The only member of the Church in his family, Kenn Brown, now of Meeker, Colo., filled a successful mission in Oregon. After he returned, he decided to become a school teacher. His mother cautioned him against this career, however. She was concerned that he was too introspective. He graduated from college and was certified as an art teacher, but two years passed with no prospect of a job. During that discouraging period, his mother, the only family member to voice any interest in the Church, had died.
One year later to the date, the Browns had an early-morning appointment to travel to the Denver Colorado Temple to do her temple work.One day earlier, he and his wife, Rosemary, and their small son, Sean, were moving from their Ft. Collins, Colo., rental apartment because it had been sold.
Their last day in the apartment was a long one - scrubbing walls, loading boxes, packing their car. They retired at midnight, exhausted. Just before drifting off to sleep, Brother Brown realized that their old alarm clock wasn't working. He pulled at the clock's stems, but its hands wouldn't move. Finally he got dressed and told his wife that he was going to try to buy an alarm clock, if he could find one.
He returned without one, dejected and worried. Neither of them was a "morning person" and the long days of cleaning nearly ensured that they wouldn't wake up at 5 a.m. in time to make their appointment.
So Brother Brown took the microwave oven from a packing box, plugged it in, and set the time on it.
Then they prayed and went to sleep.
Sometime later Sister Brown woke to the alarm of the old clock. It had fallen to the floor and started working. The time on the microwave clock was 5 a.m.
The Browns arrived at the Denver temple on time and had an enjoyable experience performing the ordinances for Brother Brown's mother. When they sat to meditate in the celestial room afterwards, Brother Brown whispered to his wife, "I feel my mother was here."
Later in the day they stopped to visit Sister Brown's parents, who live west of Denver. A phone message was waiting for them. It was from a high school in western Colorado. Their art teacher had unexpectedly resigned. Would he accept the position as art teacher?
He accepted, and the Browns felt overwhelmed with their blessings of the day. - Clayton Corey "Coke" Newell
