Primary Talks

Truman O. Angell

Both Caleb and Ruby gave Primary talks today. They both were given the same topic "The Temple Blesses our Family" For Ruby, this was her first Primary talk. She was very excited and did a GREAT job. She spoke clearly and loudly into the mic as she gave her one minute talk. She talked about eternal families. It was very sweet.

Caleb ended up talking about his great great great great grandfather, Truman O. Angell. We spent the morning reading stories about him from the family history book my mom gave us. We also read articles about him online from the friend and Ensign. I learned a lot. What an incredible man and what a legacy and example he has left our family. I have heard stories about him since I was little, but I was surprised how little I knew about him. I had constantly heard that he was the architect for the Salt Lake Temple - but I never knew that he also worked on the Kirtland and Navoo temples and was the architect for the Logan and St. George temples as well. He also built the Lion House, the Beehive house and Lion Gate. In addition, he built several other buildings in the Salt Lake Valley, including the first sugar refinery and penitentiary. He was called by Joseph to be a member of the seventy while in Navoo and was in the first group to travel to the Salt Lake Vally. In the last few years of his life he was called to be a patriarch. But he considered his greatest and most important work the Salt Lake Temple. As the building of the temple progressed, Truman sought the advice and counsel of President Young almost every step of the way. There were many details that had to be taken care of, and the work required Truman’s constant supervision. All his efforts were devoted to serving the Lord, despite constant poor health and personal heartaches. George A. Smith, said at general conference. “Brother Truman O. Angell has been exceedingly zealous in attending to this temple work: he has been so fearful lest a stone should be laid wrong that he has been on the wall early and late to see that every stone has been set in it’s proper place, to a hair’s breadth . . .I want the brethren to pray for him that he may be sustained in his arduous labors.”

I am grateful Caleb had a talk so that we could spend the day reading about this wonderful man. I am especially grateful to be his descendant and glean from his example.