Scottish Saints and Liverpool

Each week there is a different Stake assigned to come to the temple.  If the Stake is far away, the members will come as a group and stay at the Patron Accommodations (that are right next to us) for the week.  We know we've said this before, but we have to say again how in awe we are of the dedication of some of these amazing members.  This week a Stake from Scotland was here.  Each morning a group of the same patrons arrived at the temple to go on the 8:00 a.m. session, then rushed afterwards to go on the 10:00, then 12:00, then 2:00 sessions...  We don't know how many they continued to do, as we were on the morning shift and left at 2:00, but when we went back on Thursday night for a 7:30 session, they were still/again there.  A few of these people have serious health issues.  One man is so crippled that each step he takes is so painful that walking down a short hall completely wipes him out; another could not even stand up without having to suck in extra oxygen from his portable tank.  We are humbled by their example.  

Last Sunday after Church we took the train to Liverpool so we could spend our Monday P-Day there.  While there are only a couple of Church monuments to see, Liverpool itself is significant because it is the port that the early missionaries like Heber C. Kimball and Wilford Woodruff (and eventually all the Twelve) came through on their arrival in England.  It is also the port that 85,000 of the early British Converts left from as they headed to join the Saints in Nauvoo, Salt Lake, or somewhere in between.  So we had a desire to go there and picture in our minds their coming and going.  We are so grateful for all missionaries who leave their families and comforts of home and travel to "strange lands" to bring people to Christ, but are especially grateful to those first valiant men who showed the way.  We are equally grateful for the dedicated Saints who left such a BEAUTIFUL country to head towards the unknown in their obedience to join Zion.

This bench was given to the people of Liverpool as a
thank you from the Church in 1987.  You can sort of
see the "Albert Dock" signage in white, above the trees.

This statue, also on Albert Dock, was given to Liverpool by members of the
Church commemorating families who emigrated through this port with so much hope and faith.

Liverpool is also home to the fifth largest cathedral in the
world, though it's very new; it was finished in 1978.  It's so
modern that under the exquisite stained-glass window is a
neon sign.  That's a first! (And hopefully a last!!!  Yikes!!!)
(It says, "I felt you and I know you loved me.")