The following account by Donna Long Johnson of the Gardena Ward, Torrance California North Stake, illustrates the influence of the Salt Lake Temple:
"In October of 1941, when I was 11 years old, I journeyed with my family from Los Angeles, Calif., to Salt Lake City aboard a special conference excursion train. I was very excited about the trip, not only because it was my first train trip, but also because it was my first trip to Salt Lake City."My grandmother, Selina Rose Long, lived close to the temple in a residential hotel. It was clean, but terribly run down, as was the area around it.
"I didn't know she lived on a small pension and wanted to do as much as possible on her meager funds in doing temple work. I only know I was terribly disappointed and could not hold back the tears.
"That night, before going to bed, I looked out the small window near my bed, and there, illuminated in all its glory, stood the statue of the Angel Moroni. I was spellbound; I had never seen it before. It was as if the window had become a picture frame, for I could see nothing else. I stood there for a long time and a beautiful, warm feeling covered me. Suddenly I didn't care about my surroundings any more. Everything was going to be all right."
