Dear Family,
Sunday we attended the televised dedication of the Oquirrh Mountain Temple. The Oquirrh mountains are the chain of mountains west of the Salt Lake Valley and before the west side was so totally built up, our family used to live in Bennion, Utah, part of the Oquirrh stake. Now there are several stakes just in Bennion alone. The temple lies in the western part of the Salt Lake valley.
We had not been to a temple dedication since the dedication of the Detroit Temple located in Bloomfield Hills, MI just three mile from where we used to live. Rebeca and Paul were married in that temple and I used to work there as well.
The dedication was the ninth session and the final one that was broadcast to the stake centers. You had to have a Temple Recommend or a slip from the Bishop to get in. Ours was held in our stake center (also our ward house where we have had several missionary reunions). Two stakes were there and it was packed. Cheryl, Madeline and Paul Jr. went with us. There had been flooding in the basement so all the furniture was stacked in the cultural hall until the repairs were made. Cheryl spotted the large soft chairs used in the High Council room and she made a bee line for them. It was very comfortable!
It was a very moving and impressive service. Elder Zwick and Ballard among others spoke. Elder Zwick's construction firm had worked on the construction of our house in the past and he had paved the cement patio. Elder Ballard had lived in our ward as well.
President Monson gave a great address and all mentioned the sacredness of the Temple and the work done there. He was moved when he talked about the miracle of the Freiberg Temple in East Germany behind the Iron Curtain which he dedicated in 1985.
I remembered my own experience as a young missionary in Switzerland in 1955. The Swiss Temple had been dedicated and my companion and I were the first missionaries in Zolikofen, the little Dorf where the Swiss Temple , the first in Europe, was located. As Missionaries, we worked in the Temple on Saturdays as Ordinance Workers for the English and German sessions. I remember the great sacrifice of the European members who made the trip to the Temple. Those from East Germany had to leave one member of the family at home (as a hostage to the government so the entire family would not defect to the west). My companion had an uncle and his family come from Saxony in East Germany, for their Temple blessing but the oldest son had to remain at home. The faith of those members making their first trip to the Swiss Temple made a great and lasting impression.
So it was a very moving event and we were all grateful again for the blessings of the Temple. We are back working again in the Salt Lake Temple. Hope you all will have more of a chance to go.
Alles Gute and Love, Dad
2 comments:
I remember the Detroit Temple dedication very well! I didn't know I was in labor and was sitting on a metal chair way in the back with contractions 3 minutes apart...everytime I moaned and leaned way over Paul would shhh me. I then started pinching his arm and was in tears because of the discomfort - I couldn't wait for the service to end. I do remember seeing Julie sitting next to you on the screen just behind Pres. Hinckley though.
last Sunday I told James the last time we were at a temple dedication together he was working his way out - two weeks earlier than we expected.
This last one was more of a spiritual high, I'm glad I went.
I went to the morning session, where President Monson told a story about he and Pres. Uchtdorf recently touring the president's 747. He said that the officials took their passports and checked them out thoroughly then let them onboard. Pres. Uchtdorf knew every nut and bolt on that plane, and it was all Pres. Monson could do to keep him out of the cockpit.
Sure enough, Pres. Uchtdorf got in the cockpit and sat in the pilot's seat, saying, "this is where I used to sit in the 747s." He put his hands on the steering wheel and Pres. Monson looked at him and said, "Don't do it, Dieter!" Thankfully, before they both got in trouble, Pres. Uchtdorf heeded the words of his prophet and left the cockpit. :)
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