SPRINGFIELD, Oregon — To the casual observer, the name Willamette Valley Oregon Temple denotes nothing more than the location of this new house of the Lord. But with context of how The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints began in the area, it’s a name that inspires unity and togetherness.
In 1951, the Willamette Stake was created in Oregon, spanning from Salem in the north to Myrtle Creek in the south. Now, 75 years later, those original boundaries are split into various stakes, no longer a vast collection of cities in a single stake.
However, with the June 7 dedication of the Willamette Valley temple — located in Springfield but embracing the name of the region’s historic stake — the Saints in the valley are once again united.
“The temple is a great unifier for all of us,” said Brenda Jones, who serves with her husband, Steve Jones, as open house and dedication committee coordinators. She added that, especially during the open house, the temple “helped to bring us all together, and I think it will really help all of the stakes become closer.”
This unity even extended across various religions, noted Steve Jones. “We had some individuals not of our faith come through and say, ‘I found my people.’ They recognize that we all have common beliefs, that we’re not as different as people think we are.”
A total of 38,225 visitors toured the temple during its open house, held April 23 to May 9. Here’s a sampling of how the open house brought together families, friends, faiths and communities.
‘A sense of light, guidance and hope’
Elder Peter M. Johnson, first counselor in the United States West Area presidency, notices a pattern with new temples.
“When a temple comes into a community, what I sense is an increase in faith in Christ, an increase in hope and a light that seems to make things brighter, even in a world that’s so complex and overwhelming,” he said. “In the midst of all the uncertainty, this temple brings a sense of light, guidance and hope.”
And that’s not just for members of the Church either, Elder Johnson explained. As friends of the Church see Springfield’s new temple and seek to learn more, “the questions they will ask will help them also receive personal revelation that there is a God in heaven and that His Son, Jesus Christ, really does live and we can be connected to Them through the ordinances that we make and the covenants that we keep in the house of the Lord.”
Building ties with the community
Members of the Springfield Oregon Stake have borne testimony of the Savior by working to serve and unite the community.
In the months before the dedication, for instance, stake members established relationships with Jewish and Muslim communities and Christian denominations in the area, provided school supplies and held clothing drives for Catholic Community Services, collected toys and gifts at Christmastime for foster care services, worked with local organizations to provide service and goods, and more.
“We did this in an effort to build relationships before the open house so that we already had relationships with them, in hopes that it would change the experience when they come to see the house of the Lord,” said Springfield Stake President Jeffrey Fuller. “And it did.”
Drawn to a beacon of hope
President Christopher Cornelius and Sister Rhonda Cornelius, who preside over the Oregon Eugene Mission, said one young man went through the open house six times. Sister missionaries asked him, “Can we answer any questions?” He responded, “I’m trying to figure out what is so different in there. I’m feeling something, but I can’t identify it.”
President Cornelius said of the temple open house: “There are so many people that came and were drawn to it. They’re feeling something, but they can’t identify what they are feeling. And it’s so fun when you can share with them what they are feeling and why.”
Among those drawn to the temple were members who had been less engaged in Church activity. President Cornelius said the house of the Lord is a symbol of hope to those returning to Church activity, and they’re feeling drawn to it.
Having a temple nearby, said Sister Cornelius, “helps those Saints to remember the covenants that they’re going to make in the house of the Lord but also the blessings that they’ll see.”
Installing woodworking in the temple
Jayden Pratt of the Eugene YSA Ward spent 7½ months installing finished woodworking in the temple. “Being able to build one of the Lord’s houses was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for me that I never thought I would be able to do.”
Each morning he worked, Pratt would walk into the celestial room and say a prayer before his shift started. Now, whenever he walks through the temple, “I look at every nook and cranny and see all the memories finally flow through my mind again.” He said the first time he visited the open house, he couldn’t stop smiling.
Pratt also saw generosity of the members in what was coined “Cookie Wednesdays.” Each Wednesday, local wards would make cookies for the workers on the temple site. “It was just another way for the stakes in the area to say thank you to all of us.”
Blessings that ripple throughout the entire community
Satina Tolman of the Sweet Home Ward, Lebanon Oregon Stake, noticed many open house visitors were impressed by the beauty of the temple — the designs in the art-glass windows, the carefully crafted rugs, design motifs of local flowers and rivers.
Yet what touched them even more deeply was learning the building’s focus on faith, family, covenant relationships and drawing closer to God. “While the craftsmanship and artistry captured people’s attention, it was the spirit and purpose of the temple that seemed to touch their hearts,” said Tolman.
This house of the Lord is evidence that His work is hastening, she added, but it’s also a blessing to help sustain and accelerate that hastening. “The blessings of a temple extend far beyond those who enter its doors; they ripple throughout the entire community.”
‘Peace they so desperately need’
One woman who works in a clinic across the street from the temple was drawn to the light of this house of the Lord. “On a particularly difficult night, she was dealing with some particularly difficult things,” recounted Elder Benjamin Rowan, a missionary from Provo, Utah, serving in the Eugene mission.
“As she looked out the window of the hospital, she saw the temple lights come on for the first time. She described the brief but powerful sense of peace that moment brought her. She later had the opportunity to tour the temple, and although she does not consider herself religious, she said she could feel the sacredness of the place.”
Anna Grossnickle of the Eugene YSA Ward served as a parking helper and an usher during the open house. As she saw and talked with hundreds of individuals, “it felt like the gathering of Israel was happening in front of my eyes,” she said. Although sharing religion can be nerve-wracking, “the open house gave many members a natural, more comfortable way to share what they believe.”
Young adults like her will particularly be blessed by the new temple, she explained. “Young adults are making a lot of big decisions at this period in their lives, and some of those decisions have eternal consequences.” With a house of the Lord nearby, “they have the chance to receive guidance and inspiration or even just that iota of peace they so desperately need.”
