Temple Square

After watching the funeral of a beloved prophet and man, President Gordon B. Hinckley, and seeing so many tributes to this amazing man, I was caught up in a few memories that I needed to share.

I have had many memories of Temple Square, one of them being that I had to opportunity on many occasions to attend General Conference. I remember sitting in the Tabernacle, where Conference use to be held, on the hard benches, but there gaining a testimony and witness that Gordon B. Hinckley was a prophet of God. The first time that he entered the room as we all arose, I KNEW that this man was our Prophet chosen for this time. You could feel it in the room. Years after that, I was in the Tabernacle sitting again at Conference thinking that this would be the last time Conference would be in this building. This was the last session of General Conference before we would be meeting in the new Conference Center. It was odd to think that we would not be in this building any more for Conference. Would it be different? The idea of soft chairs and pillars not in our faces definately had an appeal. I had the opportunity again 6 months later to be in the Conference Center for the first General Conference that was held there. Soft chairs and no pillars was nothing compared to when we arose and the prophet walked in, and it was again manifest that this was a prophet of God. It was here when I saw and heard from this amazing pulpit this prophet tell the story of how this pulpit was from a tree that he had grown:

"And now, my brothers and sisters, I would like to tell you about another feature of this wonderful building. If I get a little personal and even a little sentimental, I hope you will forgive me.

I love trees. When I was a boy we lived on a farm in the summer, a fruit farm. Every year at this season we planted trees. I think I have never missed a spring since I was married, except for two or three years when we were absent from the city, that I have not planted trees, at least one or two—fruit trees, shade trees, ornamental trees, and spruce, fir, and pine among the conifers. I love trees.

Well, some 36 years ago I planted a black walnut. It was in a crowded area where it grew straight and tall to get the sunlight. A year ago, for some reason it died. But walnut is a precious furniture wood. I called Brother Ben Banks of the Seventy, who, before giving his full time to the Church, was in the business of hardwood lumber. He brought his two sons, one a bishop and the other recently released as a bishop and who now run the business, to look at the tree. From all they could tell it was solid, good, and beautiful wood. One of them suggested that it would make a pulpit for this hall. The idea excited me. The tree was cut down and then cut into two heavy logs. Then followed the long process of drying, first naturally and then kiln drying. The logs were cut into boards at a sawmill in Salem, Utah. The boards were then taken to Fetzer’s woodworking plant, where expert craftsmen designed and built this magnificent pulpit with that wood.

The end product is beautiful. I wish all of you could examine it closely. It represents superb workmanship, and here I am speaking to you from the tree I grew in my backyard, where my children played and also grew.

It is an emotional thing for me. I have planted another black walnut or two. I will be long gone before they mature. When that day comes and this beautiful pulpit has grown old, perhaps one of them will do to make a replacement. To Elder Banks and his sons, Ben and Bradley, and to the skilled workers who have designed and built this, I offer my profound thanks for making it possible to have a small touch of mine in this great hall where the voices of prophets will go out to all the world in testimony of the Redeemer of mankind."

I was very touched by the emotion that he showed and knew that this was a memory that I could never forget. Besides just going to General Conference, Temple Square also held a special place in my heart because there I could see the Salt Lake Temple. No matter why I was there, or even driving down the freeway, I have to take a look at this remarkable House of the Lord. Several years ago as I was taking pictures of this remarkable building, it brought to my mind the great work of temple building that was occurring. Yesterday thoughts from President Hinckley again came to my mind about temple building:

"One of the bellwether marks of the growth and vitality of the Church is the construction of temples. I have spoken of this before, but I am so deeply grateful that since we last met in general conference we were able to reach our goal of 100 operating temples by the end of the year 2000; in fact, we exceeded it. We have just come from dedicating a temple in Uruguay, the 103rd working temple of the Church."


"Rise to the great potential within you. I do not ask that you reach beyond your capacity. I hope you will not nag yourselves with thoughts of failure. I hope you will not try to set goals far beyond your capacity to achieve. I hope you will simply do what you can do in the best way you know how. If you do so, you will witness miracles come to pass."