http://www.ldschurchtemples.com/saltlake/gallery/images/salt-lake-mormon-temple70.jpg
When was the
first history written on the Salt Lake Temple?
a.
25 years after the start of construction
b.
The 25th anniversary after the dedication
c.
There’s never been one written
d.
Shortly after the dedication
Yesterday’s
answer:
C The Swiss mission president
In
November 1965 Rendell N. Mabey, an attorney from Bountiful, Utah, who served as
president of the Swiss mission (1965-68), traveled from Naples to Palermo in
Sicily to conduct some business for the Church. While there he arranged to meet
Antonino Giurintano whose sister, Giuseppina Oliva, had joined the Church in
Argentina and then returned to Palermo. Antonino had written several letters to
Church offices in Buenos Aires asking for missionaries to come to Sicily and
teach him, and his petitions had been forwarded to the Swiss Mission office in
Zurich. Mabey recounted the beginnings of LDS presence in Palermo:
“I
had brought with me a letter from a Mr. Antonino [Giurintano], to whom I had
some six weeks earlier mailed a Book of Mormon. I told Brother Di Francesca
that I felt we should visit that man that very night. When we finally located
the good man and his family, he was overwhelmed with joy. He handed me a letter
which he had just written in which he requested that I come to Palermo at once
and baptize him. He was just about to go out the door to mail the letter to me
as we arrived. After some three hours of inquiry and discussion, it was
conclude that this man was ready for baptism.
“He
agreed to close down his little factory for the baptism. We met the next
morning and, with his wife, son, and his sister who is a member, proceeded to
the market place to purchase white clothing suitable for baptism. . . . The six
of us adults then climbed into a little cab with the driver and proceeded to
the sea just outside the harbor area. Sicily is not unlike a big rock pile, and
the sea coast is very unfriendly as far as beaches are concerned. We finally
selected a fairly secluded piece of coast [a beach area known as Vergine
Maria]. It was cold and the waves were substantial. We changed our clothes
among the large rocks, held a prayer circle, and then I held Brother Antonino
by the hand and together we entered the water. Brother Di Francesca sat on the
rock above us and served as witness.
“It
was very difficult to stand because of the sharp rocks, high waves and an
undertow. Suddenly it was not so cold and the waves subsided enough for me to
baptize him. As he arose from the water a big wave hit us and pulled us into
deep water. We were just about to undertake to swim when another wave pushed us
back towards shore. We were then able to touch bottom and reach shore. There
Brother Antonino sat on a rock and was confirmed a member of the church by
Brother Di Francesca.”
James
A. Toronto, The “Wild West” of Missionary Work” Reopening the Italian Mission,
1965-71, Journal of Mormon History, Fall
2014, 15-17.
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