My testimony is firm and strong, and I love the temple, and I love going. ...It’s wonderful thinking that at my age, at 84, that I could do this. – Calvin Goudling

There are few things 84-year-old Calvin Goulding enjoys more than driving and attending LDS temples. So when his wife died in August 2014 after a long struggle with kidney failure, the Sandy resident decided to visit every operating LDS temple in the United States and Canada, documenting his journey through selfies along the way.

Driving 22,000 miles in six months took a toll on his 2004 Dodge Caravan, and planning around the schedules of 77 temples was tricky, but Goulding, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, was undeterred and recognized divine guidance throughout his journey.

"I’m a determined old guy, so if I want to do something, I usually get it done," Goulding said.

During their 57 years of marriage, Goulding and his wife, Anne Marie, served missions in Mexico and Uruguay and participated in the Hill Cumorah Pageant. Goulding also served as an ordinance worker in seven LDS temples.

Goulding was inspired to plan his cross-country adventure shortly after Anne Marie died.

"One of the people in the hospice care said to me one day, ‘One of the best ways to deal with grief is to stay busy,’ ” Goulding said. "So I tend to think about things real analytical, and I said, "OK, let’s see. I love to drive. I love to travel. I love the temples. Voila."

On Aug. 26, 2014, Goulding embarked on the first leg of his temple trek, visiting all operating temples in Utah except the one in St. George. Goulding participated in an endowment session on behalf of a deceased family member at each temple and planned his road trips around the sessions.

"Some of the smaller temples have very abbreviated schedules," Goulding said. "Some of them only do eight or 10 or a dozen endowments per week. … So then I had to deal with time and distance in order to get to the temple when I wanted to, get out and go to the next one."

On Sept. 16, 2014, Goulding began his journey to the Northwest. He printed each temple name, address and schedule, so he could map his route.

"I drove all the way to San Diego. When I got there and was visiting with the people, I found that I had messed up because the Redlands Temple was closed for their two-week, semiannual maintenance," Goulding said. "So I hurried and went to San Diego and up to Newport Beach and then over to the Los Angeles Temple and did all three of those in one day."

Goulding took a picture of each temple he visited, often using his selfie stick to include himself in the photo. Goulding posted each picture to Facebook.

"I'm an old guy, and I'm still very, very poor with electronic stuff, but I'm learning little by little," Goulding said. "I started posting on Facebook, and first thing I know, I’ve got dozens and finally several hundred people following me on Facebook. And then it became kind of fun, and it made me be a little more creative or expressive about my postings."

During his visit to the Northwest, Goulding traveled to the temples in Washington, Oregon and California before stopping at the Las Vegas and St. George temples on his way home.

Goulding began his next trek on Nov. 17, this time traveling south. He visited each temple in Arizona, went on to the Albuquerque New Mexico Temple and then drove to the temples in Texas.

Goulding visited family members along the way, often inviting them to join him at the local temple. While in Texas, Goulding stayed with his son, and they attended the San Antonio and Dallas temples together. Goulding also visited the Houston and Lubbock temples in Texas, as well as the Baton Rouge Louisiana Temple, the Oklahoma City Oklahoma Temple and the Denver Colorado Temple before returning home.

Although Goulding spent many hours planning each trip, he felt guided when his plans didn't work out.

"Father in Heaven helped me and blessed me that I would be at the right place at the right time," Goulding said. "Even though I’d planned so well, there were things that I didn’t know, and he took care of the details."

Goulding embarked on his last road trip on April 21, visiting temples in New York; Massachusetts; Illinois; Ohio; Michigan; Minnesota; Washington, D.C.; South Carolina; North Carolina; Kentucky; Tennessee; Florida; Georgia; North Dakota; Nebraska; and every operating temple in Canada.

Goulding drove through every state except West Virginia and Hawaii. And although he encountered car trouble along the way, he felt blessed to find an auto repair company in New York that he was familiar with and trusted.

"Somebody may say it’s a coincidence," Goulding said. "I think that is a coincidence, and Heavenly Father knows that, and he creates all those coincidences for me. I’m a blessed man, and I know it."

In June, Goulding flew to the Anchorage Alaska Temple and attended an endowment session. Although Goulding did not make a trip to Hawaii as part of this trek, he has visited both LDS temples on the Hawaiian Islands before.

Now back in his Sandy home, Goulding has a map covered with pins that mark each temple he has visited. He has also marked the temples that are under construction or have been announced, and he is already planning trips to these locations.

"My testimony is firm and strong, and I love the temple, and I love going," Goulding said. "It’s wonderful thinking that at my age, at 84, that I could do this."

Email: spetersen@deseretnews.com | Twitter: @Sarah_DNews