Moses and the Children of Israel Had a Portabe Temple

Purpose: To teach that even in the wilderness a temple was important to the Lord.

Resources: Bible Dictionary, "Tabernacle" and "Temple"

Definitions: Laver, Exodus 30:18-21
Altar to burn incense upon, Exodus 30:1-5
Shewbread table, Exodus 25:25-30; 37:10-16
Brazen altar, Exodus 27:1-7
Lampstand, Exodus 25:31-39
Rod of Aaron-Tribe of Levi, Numbers 17:8
Ark of the Covenant, Exodus 37:1-15, 25:16
Pot of manna, Hebrews 9:4
Cherubim decorating the veil, Exodus 26:31-33

Brief Description: (Could tell in your own words)

When the children of Israel were led out of Egypt by Moses, they made a covenant to be obedient to the Lord. The Lord, in turn, revealed to Moses exactly how he should build the temporary temple. Since they would be required to continue to move through the wilderness, it was necessary that this be portable. It was, however, just as sacred and important to the Lord, and the same ordinances that were done later in Solomon's temple were performed in this portable tabernacle.

This was not just a primitive tent but a portable structure built to specifications the Lord gave through revelation to Moses. These required special measurements be met, the finest cloth be used and embroidered, and gold be provided to cover many of the objects.

When set up, this formed a structure that was very similar in design to the great temple of Solomon that was later built in Jerusalem, although it was much smaller, of course. It formed a large rectangular enclosure (approximately 75 feet by 150 feet), with the gate or front door always facing east. The area just inside the gate was called the Court of the Congregation. Beyond that was the Altar of Burnt Offering where the majority of all sacrifices were burned. Next came the Laver, which was a large bronze water basin where the priests washed prior to performing the ordinances.

There was a tent after that which formed a room where the Lampstand stood to give light. This was made exactly as the Lord instructed with seven lights. In Hebrew it was called a Menorah and was said to represent the seven periods of creation (also representing perfection). Also in this room was the Shewbread Table on which were kept the 12 loaves of unleavened bread to remind the Israelites of the Passover.

The Altar of Incense was similar to the Shewbread Table but was not covered in gold. The burning of incense on the hot coals was symbolic of the prayers of the righteous ascending to heaven. This altar stood directly in front of the veil, which separated it from the Holy of Holies. The veil was elaborately decorated with cherubim, who represented the angels guarding the Holy of Holies.

The only object in the Holy of Holies was the Ark of the Covenant. This area was designated as the most sacred of the entire tabernacle. The ark contained the second set of plates give to Moses by God, the Rod of Aaron that budded (signifying the Priesthood authority of the Tribe of Levi), and a pot of manna. It was a continual reminder of the coming atonement of the Savior.

Possible Ideas:

You could make up word strips with the names of the objects found in the Portable Tabernacle and explain each of them to the younger children.

The older children could look up the scriptural references in order to define objects or areas within the Portable Tabernacle.

The children could be read the description of the tabernacle or specific objects and try to draw a picture of what they think it might have looked like. 

For younger children, objects could be drawn or illustrated that they could color and take home to tell their families about Moses and the portable tabernacle in the desert.

The older children could figure out how large things were based on a cubit being approximately 17 1/2 inches. They could see how the tabernacle might compare to our church building and discuss the difficulty in moving this across the desert.

You could create a crossword puzzle or word search using the words which were defined at the beginning.

A Temple on Fire!

by Susan A. Madsen

“FIRE! Fire!” Frantic pleas for help broke the stillness of the quiet afternoon in Nauvoo. But it wasn’t a barn or a shed that was in flames that February 9, 1846.

Eleven-year-old Aurelia Spencer was nearby and could see men on top of the temple, swinging their hats and calling for assistance. Many members of the Church were busy preparing to leave Illinois for Utah, but when the alarm sounded everyone left whatever they were doing to help save the temple.

Willard Richards, a leader in the community, was on the temple grounds when the fire started and he immediately took charge. He shouted for everyone, including women and children, to rush to the closest wells to fill buckets with water. Two rows of men were formed on the stairs leading up to the attic roof of the temple where the fire had started. They passed full buckets of water up one row of fire fighters and returned them empty down another. Aurelia ran back and forth carrying pails of water to the men in the bucket brigade. But the wells were soon emptied, and teams of horses were driven to the river to obtain water.

There were a few moments of confusion when another alarm called some of the Saints to help rescue the victims of an accident nearby involving two riverboats. But in spite of this interruption, the temple fire was put out after about half an hour.

Hosea Stout, one of the fire fighters, said that a hole about 3 1/2 meters square had been burned in the roof. Later it was found that the temple fire had been caused by a red-hot stovepipe that ignited some clothes drying in an attic room.

When the fire was completely extinguished, Aurelia joined with the Saints as they rejoiced with loud shouts of Hosannah. Brigham Young, President of the Council of the Twelve, had seen the smoke from some distance and arrived just as the crowd began to celebrate. The Nauvoo band then climbed to the top of the roof and began to play for those gathered below.

Aurelia felt privileged to be able to help put out the fire that could easily have destroyed the Saints’ beloved temple. She later wrote, “Child as I was, I could not help noticing the order that prevailed and the calmness of the men that superintended the work.”

Aurelia grew up to become the president of the first Primary organized in the Church.

Temple Blessing

From the May 1979 Friend

Elder Mark E. Petersen has said that temples built by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints “are different from all other buildings in the world. Beautiful structures have been erected by other peoples, of course, and some of them have been called temples, but none has either the purpose or the functions of the Mormon temples.”

Elder John A. Widtsoe, a member of the Council of the Twelve (1921–1952), explained that a Mormon temple is:

1. A place of instruction.
2. A place of peace.
3. A place of covenants, which will help us live righteously.
4. A place of revelation.
5. A place where ceremonies pertaining to godliness are presented.
6. A place of blessing.
7. A house or home of the Lord. Should He visit the earth, He would come to one of His temples.

Boys and girls in the Salt Lake Valley have been busy the last year helping to build the new Jordan River Temple, just as girls and boys in other areas of the world have earned money to help build temples close to their homes. Some children have made and sold food or other items, and many have gone without something they wanted so that they could accept the invitation of President Spencer W. Kimball to receive the blessings promised to members of the Church who contribute to building temples.

After being sealed to their families or being baptized for the dead in the Washington Temple, several boys and girls wrote their impressions:

“Sealing means to be put together as a family and bonded for eternity with a bond that cannot be seen or heard or touched yet stronger than any earthly force.”

Jeffrey S. Hollar

“Getting sealed to my parents and my sister is about the greatest thing that ever happened to me. Until a year ago my father wasn’t a member of the Church. We had all waited many years for him to join the Church. I am very thankful to know that I will be with my family forever.”

Kenneth Dupree

“I felt good and I felt God. It was a good experience for me.”

Eddie Thwaite

“It was the best thing I ever went to. I wish I could do it all over again.”

Bryon Richwine

“I think the temple is a very happy place to be. So if you happen to need help, get in contact with Heavenly Father.”

Shelia Overdorf

“Well, I waited a long time to be sealed, but just think how long and lonely the wait would be if I weren’t sealed to my parents. I’ve enjoyed being a member of the Church, to know of the truths. I love it and enjoy coming to the house of the Lord.”

Toni Lyn McCartney

“When you get sealed your parents may cry. And do you know why? They want you to know they love you and they will have you forever and ever. And it might make you cry too.”

Tammie Jean Musgrove

“I think being sealed to my parents was the greatest thing that ever happened to me here on earth.”

April Gagner

“I would like to bear my testimony that I know that this Church is true and I’m glad to be a member. When my dad wasn’t a member of the Church I thought that we would never be sealed. My dad grew stronger in the Church, and he was baptized last year. Now we are sealed in the temple and I’m very happy! Now I can live with my family for time and eternity. I love my family very much.”

Sylvia Haarsma

“I’m very glad to be sealed to my parents. Now I hope I will live a clean life and get married here some day.”

Dawn Fehr

“I liked it very much and it was special to me. I started crying and so did my mom. I’m glad I was sealed to my parents.”

Syndee Thomsen

“I thought it was very wonderful when we went up to the sealing room to be sealed to our parents for all time and eternity. We looked in the mirrors and saw ourselves going on and on and on.”

Brian Hubmann

“The feeling I had was the most wonderful feeling I ever had. It is a feeling no one can describe.”

Van Warner

“I think that it helped me better understand certain ordinances of the gospel. I felt the spirit of the Lord so strongly and a warmth within me.”

Taft Benson

“I really enjoyed doing baptisms for the dead. Each time I went down for someone I could almost see in my mind what that person looked like. I am hoping to finish my genealogy and do my own work. I hope to stay worthy and reach celestial glory.”

Brenda Gayle Noland

Temple Sawdust

by Gertrude M. Richards

“Ro-sie!” called Mama. “It is time for you and Heman to take Papa his dinner.”

We needed no second call, for this was one errand we delighted in doing. Mama filled a plate with hot food, covered it with a soup dish to keep in the warmth, wrapped it carefully in a large napkin, and placed it in a basket. Then she handed the basket to us with final instructions: “Carry it carefully, don’t play on the way, and hurry home after Papa has eaten.”

It was ten blocks from our home on East Third South to Salt Lake Temple Block where Papa worked as a stonecutter. But it didn’t seem that long to us as we talked of the fun we’d have while Papa ate his dinner. It was interesting to watch the huge granite blocks being brought in from the canyon quarry by ox-drawn wagons. While the wagons were unloaded, the oxen stood patiently switching at flies with their tails. After the rough blocks were cut and smoothed to the required shape and size, they were tilted and placed in rows like dominoes, leaving the sharp edges protruding like saw teeth. We enjoyed running back and forth on top of these stone dominoes in our bare feet. Shoes were saved for Sunday and for school.

Sometimes we would watch as skilled workmen cut sun, moon, and star designs into certain stones. Each held a small iron chisel in his left hand and a hard wooden mallet in his right, tapping gently so as not to chip out too much rock and spoil the pattern.

Today Papa had a special surprise for us. He said, “The men who are making the circular staircase (there was one in each corner of the building) say you may go up as far as it is completed, but you must be very quiet, because this is the Lord’s house.”

I took Heman’s hand, and together we climbed the huge stone steps—up, up, up until we were out of breath. It was easier going down. Then Papa took us into the carpenter shop where wood for the building was sawed. On the floor was a heap of clean sawdust and Papa told us that the foreman said it would be all right for us to take some home so Mama could show us how to make a pincushion. “Someday it will be a fine thing,” Papa said, “to have a pincushion made with temple sawdust.”

Eagerly we filled the basket with fragrant sawdust and hurried home. But Mama had no time right then to help with a pincushion. She was trying to finish the washing and ironing for Sister Young, who lived next door, and the baby was cross. I rocked the baby to sleep, then helped Mama prepare supper.

In the evening, after the dishes were washed and put away, Mama found a piece of sturdy brown cloth on which she drew a large fig leaf. She showed me how to embroider green lines for veins and outline the edge with a blanket stitch. A matching piece for the back was sewed to the front, leaving a hole near the top to pour in the temple sawdust until the leaf would hold no more. Then we sewed the hole shut so none of the precious sawdust would be lost. When the pincushion was finished I proudly showed it to Papa for his approval, then placed it on top of Mama’s bureau with my other special treasures.

Sometime later Mama was called to Idaho to help with a new grandchild, leaving me to do the cooking and housekeeping. Heman helped Papa with outside chores, while our little sisters Aggie and Birdie played together under the trees. One morning I noticed how faded and worn Birdie’s hand-me-down dresses were and asked Papa for a quarter to buy material to make her a new dress. At McMaster’s Store I bought a piece of lovely pink gingham. Laying it on the floor, and using pins from the temple-sawdust cushion, I pinned one of Birdie’s old dresses to the cloth for a pattern, then cut around it carefully, and sewed the pieces together. Birdie looked as sweet as a rosebud when Papa came from work that evening.

When I was older I found work in a dressmaking shop, and learned how to make nice clothes for myself and for Mama and my little sisters too. Soon after this Jody, my childhood sweetheart, asked me to marry him. Looking closely at the temple-sawdust pincushion one day, I knew I wanted to be married in the temple. But after nearly forty years in building, the temple still was not completed, so Jody’s father solved the problem by giving us railroad tickets to Logan. On a beautiful June day we were married in the Logan Temple for time and all eternity.

The pincushion made from temple sawdust traveled with us to our home in Salt Lake City. It went with us wherever we lived. And it has been a reminder to each of our eight children that the temple is a sacred and important place. Papa was right. It has, indeed, been “a fine thing to have a pincushion made with temple sawdust.”

That We May Be Redeemed

It was at the Saint George Temple that President Woodruff was visited by a congregation from the spirit world, many of whom had been prominent in the history of the United States of America. In a discourse given in the Salt Lake Tabernacle on September 16, 1877, he said:

In order that this work may be done, we must have Temples in which to do it; and what I wish to say to you, my brethren and sisters, is that the God of heaven requires us to rise up and build them, that the work of redemption may be hastened. Our reward will meet us when we go behind the veil.

Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors; and their works do follow them.

We have labored in the Saint George Temple since January, and we have done all we could there; and the Lord has stirred up our minds, and many things have been revealed to us concerning the dead. President Young has said to us, and it is verily so, if the dead could, they would speak in language loud as then thousand thunders, calling upon the servants of God to rise up and build Temples, magnify their calling and redeem their dead. This doubtless sounds strange to those present who believe not the faith and doctrine of the Latter-day Saints; but when we get to the spirit-world we will find out that all that God has revealed is true. We will find, too, that everything there is reality, and that God has a body, parts and passion, and the erroneous ideas that exist now with regard to him will have passed away. I feel to say little else to the Latter-day Saints wherever and whenever I have the opportunity of speaking to them, than to call upon them to build these Temples now under way, to hurry them up to completion. The dead will be after you, they will seek after you as they have after us in Saint George. They called upon us, knowing that we held the keys and power to redeem them.

I will here say, before closing, that two weeks before I left Saint George, the spirits of the dead gathered around me, wanted to know why we did not redeem them. Said they, "You have had the use of the Endowment House for a number of years, and yet nothing has ever been done for us. We laid the foundation of the government you now enjoy, and we never apostatized from it, but we remained true to it and were faithful to God." These were the signers of the Declaration of Independence, and they waited ono me for two days and two nights. I thought it very singular, that notwithstanding so much work had been done, and yet nothing had been done for them. The thought never entered my heart, from the fact, I suppose, that heretofore our minds were reaching after our more immediate friends and relatives. I straightway went into the baptismal font and called upon brother McCallister to baptize me for the signers of the Declaration of Independence, and fifty other eminent men, making one hundred in all, including John Wesley, Columbus, and others."

(As reported in the Deseret News)

The others included nearly every president of the United States. 

I should explain here that the Saints knew they were to perform baptisms for the dead. They knew that there was to be a linking of the generations. They knew that families were to be united through sealings or "adoptions." They were baptized for the dead, but kept only sparse records of this ordinance work. They were in some cases sealed or adopted to prophets of this dispensation.

During the several ears that the Saints were on the move to the West and preoccupied with the troubles of the period, these matters were not clarified. When the Saints were established and temples (for the first time in plural) were under construction, it was time to have these matters set in order. It was during the closing years of the ministry of President Wilford Woodruff that this instruction was given by revelation.

President Woodruff was a prophet uniquely qualified to accomplish this setting in order. In 1894, near the end of his ministry, having received instruction through revelation, he laid the foundation for genealogical work in the Church. 

Visions in the Kirtland Temple

One Sunday afternoon in April 1836, the Saints had a meeting in the Kirtland Temple. The Apostles blessed the sacrament, and Joseph Smith and his counselors passed it to the Saints. Then Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery knelt and prayed in a place behind the pulpit where they were concealed by veils. At the end of their prayer, they had a vision in which they saw Jesus Christ. His eyes were bright, like fire. His hair was as white as snow. And His countenance shown more brightly than the sun.

Jesus told Joseph and Oliver that He was their Savior, that He had died for them, and that He had been resurrected. He said that those who built the temple should be very happy, because He would come to the temple and appear to His servants and speak to them in His own voice if the Saints kept His commandments. Then Joseph and Oliver saw Moses, the prophet who had led the Israelites out of Egypt. Moses gave special priesthood power, or "keys," to Joseph and Oliver so that, among other things, they could help gather Israelites from all parts of the earth.

Next, Joseph and Oliver saw Elias, who gave the keys of Abraham to them. God had promised Abraham that, through his descendants, all the world would be blessed and that righteous members of the Church would become part of Abraham's family. Then Joseph and Oliver saw Elijah, another prophet who lived a long time ago. Elijah said that people should learn about their ancestors and do temple work for them. He gave special priesthood power to Joseph and Oliver so that righteous families can be sealed to each other and live together forever.

Temple Moments: Heaven Was There

When a temple closes for necessary renovation, its workers and patrons feel a loss until the temple re-opens. When the Oakland Temple closed in December 1988 for such a project, among those who felt the loss was one of the temple workers, E. McClain Barrus of Sacramento, California.

"I missed the temple very much during that time that it was closed," he said.

When the temple re-opened on October 30, 1990, he was glad to get back into the routine. Typical of temple workers, he rises at 3 a.m. on the day he serves in the temple, leaves in a temple workers' car pool at 4 a.m., and arrives at the temple at 5:30 a.m.

Brother Barrus first came to Sacramento as a missionary but stayed to take advantage of work opportunities when his mission was completed. Since those missionary days, he has found many ways to serve in the Church. Among the most fulfilling experiences in service have come in the temple.

One such experience came on December 27, 1990, two months after the temple re-opened. On that day, 50 couples were married or sealed. As the day progressed, family members and friends of those being married shed tears and frequently expressed their love.

But despite, the hectic pace and challenges to temple workers of keeping marriages on schedule, the workers also felt a great joy, said Brother Barrus. "For several hours, it was my assignment to direct patrons to the sealing rooms," he said. "It was a day of drama and feeling, of happiness and joy. I felt I was in an atmosphere of peace and tranquility, and I could sense the joy that filled the patrons' souls.

"After all the guests gathered in a sealing room, they would stand as the bride and groom were ushered into their presence. Just in front of me was a place provided where the newlyweds could sit until a sister directed them to the altar. I sensed the exciting spell of the moment. Some of life's precious memories were in the making. It seemed that heaven was there to offer its joy to families who have the gospel in their lives to turn their hearts to God. I felt a great anchor of strength--there was much that day to illuminate our way and light up the darkness."

Written by John L. Hart

Temple Moments: Just the Beginning

One Monday morning in May 1989, Michael Snow drove a couple of times around the parking lot of an LDS meetinghouse near his home in Concord, New Hampshire. Then he decided to go inside.

A conscientious custodian told this young father about the church and then took him to the kitchen. There, a few missionaries were having breakfast on their preparation day. The rest is history. Four weeks later, Michael and his wife, Sandra, and their oldest daughter, Kathleen, then 13, were baptized. The family looks forward to the baptisms of two other daughters, Alexandra and Krysti, when they are old enough.

Sister Snow readily embraced the gospel message her husband discovered. She also had been searching for truth since her youth. When she was 13, she wrote out questionnaires and took them to ministers of about 10 different churches. All answered her questions, but none satisfied her yearnings, She had also been acquainted with several LDS members.

"I didn't know too much about the Church, but I knew a lot about the people, and that made a difference," Sister Snow said. Coincidentally, before her baptism, she started doing family history research. Sister Snow explained that after their baptism, "the next thing we wanted to do was go to the temple. It was really important to us. We wanted to be sealed as a family."

A year later, the Snows and two other families from the ward traveled by cars to the Washington Temple. "Coming over the last hill on the highway--there it was," she said. "The House of the Lord. What a magnificent sight! My heart was beating so hard I was sure my chest would explode!"

Inside the temple, though, the family was calm. "We had a feeling of serenity . . . that we were all going to be together," she said. Significant as the experience was, she added, this was just the beginning of her purpose on earth.

"Now that our temple work is done, we can concentrate on everyone else," said Sister Snow. "I can't wait to go back and do the work for my mother. We have a lot of work to do."

Written by John L. Hart

The House of the Lord

by Laurel Rohlfing

Blessed at they that keep my ways. -Proverbs 8:32

The sun shone brightly as nineteen-year-old Matthew put on his new suit. Today was the day eh would attend the temple for the very first time in preparation for serving a mission. As he came into view of the beautiful building, it looked exactly like the picture that had been hanging in his room since he was in Primary. He had looked at that picture many time through the years and was thankful to Heavenly Father that he had lived worthily to enter this holy place.

The temple is the house of the Lord. It is the most sacred place on the earth. When you are in the temple, you can feel closer to Heavenly Father and Jesus. In the temple, you receive an endowment that help you become more like Heavenly Father and prepares you to live in the celestial kingdom. As part of the endowment, you make covenants, or promises, with Heavenly Father and He makes covenants with you.

In the temple, you can be sealed to your family for time and all eternity. You can also be baptized, endowed, and sealed for people who have died and cannot physically participate in these ordinances for themselves. Heavenly Father wants all His children to be worthy to enter the temple. Jesus said: "Yea the hearts of thousands and tens of thousands shall greatly rejoice in . . . the blessings which shall be poured out . . . in this house" (Doctrine & Covenants 110:9). The temple is one of the greatest blessings we have as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Room at the Inn

by Lynette K. Allen

I was a stranger and ye took me in. -Matthew 25:35

The Sunday before Christmas I woke up to the sounds of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. That’s how Mom gets us up on Sundays. From then on, the day went downhill. To begin with, my hairbrush was missing. I suspected my three-year-old brother, Jeffy, had taken it, and sure enough, I found it in his toy box. “Mom,” I complained, “I’m getting sick and tired of this little shrimp getting into my things!”

Mom was busy giving the baby a bath, and she acted as if she hadn’t even heard me. “Amy,” she said, “we’re going to need to change our plans for tonight’s family Christmas program. Daddy just called from church, and that new family, the Hansens, are still living in a motel. He’d like to invite them for dinner and to spend the evening with us. There’s nothing less like the Sabbath than the Silver Moon Motel.”

“But Mom, you can’t do that!” I wailed. “You know I’ve planned this for two months, and it’s just for our family. All the parts are taken.

“Besides,” I went on, getting louder and louder, “they have a bunch of little shrimps who’d probably tear the whole house apart.” Then I started to cry.

Mother wrapped the baby in a towel and turned to face me. “Amy, I had no idea that it meant this much to you. Please don’t be so upset. I’ll just tell Dad when we get to church, and he can tell the Hansens that it won’t work out.”

All during sacrament meeting I watched the three Hansen kids—two-, three-, and four-year-old boys—climbing all over the benches and squirming across their parents’ laps. Brother and Sister Hansen looked pretty tired by the time they’d taken each boy out about five times. It’s just as well, I thought to myself, I can’t even imagine what four little boys would do to my bedroom!

I felt relieved all the way to Primary. On the way down the hall, I noticed that it had started snowing outside. It was going to be a perfect family night.

When I got to class, Sister Martin, my Merrie Miss teacher, wanted to know what we thought it might have been like to be strangers in a strange town, like Mary and Joseph were when they went to Bethlehem. All of us had an answer to that question. Even Mandi Perkins, who hardly ever says anything, said, “I bet they felt lonely.”

Then Sister Martin asked us why we thought the innkeeper hadn’t let this poor, lonely couple stay at his house. We really had to think about that for a while. The innkeeper had always been one of the side characters in the Christmas story. But I’d never thought about him having feelings.

“Well,” I suggested, “he probably felt busy with all his other company.”

Jenny Peterson thought the innkeeper might have been thinking that this couple, who were soon going to have a baby, would be too much trouble. That’s when I started to feel a little uncomfortable.

“He probably had things planned the way he wanted them, and here came some people to mess up his plans,” my best friend, Rachel, added. Suddenly this wasn’t a Christmas story that happened two thousand years ago. This was something that was happening today.

Mandi Perkins added the final blow—“The innkeeper missed the whole thing, didn’t he? The two most important guests in the world came to his place, and he wouldn’t let them in.”

“Do you suppose, girls,” said Sister Martin, “that we ever act like the innkeeper? That maybe we become a little selfish and miss helping someone? Look with me in your Bibles at Matthew 25:40 [Matt. 25:40]: ‘And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.’”

By that time my eyes were so filled with tears that the words seemed to be swimming across the page. Here were the Hansens without a place to live, and I was acting like the innkeeper, not wanting them to bother me. I knew how I would act if the Hansens were Mary and Joseph and the Baby Jesus, and I knew that Heavenly Father would want me to treat them the same way.

Luckily Sister Martin didn’t ask me to give the prayer, because I was having a hard time swallowing. Afterward I hurried out of the room as quickly as I could and headed down the hall to where I saw my parents. I heard my dad saying to the Hansens, “We’re awfully sorry, but our daughter—”

I didn’t even think. I rushed up and blurted out, “There’s room at the inn!” and then I blushed deep red.

Dad saw my red eyes and must have guessed what had happened, because he just continued: “As I was saying,”—he put his arm around me—“our daughter has planned a very special Christmas program for tonight, and I think she wants to warn you that you’ll be having a part in it!”