Day 97: Let him enter

Chandeliers that glitter and hang from high ceilings. Ornately crafted handrails and doorknobs. Embroidered cushions at every seat. An exercise in monochromatic opulence.

Is this heaven then? The name would suggest so — the Celestial Room — as would the process to get in: standing at a veil to speak with a God who pulls you in by the hand to a new and rarified space (after verifying you know the proper tokens and signs, of course).

And then you’re here with little more to do than sit and contemplate the eternities. Except that your contemplation also mingles with a sociality, a conviviality generated by all these Mormons come together, all these Mormons who have passed, smiling and whispering to spouses and family and friends — play-acting out their heaven.

And I think: there are things I wouldn’t mind doing again if it weren’t for — well, just so many things.

(This is Day 97 of a 100-day project. For more about When I Was Mormon, read the introductory post. To access older posts, visit latest stories and scroll down.)