Layton Utah Temple
My experience this morning in the Layton Utah Temple can be summed up in two words: John Pulver.
John is a temple worker there. And thank heavens they have name badges! When I saw his name badge, I asked him if he ever attended the B.Y.U. lab school as a young kid. He said yes. I told him I was his classmate. Then I gave him my name.
That started a named dropping tennis match between the two of us that included such greats as John Lewis and Greg Larsen. We were all together from kindergarten through fourth grade. I haven’t seen John Pulver in about 58 years!
I often tell people that temples bring families and friends together. This is just another evidence of that! It was so great to see him again.
Note the people gathered in the background in this photo. This is a typical Saturday morning at the Layton Utah Temple, with families and church groups coming together to serve the Lord. It’s a wonderful thing to see!
I always enjoy the landscaping that talented crews do at these temple sites. Here are some beautiful flowers from the Layton Utah Temple grounds!
I did an endowment session this morning and it was wonderful. In the last couple of days, I’ve done temple work for people from Sweden, from England, and from America.
This is the third temple that I visited in the last 24 hours. It is such a spiritual refreshment in my life! In recognition of that, I had a lady take this photo of me, showing the trifecta!
Note the beautiful waterfall in the background that is still and quiet. It’s such a nice touch on these temple grounds and was also prevalent at the Red Cliffs Temple yesterday.
In short, visiting a temple gives you a feeling of a little bit of heaven on earth. Hopefully this photo depicts a little bit of that!
The Layton Utah Temple is the 22nd temple built in the state of Utah and the second temple built in Davis County, after the Bountiful Utah Temple. It was announced in general conference by President Russell M. Nelson in April 2018 and was dedicated by Elder David A. Bednar in June 2024.
Special thanks to the folks at the St. George Shuttle and to Lyft who accommodated me throughout this three day trip. And if you ever need a place to stay at 72nd hundred South in Salt Lake City, check out the Quality Inn! Their waffles for breakfast in the morning are terrific. 🧇
PS—In the celestial room I saw a lady whose name badge had the last name of Ottley on it. I called her over to me and asked if she was related to Gerald Ottley by chance. “Yes,“ she said, “…by marriage!” Gerald Ottley is one of the past conductors of the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square.
Also, I’ve seen some of the most beautiful marble at these temples in the last couple of days. The color that stood out to me at the Layton Temple is taupe. It’s a mixture of red and brown. Beautiful color! Check it out sometime!