"Our" Temple

Ross and I got to experience a unique and special experience for us. We went to the groundbreaking ceremony of "our" temple, the Provo City Center Temple. It is not often that your city gets a new temple, especially if you already have one.

I was excited when I heard that we could get tickets from our bishop to attend the groundbreaking ceremony. Our only problem was what to do with Leah. We weren't sure how long the ceremony would be and we knew we had to be in our seats 40 minutes early, which meant way too much time keeping Leah still and happy. We weren't sure who we could ask to babysit her. Who wants to babysit at 8:00 am on a Saturday morning??? Plus anyone living around here would probably want to be at the groundbreaking too. So Ross had decided that he would stay home and I would go by myself. However, Ross's mom (who was already babysitting two other grandkids) came to our rescue! After hearing about our situation, she called Ross around 10:00 the night before and asked if she could bring the two other kids to our house and watch Leah so we could go together. What an angel!!! I would have been ok if I had to go alone, but it was so much better with Ross there too.

For those reading this who don't already know, in December of 2010 the Provo Tabernacle caught fire. The damage was extensive, including having the roof collapse. No one was really sure what they were going to do with the remaining structure. Then in October of 2011, President Monson announced in General Conference that the Provo Tabernacle would be renovated to become a temple.

(A lot of people enjoyed watching this hot air balloon float up and down behind the tabernacle while we were waiting for the ceremony to start.)

The Groundbreaking ceremony followed your typical church program: singing hymns, speakers, musical numbers, etc. Elder Jeffrey R. Holland was the presiding General Authority. After his remarks, he offered a prayer dedicating the site for the building of the temple. Then he and several others in attendance used some golden shovels to turn a patch a dirt just north of the Tabernacle. Afterwards he invited anyone who wanted to come turn some dirt also. Here are a couple of pictures of Ross and me helping to "break the ground" for our new temple.

I also wanted to record a few thoughts and feelings I had about the things those who spoke at the groundbreaking shared. If you're interested, go ahead and keep reading.

The temple of the Lord is something very dear to me, so I really enjoyed the remarks they shared that morning. (By the way, we couldn't have asked for a more beautiful May morning). Several speakers thanked those in our area for our faithful temple dedication and attendance, because without it there wouldn't need to be a second temple in Provo. (On a little side note, the current Provo temple is the busiest temple church-wide. I don't think this is because the people here are so much better, but rather because the area is so densely populated with members. The Provo temple district encompasses all the missionaries at the MTC and the students at BYU and it takes 1000's of temple workers to keep it running.) I definitely feel like I should go to the temple more, but it seems harder now that we have a little one that needs a babysitter. But this comment was a reminder to me of how our obedience to the Lord brings greater blessings. And it also reminded me that I need to increase my dedication to temple service.

Another thing I thought was interesting was when Elder Holland shared some of the history of this building. One US President has spoken there (William Howard Taft) as well as at least 12 LDS church presidents and two General Conferences have been held there (not to mention the countless other ways in which this building was used for various church and community functions.) He also shared that when two of the rooms were dedicated years ago by Abraham O Smoot, he prayed that they would be used for "gathering and learning the ways of the Lord." I thought that was pretty cool, and prophetic.

The other thing that struck me that I wanted to share was that almost all the speakers talked about what happened when they heard about the Provo Tabernacle fire and how devastated they were. I got to thinking about this during Sister Holland's talk, and these are the notes I jotted down about it: "What we thought was devastation turned out to be a celebration. The Lord takes good things and makes them better. Sometimes the "purifying fire" seems like the end, but is really the beginning of something greater."

I really feel like the Lord knew what he was doing when he let the fire burn in the Tabernacle. We didn't realize it at the time, but he was preparing the building to fulfill a much greater purpose. I think he does the same thing with us when we are put through hard trials. Those trials are just "purifying fires" that prepare us for something better and help us realize that the Lord needs and wants us to become someone greater.

Anyway, thanks for letting me share my thoughts with you. I am really excited to see the completed temple. For four years I worked across the street from the Tabernacle and drove or walked past it nearly everyday. It does have a dear place in my heart and I'm looking forward to seeing it become "something better." My only disappointment was when Elder Holland mentioned that the dedication would be a couple of years away. I was hoping it would be much closer to being done by now. Oh well, in the meantime I'll just keep my ears open for word on how our temple is progressing.