Westminster Abbey

More pictures! But first, stories.

Today, I woke up at... we'll say 8:30.  My roommate Haley said, "Cebre! We have to leave at 9 for Westminster!"

So we ran to the kitchen, made our lunches for the day (ohh how precious) and ran back to get dresses.  The straightener was turned on, we were brushing our teeth, tights and legs were EVERYWHERE, and voila! we were ready!

But was anyone else?  No...

Well, we finally left, with 6 other girls.  Honestly, we're supposed to have a man with us at all times, but THEY WERE NOT EVEN AWAKE! oh my STARS...

So, confident and empowered, we braved the tube.  We finally arrived at Westminster, only to find out that a prayer service was going on and we had to roam for about an hour before we could enter.  So what did we do?  MODEL SHOTS!  Ethan Watts, if you ever read this, Westminster Abbey (well, London in general) has the best bricks EVER.

 

After our model shots, we entered the Abbey.  Ushers led Anna and me to these benches RIGHT NEXT TO the choirs.  Sadly, I didn't take any pictures, because it was a sung worship.

I loved it.  The choirs were outstanding.  The boys were probably aged 5-10, and the men were simply marvelous.  Perhaps the most impressive was how still those boys sit, though.  They hardly moved!

The mass was moving, but also really sad.  A reverand spoke on John 14, and her sermon was fantastic!  She spoke as the Holy Ghost as our Advocate.  But I remembered the verses in the King James' Version saying that he will be sent as our Comforter... Anyway the prayers and the verses read were just sad.  The music was top notch, but perhaps it's because the scriptures were modernized, or that the prayers prayed for things that I don't necessarily think they can receive.  All of it was elaborate and beautiful, but something was missing.  I think that's where the sadness came from.

Then we walked into the simple LDS chapel.  OHHHHH HOW I LOVE SIMPLICITY!  The talks given were on Obedience, Repentance, and Forgiveness.  They just kept getting better and better!  The whole time I was simply at peace.  We attended Sunday School, which was about the Israelites and their frontlets.  I realized that I have many frontlets in my life--just maybe not so embarrassing as one between my eyes.  I'm SO grateful for them!

Then there was Relief Society.  The RSP then discussed... what but John 14!  She asked us what the Holy Ghost was to us.  My favorite analogy was a comparison of him with the sun.  The sun is only in one place, yet it can touch millions at once.

All in all, the LDS services were maybe not so educated, not so extravagant, but were just right.  There is a peace and truth to simplicity that I've always loved, and it was definitely there.

Just a taste of Westminster Abbey.  It was the most intricate ... ever.

We had time before the Mass, so we took "Model Shots"

Anna (roommate #2) and I in front of Westminster Abbey

MY LOVELY ROOMMATES! We didn't plan our outfits.

Oh dear, another "model shot"