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(As people
enter the room, they are handed slips of paper with names on them.
It is important that the names listed at the end of this program are
handed out. Other names can be made up.) We got on the
computer at the genealogy library and printed out all the pedigree
charts on the names of the people in this skit. They are all real
people, so it was wonderful. Then we just printed pedigree charts
of people with the same last name of all the youth in our ward, so it
was a little more personal to them. Just have them all take one as they
enter the chapel. If you invite the ward, you may want to just
copy some of the ones with the youth's names on them.
Welcome:
Opening Song:
"I Love to see the Temple"
Opening
Prayer:
Narrator:
"We thank you for coming to our Temple Awareness Fireside tonight
... How great shall be your joy! Each of you may take part in the
program tonight. Look at the paper you have been given.
There you will find the name of a person and the year of their birth.
Many people have accepted the gospel in the Spirit World and are waiting
for earthly ordinances to be performed, so that they too may participate
in the blessings of the Gospel. The first ordinance that must be
performed is baptism, then endowment work, and finally families are
reunited through sealings.
"Let's
sit back now and imagine that we have come to participate in the
ordinance work of baptisms, endowments, and sealings. You have
been given names. Just names ... names without faces or stories
.... but these names represent people who have lived here on the earth;
real people who are living now in the Spirit World, learning and hoping
- hoping that someone has come to do work in their behalf tonight.
Wouldn't it be wonderful to hear their stories and know them as real
people instead of just names?"
"These
people will tell their stories and state their names. If you have
their name, will you please make yourself known."
Instructions:
People dressed in white (read letter from about
dressing in white click here) file up the aisles, ad-libbing about their
presence and their hopes to be baptized, endowed, or sealed. They gather
in the choir seats behind the podium. One man shakes hands with
the Narrator, thanks him, and comes to the podium.)
Alexander
Hill: "May I introduce myself to this company? My name is Alexander
Hill. I was born at Skipness, Argyflshire, Scotland on August 1,
1779. When I was ten years old, I was apprenticed as a sailor boy, and
later rose to the dignity of first mate. I fought in several
important battles for the British Navy, including the Battle of the
Nile, led by Lord Admiral Nelson in 1798, where I received a grape shot
just above the knee. The government awarded me a land grant of 100
acres in Canada for my military service, so I moved my wife Elizabeth
and our seven children to Bathurst District, Ontario, Canada in 1821.
Here we joined the John Taylor Society and later converted to the Church
through the instrumentality of the early missionary, Samuel Lake, and
his companion Parley P. Pratt. We removed to Nauvoo in 1842, then
had to flee to Winter Quarters in 1846. There I was severely
afflicted with fever and ague for 15 months and entirely lost the use of
my right side. Eventually, I was able to go to the Valley of the
Great Salt Lake."
(An older
gentleman joins him) "I want to introduce you to my father, Daniel
Hill, who died in Scotland. Because of my health, I was never able
to have his temple work performed. Does anyone have my father's
name, Daniel Hill, born in 1753?"
(No one has
his name. The Narrator helps the men back to their seats.)
Belle Harriet
Topper: "My name is Belle Harriet Topper. I was born on
January 4th, 1893 in Warren, Pennsylvania. My father was a coal
miner and later worked in the oil fields, so he was gone a lot.
But, I had a very happy childhood and many good memories. There
were always lots of children around our neighborhood, and we loved to
play. One of my jobs was to take a tin bucket and go daily after
milk for our family. In the evening folks sat on their front
porches. We would often have a molasses taffy pull. Two
doors down lived the Smith family. The Grace Church was directly
across from their home, and I went there for league meetings and church
services. They always knew if I was with a date or not. They had a
son George. He did not attend church there, but gradually I would
find him waiting at the church door to meet me and walk me home. We
later fell in love and married. I have had a wonderful life filled
with love and joy. I would like it to continue forever. Does
anyone have my name? My name is Belle Harriet Topper."
(Someone
does. Belle Topper joyfully goes to the audience and sits by the
person with her name.)
Martha
Severance: "My name is Martha Severance. I was born on
October 20, 1718 and married Asahel Burt in 1737. We were blessed
with four sons and one daughter. On April 15, 1747 my husband and
friend were driving cattle home from the field, when Indians fired upon
them, and they were both killed.
I tried very
hard to raise our children by myself, but it was so difficult. In
1754 my only daughter passed away, and two years later one of my sons
joined her. My last three sons lived to be 95, 83, and 91. They
had a total of 23 children and my posterity now number over one hundred
thousand. Please, does anyone have my name, Martha
Severance?"
(Someone
does. Martha Severance joins them in the audience.)
Richard Hill:
"My grandparents lived at Tareytown, Maryland, during the
Revolutionary War. In fact, my Grandfather's well was sometimes
used by General George Washington and his horsemen. My parents
loved him so much, we gave our son that name ... George Washington Hill.
My name is Richard Hill, and I was born November 27, 1793 in Maratta,
Ohio. There I grew up and married Sarah Strait, and we had four sons.
We had to move many times, and I was gone a great deal seeking work as a
brick mason. We were often ill from the ague and fever, and wanted
to find a healthier place to live. Eventually we joined my son and
his young wife in southern Missouri.
While there,
our son George became acquainted with a young Mormon girl, Cynthia Utley
Stewart, and I tried all I could to keep him from marrying her;
everything I'd ever heard about Mormons was low and bad. But
George became convinced the Mormons' doctrine was true, so they got
married, and he was pretty convincing when he talked about his church.
He got baptized and followed the Mormons all the way to Salt Lake, where
he arrived in September, 1847. I wrote him out there, to learn more
about his church; it had a strong effect in his life, and maybe it could
help me. He came back to teach and baptize me. I lived to see him
again, but the fever took hold of me, and I died with a testimony; but
before the privilege of baptism. Somehow, each of my descendants
has forgotten my three boys ... my work was done, but what about my son
William James Hill? And what about John Strait Hill? And my son Return
Richard Hill? We want all our sons sealed to us. Does anyone have
these names?"
(Someone has
their names. William, John and Return join those who have their names.)
Song:
You may choose your own, but we did "Here I Learn of God" p.
17. You can find it in the book called "Spiritual Living,
Music Treasury, Volume 4, Follow Me" There are 4 volumes I
think.
John Stewart:
"I was born and raised in the South. My name is John Stewart,
and I came into the world June 1lth, 1844 in Fayette, Alabama. I
grew up in a time of great turmoil, and to defend our accustomed way of
life, I joined the Confederate Army as a private in 1861 and served in
the 26th Alabama Regiment Infantry, Company B. I then continued in
several other infantries until September 20, 1863, when I was wounded
and lost my right leg at Battle Chickamaunga. I was furloughed
from the hospital and came home, but never fully recovered and died
later that year.
Sometimes I
wonder if anyone will do my temple work, considering I died for this
cause. Maybe they think a southern gentleman is undeserving.
I come here often hoping to find somebody with my name, ready to do the
work for me. Maybe someone here has it today. It's John Stewart.
Does anyone have the name of John Stewart? I do hope so ... it seems
I've waited so long."
(No one has
his name. The Narrator escorts him back to his seat on the stand.)
Janet Lamb
Shiell: "My name is Janet Lamb Shiell, and I was born into the
world in Scotland in 1818. My husband Andrew and I came to East
Wawanosh Township, Huron, Ontario to homestead in this new land in the
1840s. We worked hard to make a new home for ourselves, but never heard
the Gospel in this life. Does anyone have my name, Janet Lamb
Shiell?"
(Someone has
her name. Janet joins the person in the audience who has her name.)
Helge Hansen:
"I died on a fishing voyage in 1842. My name is Helge Hansen,
and I am from Kvinnherad, Norway. I have witnessed the trials of
my daughter, Marta Karena Helgesdatter, who joined the Church when she
was 19 years old, on January 29, 1861. She received much
persecution for her membership and finally left Norway for America to be
with the Saints. I wish to add my faith to hers and to be
baptized, endowed, and then sealed to my faithful daughter. Does
anyone here have my name? It's Helge Hansen; please help me and all the
others who are anxiously waiting."
(No one has
her name. The Narrator escorts her back to her seat.)
Susannah
Brown: "My birthday is March 23, 1673. Belbroughton, England
was my home, and they call me Susannah Brown. I married Arthur
Waldron. Do you have my name?"
(Someone has
her name. She joins the person with her name.)
Lydia Sawyer:
"My name is Lydia, and I am the wife of Caleb Sawyer. I was
born just recently, around 1720, but no one seems to be able to find my
records to know what my parents names were. They do know I had two
children. I realize extensive research has been done, but as far
as I know, no one has found the missing information. Please, has
anyone found evidence of my maiden name so my work can be done, along
with my parents? My name is Lydia Sawyer does anyone have my name?"
(No one has
her name, she starts to walk away but comes back to the podium)
"I have
been hoping for so long that someone would find me, you can't imagine
how many spirits are waiting to have their work performed. I've seen the
happy faces of those whose names have finally been called after hundreds
of years of waiting. I've also seen countless faces of those who
have left the temple sad and disappointed because their names have yet
to be called. We are waiting, please find us and submit our names
so that our work might be done."
(The Narrator
escorts her back to her seat.)
Song:
You may choose your own, but we did "Through Temple Doors", p.
22. You can find it in the book called "Spiritual Living
Music Treasury, Volume One, Remember Me" There are 4 volumes
I think.
Samuel
Gorton: "I left a comfortable life in England, due to the
frustrating religious hypocrisy I had encountered. My name is
Samuel Gorton, born in 1593 in Manchester, England. I was a
clothier and a professor of the mysteries of Christ. My wife, Mary
Maplet, and I sailed to America, to Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1636,
just 13 years after the pilgrims first landed there. But I disagreed
with many of the practices of the Puritans, one of which was their
method of rather serious religious discipline. It seems I was
constantly arguing with the authorities, and finally I was banished from
Plymouth in December of 1638, because I tried to defend my maid, who had
been reprimanded for smiling in church.
We moved to
Rhode Island, where I later established the town of Warwick. I was
friendly with the Narragansett Indians until the son of Chief Massasoit,
whom we called King Phillip, warred against us. We eventually
subdued these Indians in the Great Swamp Fight in South Kingston, Rhode
Island. Now that the true Church of Jesus Christ is on the earth,
I am anxious to receive the blessings of the Gospel. Does anyone
here have my name, the name of Samuel Gorton?"
(Someone has
his name)
Johanna
Olofsson: "I was born May 15, 1798 in Elfsborg, Goteborg, Sweden,
where I grew up and married Johannes Magnusson. We had a lovely
family, and our children attended the village schools. We would
bake twice a week and wash all our clothes twice a year. We went
to the sea with the wash, washed all day and then danced all night.
We always looked forward to this. At night, our dresses would be
frozen so hard that when we took them off they would stand alone.
"When my
son Olaf was 16, he took cholera and died. A few days later I
passed this life from the same dreaded disease. Then a week later,
my good husband joined me across the veil. We left 3 children
orphans. We missed the chance to raise them to adults, but we do
want to be sealed as a family. We love each other so much . . . we
want to be a family forever. Do you have our names?"
(Johannes
Magnusson calls out names of family, one by one, beginning with his
wife, and then each child:
Mother:
Johanns Olofsson Born 1798
Son: Olaf
Johansson Born 1824
Daughter:
Johanna Maria Johansson Born 1827
Daughter:
Petronella Johansson Born 1833
Daughter:
Olga Johansson Born 1836"
(Someone has
the children's names, and they go sit with them ... all but the youngest
child, Olga. Olga needs to be eight or older--acountable. Father
tells her that maybe nobody has his name either, and they can wait
together.)
Daughter,
Olga: "Pappa, you haven't asked if anyone has your name."
Johannes
asks: "Does anyone have the name of Johannes Magnusson?"
(Someone has
his name. Johannes turns to Olga)
Johannes:
"I am sorry my child. I am sure someone will find your name
soon since they have found the rest of us.
(Johannes
kisses Olga on the cheek and joins the person who has his name. Narrator
takes Olga by the hand, escorts her back to her seat and sits next to
her.)
Narrator:
We would like to thank you all for coming and sharing this special
program with us. We pray that your hearts were touched and that we
will all be able to catch the vision of Malachi. May our hearts be
turned in love to bless our kindred dead. May we be able to assist
the Lord in accomplishing His wondrous plan for all of us to live
eternally.
Optional:
You may choose a young man and young women to bear their testimonies of
doing work for the dead. We had just recently been to the temple
before we did this and it was very powerful.
Closing Song:
Closing
Prayer:
(Copy these
names on slips of paper)
Belle Harriet
Topper 1/4/1893
Martha
Severence 10/20/1718
William James
Hill
John Strait
Hill
Return
Richard Hill
Janet Lamb
Shiell 1818
Susannah
Brown 3/23/1673
Samuel Gorton
1593
Johannes
Magnusson 1792
Johanna
Olofsson 1798
Olaf
Johansson 1824
Johanna Maria
Johansson 1827
Petronella
Johansson 1833
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"Choose
you this day
whom ye will
serve
but for me
and my
house we will
serve the Lord "
