We all cherish the beauty of the grounds at Temple Square. The same care and concern is extended to all the temples throughout the world. One night, a few months before the Houston Temple was even announced, Richard Gieseke, a member of the church and the owner of a small landscaping business had a dream of landscaping a temple. The dream was so vivid that he wrote a letter to the First Presidency (which he didn’t send at the time) and began growing the needed plants in his nursery. He also acquired some 100-year-old oak trees which he planted in larger than usual containers. His “temple plant stock” was of “uncommon excellence” and he had many offers to sell them carefully nurtured them. Many other miracles occurred which are noted in the book, Holy Places: True Stories of Faith and Miracles from Latter-Day Temples written and illustrated by Chad S. Hawkins. His six-acre nursery grew into a 96-acre business. The plant stock finally found a permanent home on the grounds of the Houston Texas Temple in 2000 and all of the transplants survived the three-day effort under an extreme Texas sun.
The Manti Temple has always been special to our family. I remember as a child doing baptisms there for deceased family members during school vacations. It was always a treat to go “through” the temple on our way to our grandparents’ home because there was an archway through the building that a car could drive through. Later John Rogers’ parents were ordinance workers there for four years which they loved. What a delight to watch the Manti Pageant from the front porch of their rented home! Probably the only negative thing I ever heard Dad Rogers say was regarding the difficulty of carrying wheelchair-bound patrons up the long staircases when they were attending sessions. Eventually the Manti Temple was closed for renovation for two years and I was concerned about what would happen to my beloved temple. I was so pleased that when it opened, all the precious things I remembered were still there—the murals, the two circular staircases, the homemade bread in the cafeteria! But some things had been improved and added. The entire plumbing system of the temple had been updated. (The old system was nearly 100 years old.) Dressing areas were enlarged and improved and best of all, an elevator was added! The bridge was gone so that we could no longer go “through” the temple but it was worth it to make it possible for patrons who had difficulty with stairs to move easily through the temple.
When the Jordan River Temple was built in 1981 it was a model for accessibility for those with handicaps. I didn’t think much about it when the temple opened because the people I associated with had no physical problems. However, my mother developed ALS—Lou Gehrig’s Disease and the wheelchair became her mode of transportation. She served as an Ordinance Worker in the Provo Temple for 16 years and temple worship was dear to her heart. How grateful I became that we could dress her in her white clothing at home, allow her to rest, then literally drive to the door of the temple and participate in temple ordinances. I have seen people arrive at the temple in white on gurneys to receive their ordinances and my heart overflows with gratitude that they can also have that privilege. The facilities make it convenient but the helpful, kind, and patient workers make it a sweet experience rather than a problem or an embarrassment.
“God does notice us, and he watches over us. But it is usually through another person that he meets our needs. Therefore, it is vital that we serve each other in the kingdom…. There is great security in spirituality, and we cannot have spirituality without service!” Spencer W. Kimball, Ensign, December 1974.
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