Sunday Tidbits- Temple Dedication Day Miracles

 

Billings, Montana Temple

        The Calgary, Alberta Temple is being dedicated today! This is huge for me and those Saints who reside in the Calgary area. My brother-in-law and sister acted as tour guides during the open house. My parents, who live a hour west of Calgary in the litte town of Canmore have been called to be temple workers and also took over thirty non-member friends to the open house. Our good friends, the Johnsons in Airdrie, Alberta volunteered to landscape along with hundreds of other Saints and two of their children were involved with the celebration last night at the old Calgary Corral hockey arena. I remember my dad taking me many years ago to see the land acquired by the Church for a possible future temple. I was a little guy and the land was out in the country. Calgary has now caught up to where the temple is built on the northwestern edge of the city. My dad told me that when President Faust came to Calgary once for a conference that he was asked when Calgary would get a temple. He said he couldn't see it anytime soon since there was a temple 2 1/2 hours to the south at Cardston and another 3 hours to the north in Edmonton. He said there's places in the world where people have to travel for days to visit a temple. My dad said he was sitting in a stake meeting and the question was raised to a visiting high council man. This brother, emphasizing the fact that Calgary will not see a temple anytime soon said, "Calgary will get a temple when Rome does." Ironically, when a temple was announced for Calgary at General Conference, a temple was also announced for Rome. Miracles happen all the time. Including on dedication day.

1.      The day the Billings, Montana Temple was dedicated a protest was planned to disrupt. What stopped the protest?

A)     The police

B)     The mayor

C)     A storm

D)     The National Guard

2.      The day the Veracruz, Mexico Temple was to be dedicated, an off road vehicle race was also planned that would be going right by the temple. What postponed the race so the dedication could take place in a reverent atmosphere?

A)     None of the vehicles would start prior to the race

B)     A storm

C)     The mayor

D)     The police

Yesterday’s answer

(C)   Parley Pratt

Parley P. Pratt relates the following experience while on his mission to Canada:

After conversing with these interesting persons till a late hour, we retired to rest. Next day Mrs. Walton requested me to call on a friend of hers, who was also a widow in deep affliction, being totally blind with inflammation in the eyes; she had suffered extreme pain for several months, and had also been reduced to want, having four little children to support. She had lost her husband, of cholera, two years before, and had sustained herself and family by teaching school until deprived of sight, since which she had been dependent on the Methodist society; herself and children being then a public charge. Mrs. Walton sent her little daughter of twelve years old to show me the way. I called on the poor blind widow and helpless orphans, and found them in a dark and gloomy apartment, rendered more so by having every ray of light obscured to prevent its painful effects on her eyes. I related to her the circumstances of my mission, and she believed the same. I laid my hands upon her in the name of Jesus Christ, and said unto her, “your eyes shall be well from this very hour.” She threw off her bandages; opened her house to the light; dressed herself, and walking with open eyes, came to the meeting that same evening at sister Walton’s, with eyes as well and as bright as any other person’s.

Autobiography of Parley P. Pratt, pg. 175.