David's Account of the Boston Temple Dedication

David’s Account of the Boston Temple Dedication

Thu 10/5/00 4:56 AM

Bro. P

The last month has been a whirlwind between the open house and then the dedication.  It was so great to give tours and bring friends to the temple.  The spirit was very strong in the whole community.  The other crazy part of the whole experience was the parking and transportation required for the open house and the dedication.  Because of the limited space on the temple site, we had to park everyone a mile away and bus them up.  I helped the parking and transportation committee, with several others, to run some of the parking lots.  It was crazy.

The dedication ceremony was wonderful.  President Hinckley and Elder Packer were both there, as was Elder Andersen of our Area Presidency.  We heard from Pres. Wright, one of the counselors in the temple presidency, and his wife.  Elder Andersen spoke about standing as a witness for Christ.  Elder Packer spoke powerfully about families and the return of Elijah and the sealing power.  He said that leading organizations, particularly in the Muslim world, look to the church for leadership when it comes to issues around the family.  It was a testimony to me that we have all the doctrine and ordinances that are required to preserve a family in the way in which the Lord designed it to be preserved.  He recounted the events at the Kirtland Temple when the Savior and then Elijah appeared to Joseph and Sidney.  It was great.

Then President Hinckley spoke.  He has such a sense of humor.  He told us how good we looked and that he knew we were praying and paying our tithes.  He spoke for the most part of the blessings of the temple and how important it is to always have and carry our temple recommends.  He told us we would be better mothers and fathers, wives and husbands, women and men etc. if we kept ourselves worthy of the temple and performed the great work we are called upon to do there.  He said that we are all the Lord has and if we don’t do it, no one else will.  He spoke of all the great men and women that had come from the New England area, particularly in the early days of the church.  (Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, Parley Pratt and many others.)  He said twice that he knew that they were looking down on us and that they were aware of the dedication ceremony that was going on.  He also spoke directly to the children and told them to always be worthy to come to the temple, to do baptisms and then to do endowments as they get older.  He also told us that he knew that if we prayed for it, that the Lord would soften the hearts of the people required in order for a steeple to be constructed on the temple.  The whole thing was awesome.

Have I told you about my new calling.  Counselor in the stake mission presidency assigned to the Spanish and Portuguese speaking units in the stake.  How much fun can one guy have?

Hope all is well.

Dave