After the Manhattan Temple

After the Anniversary Temple Trip, when both time and weather permit, the escorting senior couple have the option of taking the missionaries on a brief walk through Central Park. Everything was right, so we made the decision to go. For most, this would be a once in a lifetime experience. They were elated!

A Walk Through Central Park

The day couldn't have been more beautiful!

After days of heavy rains, people could enjoy Spring in New York!

The blossoms were bright and the trees were beginning to leaf.

Blue skies and green grasses seemed endless in the Park.


As we walked, we heard the rhythmic sound of this jazz trio.

There was plenty of space for visitors to find the sun and the solitude of Central Park.

And here in the Park, a gentleman from Orem spotted our name tags and struck up a conversation with Elder de Paula. An additional coincidence is that his own son, Elder Dan Kim, now at Cambridge University in England, was in the New York New York South Mission a few years ago. Small world!

The missionaries were amazed to learn that Central Park covers over 800 acres and has many natural wooded areas.

These missionaries loved Central Park...almost as much as we loved being with them. We've been to the Park many times, so we didn't need to see it. We enjoyed watching them. We watched people watching them. There is something unique about them. They truly are different. They are clean. They are set apart. They are the Lord's Chosen to do His work in spreading the gospel on the earth...and they do it well.

The purpose of the Anniversary Temple Trip is to give missionaries the opportunity to serve in the House of the Lord, to renew their covenants and to gain strength and perspective for their continued service in the mission field. That mission was truly accomplished.