JAMIE HEATO
The sun’s rays from the east peaked over Mount Timpanogos Sunday morning illuminating angel Moroni right before Gordon B. Hinckley, president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints placed the final mortar on the cornerstone of the new Mt. Timpanogos Temple in American Fork, Utah.
An estimated 5,000 faithful members gathered on the grounds of the new temple to attend the Cornerstone Ceremony, a symbolic tradition that precedes the dedication of LDS temples, said Stephen Studdert, vice-chairman of the church temple committee.
The cornerstone, placed in ancient as well as in modern temples, symbolizes Christ as the cornerstone of the church, said Studdert.
Trowel in hand, President Hinckley added his smiling voice to the 800-member young adult choir singing ‘We Thank Thee O God For a Prophet.’ In his usual humor President Hinckley stepped up to the cornerstone, “Alright, here is the mortar, where’s the groove…right here, well it looks like somebody has worked on it already. It’s a shame to spoil that beautiful white…here it goes, anybody have a Kleenex.”
When President Hinckley and other church leaders had applied the symbolic mud, President Hinckley then invited an eight-year old boy he picked out of the crowd to participate.
Inside the cornerstone there is a metal box approximately eight inches deep, 20 inches wide and 30 inches tall, similar to a time-capsule, said Studdert. The box holds a copy of the four standard works, local newspaper clippings, a history of the American Fork valley and a temple alter cloth — handmade by one of the members.
When asked if the box would ever be opened, Studdert replied, “Yes, but none of us will probably be around to witness it.”
The Mt. Timpanogos temple is the forty-ninth temple completed by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the second temple in the Utah Valley.
Over the next two years the church will open temples in St. Louis, England, Colombia and Vernal, Utah. Thirty-six months ago this week President Hinckley turned the first shovel of American Fork soil in a ground breaking ceremony that began construction of the sacred edifice, said Dan Rascone, public affairs representative for the church.
Following the Cornerstone Ceremony, church general authorities and officials returned inside the temple to dedicate the building for the work of the Lord. Sunday morning is the first and official dedication, said Don LeFevre, church spokesman.
The dedicatory prayer will then be repeated in 26 similar dedicatory sessions to take place from Oct. 13 to Oct. 19. Three temple dedication ceremonies took place on Sunday and four sessions will take place each day this week.
In order to allow for as many members as possible to attend each dedication it will be broadcast on closed circuit to 13 sites besides the temple — 11 stake centers in the Utah Valley, one stake center in Heber, and the Tabernacle on Temple Square, said Rascone.
About 3,000 people were gathered inside the temple waiting for the first dedication. “We have chairs set up everywhere but the bathrooms,” said Elaine Kemp, temple dedication usher.
It is expected that about 700,000 temple-worthy members will be able to attend the dedication, said Studdert. About 56,000 volunteer hosts and about 26,000 youth and children singers will participate in services over the next week.
The Mt. Timpanogos temple district includes 44 stakes from nearby areas. The new temple president Robert J. Matthews from Lindon, Utah was the dean of religion at BYU from 1981 until 1990. He was very influential in obtaining the Joseph Smith translation of the Bible, working on the church scripture committee and editing the Encyclopedia of Mormonism.
