TWIN FALLS, IDAHO
In the little more than six months since he became President of the Church, President Thomas S. Monson has dedicated four temples, the most recent being the Twin Falls Idaho Temple on Aug. 24. Earlier this year, he dedicated the Rexburg Idaho Temple (Feb. 10), the Curitiba Brazil Temple (June 1) and the Panama City Panama Temple (Aug. 10).
Offering the prayer to dedicate the Twin Falls Idaho Temple as an abode for Heavenly Father and His Son, President Monson petitioned Heavenly Father to "let Thy glorious light ever shine upon it," and asked that "Thy ratifying seal of approval" be placed upon "this, Thy Holy House, which we now present to Thee."
Speaking with the Church News of the four temples he has dedicated this year, President Monson said, "These have been grand occasions, two in Idaho and another in Brazil and also Panama. Wherever we go, wherever temples are dedicated, the work of the Lord moves forward.
"The open houses that precede these dedications bring to the community at large a feeling that they would like to know more. These temples are missionaries, each one of them in its own right, and they've been provided for by the pennies of children and the finances of those more able to contribute. No one contributes to the temples of the Lord without having a personal reward within his heart."
On Saturday evening, Aug. 23, prior to a cultural program held at Filer, Idaho, in conjunction with the temple's dedication, President Monson counseled the young people who were participating, saying, "We grow up faster than we think. We say, 'I'll never have to do this; I'll never have to do that.' All of a sudden, the years are gone. You're in those very important years where you have to make critical choices. Make sure you pray about the choices you make in life so that you can be guided by our Heavenly Father."
He spoke of a time when he had to make an important decision. It was during World War II and, at age 17, he knew he must enlist soon in one of the armed forces or be drafted into the U.S. Army. He chose the Navy. When he returned home from active duty he once again enrolled at the University of Utah and resumed dating Frances Johnson, whom he had met at the university and had dated before his military service. He told those assembled, "We married in the holy temple for time and all eternity. That would be my wish for you....
"There isn't a simple decision in life," he continued. "Everything is important. Every decision you make. So make your decisions with a prayerful heart."
He gave them a little saying to help them remember: "Decisions Determine Destiny."
I call it the 'Three D's,"' he said. He asked all the youth to repeat the phrase. After they had done so, he smiled and said, "Now, you've been sworn in."
Before concluding, President Monson said, "I'd like to pronounce a blessing upon you, all you young people here. In the authority that I bear as President of the Church, I invoke a blessing upon you that you might honor your parents, that you might love the principles of the gospel, that you will strive to do what the Lord would have you do, for when you are on the Lord's errand, you are entitled to the Lord's help.
"I would like to suggest, too, that you do well in school.... Your education many times determines what you will do in life, where you will be, what opportunities you will have. Choose something you like to do, not something that you dislike doing....
"I invoke the blessings of our Heavenly Father upon those who teach you, who prepared you for the events of tonight.... I bless you with wisdom and I bless you with joy. I bless you with faith. I bless you that you may put forth the effort to achieve the goals that you have in life. With that blessing, I say, have a wonderful time together."
Throughout the weekend of the temple's dedication, President Monson paused often to shake hands and speak to members of the Church. He gave particular attention to young people and often singled them out. Ellie Smith, 12, of Rupert, Idaho, was among those who shook hands with President Monson at the cultural program. With joyous emotion, she said, "I just can't believe I was one of those who could do this." Then, putting the experience into the context of the reason President Monson had come to Idaho, she spoke with a tremor in her voice: "I'm so grateful to have this experience and to have a temple so close to my home. It's a real blessing."
Brianna Starley, 9; Marin Fallows, 6, and Kaleb Gourley, 6, were among children invited to place mortar to help seal the cornerstone. Returning from one of the dedicatory sessions, he paused to speak quietly with Madelyn Matthews, 9, and her brothers, Jaelen, 15, and Jade, 13, who were seated near the temple's front door with their parents, Darin and Christa Matthews. President Monson spoke first to Madelyn, asking her name and commenting on her pretty white dress. He then spoke to her brothers. "President Monson told us that we looked like missionaries, but not quite yet," said Jaelen.
After the fourth and final dedicatory session, it took at least 20 minutes for President Monson to walk from the temple's front door to the car awaiting him just a few yards away. He stopped to shake hands with children and adults alike. He not only shook hands, but also spoke to many individuals. When he met Maria Eugenia Hernandez, he spoke a few words to her in Spanish, and together they sang a refrain from a popular Spanish song. The experience left her so emotionally touched that she could not tell a reporter her name because she was weeping and she could not write her name in the reporter's notebook because her hands were shaking.
Everywhere he went, President Monson was greeted with smiles and waves. As he left the cultural program, young people called out, "We love you, President Monson!" Without doubt, the sentiment was returned.
As he rode from the temple grounds, members waved and called out their expressions of love for the prophet who took time to travel to Twin Falls, Idaho, to dedicate "their" temple, and to linger among them, shake many of their hands, speak to them personally, look into their eyes and, it seemed, into their hearts.
As President Monson drove from the temple to the airport, he saw small groups of families holding signs: "We love the temple." "We love the prophet." "We love the scriptures." For more than a mile, other sentiments followed on similar signs.
"It was like a sweet final testimonial," said Sister Dibb.
President Monson called it "The mile of farewell."
E-mail to: gerry@desnews.com
View a video produced by Deseret News photographer Scott G. Winterton. This video, on the MormonTimes Web site, features events from the dedication and performance. Click here to watch video.
