10 years ago...

I was 18 and in my first semester at MCC. I woke up on September 11th to my mom telling me that Washington D.C. and New York were being attacked by terrorists in planes. I'll be honest, my first thought was, yea right... maybe you heard the news wrong. When she said there was live video I was a little freaked out. I was thinking the whole country was going to bombed or something. Then I saw, and we heard the news anchor say that a plane had been flown into one of the towers. I was a bit shaken, but decided to go to school anyway after praying.

On the drive it was all the radio announcers were talking about and every driver I passed looked just as somber as I felt. Even though we were strangers and never spoke, we all made eye contact and had the connection of knowing.

I am so glad I had an Institute class first! When I walked in the foyer the large TV, that I had never seen on, was turned onto a news station and I watched with about 70 other students and teachers as the 2nd plane hit. It was surreal. I walked into class and the opening song was I Need Thee Every Hour. I can't remember if I cried, but as we sang and our teacher, Brother Holaday, offered the opening prayer, I felt peace. The lesson happened to be on the signs of the last days and our Bro. H handled everything so beautifully. I can definitely say that was the most spiritual lesson on that topic I've ever had. I saw the first tower fall as I left the building, but the peace stayed with me.

The following Sunday night I walked around the temple grounds visiting with a cousin and I remember hearing an airplane fly overhead for the first time since the towers had been hit.

This became one of my favorite scriptures that week:

Ether 2: 12, "Behold, this is a choice land, and whatsoever nation shall possess it shall be free from bondage, and from captivity, and from all other nations under heaven, if they will but serve the God of the land, who is Jesus Christ, who hath been manifested by the things which we have written."