Following are excerpts of addresses by members of the Twelve and the
Seventy.- "I want to speak to you young people and teach you something. . . . There are some things about the gospel that are a little difficult to understand. We are told in the scriptures that God is no respecter of persons. That is a true statement. The Lord is no respecter of persons. But there is a problem connected with that. We don't understand it.
"Some years ago, I was in Pakistan and saw about 30 young men working with boiling oil, pouring it into the sand and smoothing it out. They were building an asphalt road. I knew they had nothing of this world, and with no missionaries in their country, the gospel could not get to them. I was aware of them looking at me looking at them, with me riding in a nice car and them having nothing.
"Then I was in China and saw some women up to their waists digging a trench. As a bus approached, they stood up and looked. Dirt was blown into their faces. I thought, `What of them? They certainly have nothing in this life. Without baptism, they will have nothing in the next.'
"What I am about to teach you is this: Nowhere in all the earth has there been an explanation of inequality in any Christian doctrine unless you know the truth. The revelation on baptism for the dead came like the anthem declares, `The morning breaks, the shadows flee.' Sometimes you feel inadequate. Remember in your heart and keep in mind that we have the answer to the biggest questions. The next time you see a temple, know the Lord is no respecter of persons. . . . He hasn't left anyone out because we build temples like this and search through records for our kindred dead; all may receive the blessings of heaven." - President Boyd K. Packer, acting president of the Council of the Twelve
"I rejoice with all of you in the blessed privilege to be within the protected walls of this sacred sanctuary. These temple dedicatory sessions are holy, worshipful exercises. The dedications of our temples are without a doubt some of the most spiritual experiences that we have in all of our lives. . . .
"I wonder if we fully appreciate the uniqueness of our temples and the privilege of temple worship in our faith. Thousands of people have gone through this temple during days of the open house, and admired its special
beauty. "As we rejoice in the dedication of this marvelous new temple, we should remember that we have been commanded to stand in holy places. Beyond our temples, the most sacred and holy places in all the world ought to be our own homes. Our homes should be committed and dedicated only to holy purposes. In our dwellings all of the securities, the strength, the love, and the sympathetic understanding which we all do desperately need should be found in fullness and richness. The outside of this marvelous building bears the inscription `Holiness to the Lord.' Holiness should become our homes also." - Elder James E. Faust of the Council of the Twelve
"Whenever I enter the House of the Lord, I sense that I am on holy ground. This house is a place where the Lord, Jesus Christ, may dwell. Every effort in its design and construction, and now in its dedication, is intended to make this a place of His Holiness - Holiness to the Lord. Because this is His house, His Spirit pervades here. We feel our Savior's love when we enter herein and we are strengthened, refreshed, renewed and comforted.
"What a joy it was to hear
the Prophet'sT voice bear powerful testimony of the Savior. . . . President Hunter beckoned all people everywhere
in general conferenceT to `follow the Son of God in all ways and all walks of
life.' " Let us make Him our exemplar and our guide,' he said. President Hunter also repeated his admonition that webe a temple attending people' and that we `look to the temple of the Lord as the great symbol of (our) membership in Christ's Church.' President Hunter's calm, loving spirit certainly characterized the general conference we have just had - a conference filled with great love. Our Savior's love, as so powerfully exemplified in the life of our prophet, is a magnificent blueprint for life at its best, a glorious challenge and an unassailable fortress against evil." - Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin of the Council of the Twelve
"This is the house of the Lord and His Spirit is here. . . . Florida is well known on the eastern seaboard for its dedication to temple work. When we lived in Washington D.C., we knew we could always count on the Saints from Florida to come to the temple. Then when a temple was built in Atlanta, the Saints from Florida could be counted on to go to that temple.
"If I have any counsel for you, it is this: When the temple is close it is easier to let small things interfere with coming back. Set a pattern where you make a promise to yourself and keep it that you will return to the sacred house of the Lord from time to time, where you can bless the lives of those who depend on you to receive the fullness that awaits them.
"This is a place Satan does not like. He will do everything he can to prevent this great work, but when there are righteous sons and daughters of our Father in Heaven, the Lord's will shall be done.
"Don't allow anything to come into your mind and heart that would make you unworthy to come to the temple." - Elder Richard G. Scott of the Council of the Twelve
"It would be a much better world if all differences could be settled under the influence of the spirit that one should take on as the result of regular visits to the Lord's house. The more often we attend the temple, if we go with the right spirit, the more Christ-like our lives will become.
"May you Saints who reside here ever indeed make this the `supernal setting for [your] most sacred covenants.' We rejoice with you on the occasion of the dedication of this magnificent edifice.
"May you always be worthy to come here and may you come often. May you have pictures of this temple in your homes, that will ever serve as a reminder of the significance of the temple in your lives and also help your children to develop a love and respect for this temple while yet in their youth." - Elder W. Eugene Hansen of the Presidency of the Seventy
"Our hearts are filled with joy and gladness on this sacred occasion, a day longed for by so many for so long here in the South. I have the deep impression that beyond the veil the corridors of celestial halls ring with praise as those of early days, who pioneered the work of the restoration in this corner of the Lord's vineyard, lift their voices in unison with those who gather in this company today.
"They were humble folk, those early Saints in Florida - men and women who toiled each day for their daily bread, who walked in faith, their hands in the hands of the Almighty, their only desire to `do what is right, let the consequence follow.' We owe them much and must never forget that the success of today is built upon the shoulders of the humble giants of the past." - Elder Alexander B. Morrison of the Seventy
"We pray that all Church members participating in this temple dedication will rededicate their lives to the accomplishment of the work for which this building is erected. . . .
"It is our prayer that the appreciation and enthusiasm that is felt in the realization of a long-held dream will be translated into a commitment to move this work forward as never before.
"There has never been a time when the plan of redemption has been more needed in the lives of God's children. Faith, repentance, baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost are critical principles. But the plan cannot be completed without the sacred endowment and sealing ordinances that can be performed only in a temple such as this. These ordinances are necessary for redemption of both the living and the dead. They are part of the plan that the Savior is carrying out on behalf of the Father." - Elder Stephen D. Nadauld of the
Seventy
"My mother heard Pres. Charles A. Callis say, `I see temple spires in the sky of Florida.' We see that today.
"Twenty years ago we were dedicating the Washington Temple. I was a stake president there. The temple there has been a blessing . . . just as this temple will be a blessing to all of us in this area. The temples are important for our heritage; they help us tie our families together.
"I was on a mission tour when I attended a meeting in which a young elder bore his testimony. At the conclusion, he said, `I came on my mission to pay my debt to the Lord. I find that I'm in greater debt every day.'
"I feel that way myself. I think all of us should feel that way. It is only through the atonement of Jesus Christ that we have the blessings of the temple and the opportunity to be here today." - Elder W. Don Ladd of the Seventy