Temple Experience of Ilean H Poulson

This was written by Ilean and is her account of a very special blessing in  the ST George Temple.

3 March 1987                          Tuesday     St. George, Utah

“Norene and I walked to the temple. We left home about 6:20 A.M. and the air was crisp but it was a beautiful morning. It was a lovely session each time.  First I did initiatory session, then a sealing session as a child with Bro. Snowball, as the Sealer. A strange thing puzzles me when I was so terribly sick after doing two sealing sessions consistently two years or so ago. I distinctly remember being unable to go to the usual restroom some distance away although on the same floor. I had never noticed a small restroom set back and up a step or two from the hall and near the sealing room. I was too dizzy to move well but finally made it into the little restroom where I vomited so hard & clung to the walls to keep from falling. I finally was able to sit on the step and it was back enough no one could see me from the hall unless they passed there. I couldn’t fold my temple robe etc. and had to sort of wad it into the bag. I lay there so sick and so worried about how I’d get home especially how I could get out of the temple without being trouble to someone. I prayed earnestly for help and within minutes felt much better and was able to join the group and go down to dress and walk home. Perhaps today is the first time I have been in the area since then. At least it is the first time I thought of that tiny restroom so close to the sealing rooms, so I looked for it. There’s no restroom there, only the ones on the far side of the building. I was so puzzled, I walked back to the area again but there is only the elevator. Inside the east room were double doors. I didn’t open them. If the room is in there then it was open and I found it without looking for it that day but today I didn’t try those doors. At any rate I was blessed that day in a marvelous way to be so ill and overcome so quickly and the restroom was there when I needed it when I did whether I’ll ever find it again or not.”

8 March 1987

“ I awakened very early this morning and found in my July 9, 1985 entry in my journal a very detailed description of what happened the day that I was so very ill after doing two sealing sessions in the temple. In part I said ”I was getting dizzy and feeling awful. I experienced during the next two minutes or there abouts such dizziness that I tried to walk and at times couldn’t without danger of toppling over. I finally got into the bathroom – it was only a few feet from the room but it seemed farther.  Dry heaves and dysentery came and went leaving me unable to do anything but sit there and pray for strength. I removed my temple clothes and was totally unable to fold them, even when I sat on the steps. I had to put them in my bag sort of wadded – something I didn’t want to do. I got back to the steps and with my feet hanging down the steps I lay on the landing until I heard them finish in the sealing room. My prayer was answered although I was still shaky I was able to go with the others to the dressing room and get dressed. All day I felt a little weak and shaky but a thousand times better than I did for that brief but very difficult time in the temple. I was so glad no one was around to see me staggering, crawling almost and clinging desperately to whatever I could find – wall, railing, whatever. It was not a good experience but I’m so grateful that my prayer for help was answered. I didn’t want to create problems for anyone in the temple.” 

Here it has taken me almost two years to realize how remarkably the Lord blessed me that day, not only with healing but providing the facilities needed so desperately in a way that until last Tuesday I didn’t even realize there is no bathroom of any kind near the sealing room. One goes to the other side of the temple on that floor. My “cup truly runneth over” as I contemplate the miracle of my experience in the temple that day. I didn’t deserve that blessing but I am so grateful to my Heavenly Father that the experience I described as being “not good” was a blessing beyond my ability to comprehend. And now I ask myself how many times in my life have I failed to recognize the blessing I have been given because I failed to recognize how greatly I was being blessed. “Dear Father in Heaven help me never to take for granted Thy blessings.”