From Tabernacle to Temple

On December 17, 2010, the historic Provo Tabernacle caught fire and was completely gutted. This tabernacle was a special and sacred place for my husband and I. In our early married years, we attended church here and when my husband graduated from college, this is where he gave his valedictorian address.

All that remained were the four outside brick walls.

I wondered if the tabernacle would be demolished or rebuilt. There are over 100 years of history in the Tabernacle. Several months later, the LDS General Authorities announced that this building would be re-built into a temple -

A house of the Lord. 

I cannot express the excitement I felt at this announcement!

As I have watched the transformation of this building, it calls to my mind, that this building is a lot like our lives.

Most of us have experienced total devastation in our lives, trials that may have left us with little or no hope for the future. But, these trials give us strength to not only survive but to grow and become more like our Savior. (The refiners fire you might say!)

We can rebuild on a firm foundation, A foundation built on Christ can never fail or falter.

"God is trying to re-purpose us into something 

grand and glorious!"

To all my readers, friends, and family I would like to extend a special invitation for you to come and attend the Provo City Center Temple Open house. Come with me and view this beautiful House of the Lord.

"The free public open house for the Provo City Center Temple starts on Friday, January 15, and will go through Saturday, March 5, 2016. It will run every day except for the Sundays of January 17, 24, and 31 and February 7, 14, 21, and 28."

Note: This post was inspired by a Fireside I attended that was given by Elder and Sister Dewitt, the LDS missionary couple, in charge of the reconstruction.

Added information


 With love and gratitude,
  

Each of us lead a life filled with miracles, we just need to pause and see them! What's new and good with you?

The Parable Of The Sower - Synopsis

I have enjoyed this study of The Parable of the Sower. As I have looked at what modern day prophets have said, I was reminded of the recent General Conference address Parable of the Sower  given by Elder Dallin H Oaks, April 2015.

Special Note: Wayside soil people are those who have no place in their hearts for seeds/the word of God. The other soils made a place for the seed/word and in one form or another made a commitment to follow Christ.

Below is a short summary of some of the key points Elder Dallin H Oaks made. 

What do we do with the Savior’s teachings as we live our lives?

Parable Of The Sower - Part 5: Seeds in Good Ground

Mark 4:8  And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred.

Matthew 13:23 But he that received seed into the good ground is he that ^aheareth the word, and ^bunderstandeth it; which also beareth ^cfruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

What makes Good Ground?

Parable Of The Sower - Part 4: Seeds in Thorny Ground

Luke 8: 14  And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.

Choked= properly, choke (cut off) – literally, "choked because joined with."

Parable Of The Sower - Part 3: Seeds in Stony Places

I am really learning a lot about the Parable of the Sower with this in-depth study. It is so exciting! Today I studied about the seed that fell into stony ground.

Matthew 13:5 Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:

6 And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.

Matthew 13: 20 But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it;

21 Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.

STONY= Inflexible; cruel; unrelenting; pitiless; obdurate; perverse; cold; morally hard; appearing as if petrified; as, a stony heart; a stony gaze; (Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary). Parched, no depth, rocky land which a thin layer of soil is spread.

I also found that Zechariah 7:11-13 added to my understanding: