How on earth could an awful thing like dementia ever be considered a blessing?

Let me tell you.

In July 2021 the Meridian Temple had just reopened after the COVID 19 shutdown.  Marjorie and I made a hugely unsettling discovery.  As we resumed working our Wednesday mid shift as temple ordinance workers Marjorie found that she could not remember the temple veil ceremony nor any of the other things that were necessary for an ordinance worker to know and to do.  She had no short-term memory, could not follow a recipe, and was in a rapid slide into debilitating dementia.  We were forced to ask for release from our temple callings.

This was a blow to me, an embarrassment to Marjorie, and a huge worry.  I had served 10 years as a temple ordinance worker .  I loved that calling like no other.  It was the best calling I ever had.  Being released hurt.

Then the blessings became apparent.

First came the answer to our prayers.  We discovered memantine and donepezil, two medications that might possibly slow the onset of dementia.  To our delight and great relief Marjorie's free-fall into dementia was not only slowed, but reversed.  Her short-term memory is still very limited, but she found that she was capable of being a temple patron.  With practice and heavy concentration she was able to retain in her mind the name of the person for whom she was officiating, and even recalled the veil ceremony.  We began going to the temple on a nearly weekly basis as patrons.

When working as temple ordinance workers there are few opportunities to do work for one's own family names.  Patrons take priority.  Their family names are done before ordinance workers can do theirs.

As an ordinance worker I found my reservation list on Family Search growing, and little temple work was being done.  My reservation list hit the limit of 300 names.  I was no longer allowed to add names to the list.

Having been released as ordinance workers, and finding that we were able to be patrons, we began getting work done.  On our visits to the temple we can normally do an endowment apiece plus an initiatory or sealing session.  It is a rare visit to the temple when we accomplish less than a dozen or two dozen ordinances.  On one occasion we did 44.

This is thrilling to me.  It is surely also thrilling to my deceased relatives.  The Family Search system keeps track of what we do.  My reservation list has been pared way down.  We and our grandchildren have done 917 ordinances and shared 252 other names with the temple system.  The names we released to the temple system were all endowments that we'd never be able to do ourselves.  None of this would have happened had we not been released as ordinance workers.

I still greatly miss being able to be an ordinance worker.  I miss the camaraderie of my fellow workers.  But my ancestors and I are rejoicing over the temple work that is being done for my family.

I am also rejoicing over the reprieve Marjorie has received from dementia.  Her short-term memory is all but gone, but she's very functional.  She can't remember anyone's name, but she can follow a recipe.  She can follow a sewing pattern again, and has taught herself how to crochet.

I can't be an ordinance worker, but I'm getting loads of temple work done.  Marjorie's dementia, and its arrest, are a huge blessing and miracle.  Afflictions aren't all bad.  Our trials have purposes.