church. When I was about 8 years old, my friend Linda who was LDS, started taking me to Primary. I loved it and also brought my older sister and younger brother. Then the missionaries came to teach mom and our family the gospel, and the four of us were baptized. Eventually my other three siblings also were baptized when they were old enough. I am sorry that my dad never got active, but before he died he said that he knew the church was true and wished that he had done things differently.
Margurite was a very big influence for good in our lives. Now I would love to finish their love story by having them sealed in the temple. I hope you can give me direction in this matter, which I humbly submit for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Margaret Ellen H
Member of the Kanesville Stake, Fairgrove Ward
Response
