For President John Stone, one moment that defines the miracle taking place in Manhattan came June 7, several days after the close of the open house for the Manhattan New York Temple.
The satellite dish atop the roof of the temple needed repositioning before dedicatory proceedings June 13. Dishes of this size require large cranes to maneuver. But with traffic concerns, a crane could not be brought in until June 12, the day prior to the dedication.
So a crew of 40 missionaries and members was enlisted to hoist the dish and walk it about 40 feet away.
"There is strength in unity," said President Stone, the temple's president, an overarching mark of all that has happened in recent years to make a people and a building ready for dedication.
"I marvel at the quick construction," President Stone said. "The temple is gorgeous. The Church has spared nothing to make it ready."
President Stone is equally complimentary of the temple workers, many of whom are young single adults, who have traveled to the Boston temple once a month for a year for training. "They are faithful, enthusiastic and many recently home from missions." He said that in addition to being spiritually attuned they also can organize their schedules to fit in temple service.
Until it ended June 5, the temple open house was one of the hottest ticket attractions in New York, according to USA Today. More than 53,000 toured the renovated temple during the monthlong open house.
That 42,000 members of the Church reside in the temple district, with some 25,000 living in New York City's five boroughs, was a surprise to New Yorkers, the article stated, noting that congregations had been meeting "inside (the) bland, white stone box of a building at 65th and Columbus, across from Lincoln Center . . . since the 1970s."
Sharon Larsen, former second counselor in the Young Women general presidency now serving a Public Affairs mission with her husband, Ralph, in New York, told these experiences:
Visitors were often amazed at the quiet and peaceful setting in the middle of Manhattan. "How did you do that?" they asked.
"We tell about a building within a building — with insulation between the walls," Sister Larsen said. "But the real reason for the peace and silence is the Manhattan Miracle, or miracle of the temple."
It is at the font that the "light goes on" for many people, she continued. "Here people grasp why we are so involved in family history. 'Oh, now I understand why the Mormons do so much genealogy,' they say."
The last week or two of the open house, "our phones rang off the hook," Sister Larsen said. People called to see if they could tour the "temple of the Latter-day Saints." Extensive media coverage prompted these calls.
"People would say, 'I just heard about your temple. Can I come see?' " she said.
"One lady called to ask about taking a tour. She began asking questions. During the 30-minute conversation, we talked about the Plan of Happiness, about the Apostasy, about the difference between our chapels and our temples, about our lay leadership, about why the temple will be closed to the public after it is dedicated.
"The lady then asked, 'What do I have to do to be able to get in the temple after it is dedicated?'
"I told her she would need to be a member of the Church. She said she was going to fill out a referral card at the open house and ask missionaries to teach her.
"The last day of the open house, June 5th, more than 3,000 toured the temple, just like the previous Saturday.
"Both missions are following up on hundreds of referral cards. The New York North Mission, for instance, received 419 referrals prior to the last three days of the open house.
"Now a month since the open house began, there have been three baptisms as a result of the open house and six others committed to baptism.
"Senators, congressmen and ambassadors were impressed with the quiet, peaceful feelings in the temple and seemed honored to have been invited. One ambassador said, 'I was in Washington, D.C., when you had your open house there. I never attended it, and now I will never be able to see what it is like inside.'
"I said, 'You know, there is a way.' The ambassador just smiled," Sister Larsen said.
"One clergyman knew about the Tabernacle Choir, but wondered if we sing hymns. I assured him we sing hymns and named music familiar to him.
"I took three organists from the Catholic Church on a tour," Sister Larsen said. "Before we started, I bore my testimony about the power of music and told them that I had gained my testimony of Jesus Christ while singing Handel's Messiah in the Salt Lake Oratorio Society. While I was singing, 'Surely, surely, He hath borne our griefs,' I knew He had borne mine for me.' Then we started the tour.
"Visitors felt the spirit of the temple and demonstrated great respect for our beliefs. After eternal marriage was explained, one young woman exclaimed, 'This is the kind of marriage that I want. What must I do to qualify?' " Sister Larsen said.
People from 55 countries, all 10 provinces from Canada and all 50 states of the United States toured the temple.
"We will miss walking through those halls and explaining the beauties of the everlasting gospel to dear people who know not yet our Father's Plan of Happiness for them. We are blessed to be on the earth with the fullness of the gospel and opportunities to make it available to our brothers and sisters," Sister Larsen said.
E-mail: shaun@desnews.com
