On Sunday we had an awesome opportunity to go to a temple fireside about the new Provo City Center temple. A missionary couple who were construction missionaries at the temple site came and talked to us about the experiences they had while they were on the site.
The story of the Provo City Center temple is a miraculous one. The tabernacle was built by the pioneers in the 1800's. The building and stuff inside were all pretty much original.
Always have hope,
The story of the Provo City Center temple is a miraculous one. The tabernacle was built by the pioneers in the 1800's. The building and stuff inside were all pretty much original.
I have some very good memories of this tabernacle because we used to have our stake conferences in this building. My dad and I even had the opportunity to give a talk together just after my 8th birthday. So this tabernacle is very special to me.
In December of 2010, as they were preparing to have some musical concerts in the building, a 300-watt lamp was placed too close to other materials in the attic and the building caught fire. The roof collapsed and everything inside was destroyed. The only thing that survived was the 4 outer pillars of the building. It was a devastating tragedy for many in Provo.
Then on October 1, 2011 President Thomas S. Monson announced in General Conference that they Provo Tabernacle was going to be converted into Provo's second temple! I still remember the moment this happened. I ran into my mom's room to tell her the news.
So they've been working on the new temple ever since. It was so fun to drive by and see the progress that was being made, especially when the angel Moroni went up.
LDS temples give an awesome opportunity to the community in the few months before a temple is dedicated. They have an open house and allow people to go through and see parts of the temple. It's a fun thing to do with your family.
I also had a great opportunity to go on a bride's tour with my mom and the girls from my ward. We got to see the bride's room and a couple other areas that aren't shown in the regular tour. It was very special.
The couple that came and spoke to us described a lot of how the new temple was built. It was amazing to me to realize how much effort goes into building temples and how much they care about having it be as stable and safe as possible.
Always have hope,
Colby
