Anniversaries
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Thursday, April 6,th 1843 The first day of the Jubilee,119 of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints. a special Conference120 assembled of on the platform of the temple. or <rough> floor of the basement, at 10. o clock A.M. ... Footnote 119: The anniversary of the organization of the church on 6 April 1830. Wilford Woodruff noted that the term Jubilee was used because this anniversary marked the “commen[c]ement of the fourteenth year of the church”—an apparent reference to, and adaptation of, the seven-year sabbatical cycle outlined in the Old Testament. (Woodruff, Journal, 6 Apr. 1843; Leviticus 25:1–17.) Journal, December 1842–June 1844; Book 2, 10 March 1843–14 July 1843, 48, josephsmithpapers.org.
Joseph Smith
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Counselor in the First Presidency FRIDAY, November 3, 1967 Independence – Preliminary Sketches of Building Elder Mark E. Petersen and I met with President McKay at 9:30 A. M. As we arrived the President said, “I’ve been waiting for you.” He was in good spirit, and seemed alert and anxious to again discuss the Independence project with us. We showed him the preliminary sketches that Emil Fetzer and I had shown to Keith Wilson the Independence City Manager. The details of the sketches were explained. It had been eight months since the details of the project had been explained to the President, so we went over them again to refresh his understanding. He asked two questions in particular. These pertained to the significance of Independence as the “Center place” and how much the Visitors Center would cost. These were answered, and it appeared plainly that the President just wanted to get the facts in his mind again. He asked a number of minor questions as to the location of the Central States Mission Office in relation to the proposed Visitors Center; how many members of the Church in that area; and where the Kansas City Stake Center was located. These questions were of course all answered. The important thing to note in his questions was the alertness of his mind, and the scrutiny he again gave to the whole proposed project. He seemed to again satisfy his own mind about the whole matter. At length, he again reaffirmed his previous feelings that we should go forward with the project at once. He said, “Let’s put the building up and complete the work needed.” We spoke of having a ceremony there on the land, either to “break ground” or “lay a cornerstone” depending upon the progress of the work on August 3, 1968, the anniversary of the dedication and consecration of the “Temple Land” by the Prophet Joseph Smith–(August 3, 1831. ) The President gave approval to this plan. Elder Petersen then said, “You know President certain of the brethren do not approve of this project.” He suggested that the President send a letter to his counselors requesting that they do everything possible to see that the architectual and other work go forward immediately since he had given complete approval to it. I reported that even though he had directed the letter of April 13, to Elder Petersen, that the project had run into a snag and was never budgeted. The President asked who had opposed it. We told him it was principally his counselors, and this is the reason we thought a letter to them signifying his desires in the matter would settle the matter once and for all. The President authorized us to prepare the letter, which we later did in Elder Petersen’s office. It was thereafter placed into the hands of Clare Middlemiss for typing and mailing to the counselors. Note: The letter was typed, signed by the President, and sent to the counselors this day. A copy is made a part of this Journal Record. Before leaving the President, I reported to him that upon his advice, I would go to Nauvoo alone on Wednesday and Thursday, November 8-9, 1967. He approved of this, and he was pleased that I am going and would await a further report. The President seemed pleased with our presence. He said it was good to see us together. We left after long and fervent handshakes.” “November 3, l967 Presidents Hugh B. Brown, Nathan Eldon Tanner, and Joseph Fielding Smith Counselors in the First Presidency Church Administration Building Dear Brethren: On April 13, 1967, I addressed a letter to Elder Mark E. Petersen, Chairman of the Church Information Committee, a copy of which is attached hereto. As you will note from that letter, I authorized the Church Information Committee to begin planning for a Visitors Center to be erected on the Temple land at Independence, Missouri. The building will cost approximately $500, 000, with furnishings to be added, which is in accordance with the preliminary study for such a Center presented to me by Elder Alvin R. Dyer, in company with Elders Mark B. Garff and Emil Fetzer of the Church Building Committee on March 10, 1967. The plans as submitted were approved by me at that time. It is my sincere desire that this project be completed as soon as possible. Will you please take the necessary steps with the Building Committee to have the drawings prepared, and then pass the project through the Expenditures Committee. It is my desire that we break ground for this new structure on August 3, 1968, which is the anniversary of the dedication of this ground by the Prophet Joseph Smith. Sincerely yours, David O. McKay President”
President Alvin R. Dyer
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This is the annual conference of the Church. April 6, 1973, is a particularly significant date because it commemorates not only the anniversary of the organization of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in this dispensation, but also the anniversary of the birth of the Savior, our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ. Joseph Smith wrote this, preceding a revelation given at that same date: “The rise of the Church of Christ in these last days, being one thousand eight hundred and thirty years since the coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in the flesh, it being regularly organized and established agreeable to the laws of our country, by the will and commandments of God, in the fourth month, and on the sixth day of the month which is called April.” (D&C 20:1.)
President Harold B. Lee
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Our Beloved Father in Heaven, Thou great Elohim, on this historic day we come unto Thee in solemn prayer. This is the anniversary of the organization of Thy restored Church. One hundred and seventy years ago it was established in nearby Fayette. From that small beginning it has spread over the earth, and our hearts are filled with gratitude for its marvelous growth. But it was here, on this land which the Smiths once farmed, it was here in the Grove below and to the west that Thou, the Almighty God of the universe, and Thy Beloved Son, the resurrected Lord, appeared to the boy Joseph Smith. This wondrous event parted the curtain that had been closed for centuries. This marvelous appearance, which is the foundation of Thy work in this dispensation, brought back to earth a knowledge of the one true God and the resurrected Lord. Wonderful are the words of the boy Joseph in his description of this transcendent event: "When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other — This is my Beloved Son. Hear Him!" (Joseph Smith-History 1:17.) That marvelous theophany, unequaled since the events on the Mount of Transfiguration two millennia ago, became the introduction to Thy work in this the dispensation of the fulness of times.
President Gordon B. Hinckley
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This is the newest in a series of meeting places constructed by our people. When first they came to this valley, they built a bowery. It shaded them from the sun but provided no warmth and very little comfort. Then they built the old Tabernacle. That was followed by the new Tabernacle, which has served us so very well for more than 130 years. Now in this historic season, when we mark the birth of a new century and the beginning of a new millennium, we have built this new and wonderful Conference Center. Each of the undertakings of the past was a bold venture, and particularly the Tabernacle. It was unique in its design. No one had constructed a building like that before. It is still unique. What a wonderful hall it has been and will continue to be. It will go on living, for I believe that buildings have lives of their own. It will go on serving long into the unforeseeable future. The building of this structure has been a bold undertaking. We worried about it. We prayed about it. We listened for the whisperings of the Spirit concerning it. And only when we felt the confirming voice of the Lord did we determine to go forward. At the general conference of April 1996, I said: “I regret that many who wish to meet with us in the Tabernacle this morning are unable to get in. There are very many out on the grounds. This unique and remarkable hall, built by our pioneer forebears and dedicated to the worship of the Lord, comfortably seats about 6,000. Some of you seated on those hard benches for two hours may question the word comfortably. “My heart reaches out to those who wish to get in and could not be accommodated. About a year ago I suggested to the Brethren that perhaps the time has come when we should study the feasibility of constructing another dedicated house of worship on a much larger scale that would accommodate three or four times the number who can be seated in this building” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1996, 88–89; or Ensign, May 1996, 65). The vision of a new hall was clearly in mind. Various architectural schemes were studied. One was finally selected. It included a massive structure to seat 21,000 with a theater accommodating another thousand. There would be no interior pillars to obstruct the view of the speaker. There would be trees and running water on the roof. Ground was broken July 24, 1997, the 150th anniversary of the arrival of the first pioneers in this valley. That was an historic event. We did not know it at the time, but in 1853 Brigham Young, in speaking of temples, said, “The time will come when … we shall build … on the top, groves and fish ponds” (Deseret News Weekly, 30 Apr. 1853, 46). In 1924 Elder James E. Talmage of the Council of the Twelve wrote, “I have long seen the possible erection of a great pavilion on the north side of the Tabernacle, seating perhaps twenty thousand people or even double that number, with amplifiers capable of making all hear the addresses given from the Tabernacle stands, and in addition to this a connection with the broadcasting system, with receivers in the several chapels or other meeting houses throughout the intermountain region” (journal of James E. Talmage, 29 Aug. 1924, Special Collections and Manuscripts, Harold B. Lee Library, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah). In 1940 the First Presidency and the Twelve had their architect draw up a plan of a building that would seat 19,000 and would stand where this building stands. That was 60 years ago. They thought about it, they talked about it, but finally they dropped the idea entirely. These statements and actions were wonderfully prophetic. We knew nothing about them. All of them have come to our attention since we began this construction. We have not built a temple with trees and fishponds on the roof. But on this edifice we have many trees and running water. Brigham Young may have foreseen this structure very near the temple. We have what Brother Talmage thought of, and much, much more. These services will not only be heard by all who are seated in the Conference Center, they will be carried by radio, television, and cable, and they will be transmitted by satellite to Europe, to Mexico, to South America. We reach far beyond the intermountain area of which Brother Talmage spoke. We reach beyond the confines of the United States and Canada. We essentially reach across the world. This is truly a magnificent building. I know of no other comparable structure built primarily as a hall of worship that is so large and that will seat so many. It is beautiful in its design, in its appointments, and in its wonderful utility. It is built of reinforced concrete to the highest seismic codes required in this area. The concrete is faced with granite taken from the same quarry as was the stone for the temple. Both buildings even carry the blemishes of that granite. The interior is beautiful and wonderfully impressive. It is huge, and it is constructed in such a way that nothing obstructs the view of the speaker. The carpets, the marble floors, the decorated walls, the handsome hardware, the wonderful wood all bespeak utility, with a touch of elegance. It will prove to be a great addition to this city. Not only will our general conferences be held here, and some other religious meetings, but it will serve as a cultural center for the very best artistic presentations. We hope that those not of our faith will come here, experience the ambience of this beautiful place, and feel grateful for its presence. We thank all who have worked so hard to bring it to this stage—the architects, with whom we have had many meetings; the general contractors, three of whom have worked together; the subcontractors; and the hundreds of craftsmen who have labored here; the construction supervisor; the city building inspectors; and everyone who has had a hand in this project. They have all joined in a herculean effort so that we might meet together this morning. Many of them are with us, I am happy to say. 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 from a bishopric 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.
President Gordon B. Hinckley
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Many of you participated in the dedication of the Nauvoo temple last June. It was a great and marvelous occasion, one to be long remembered. We not only dedicated a magnificent building, a house of the Lord, but we also dedicated a beautiful memorial to the Prophet Joseph Smith. In 1841, two years after he came to Nauvoo, he broke ground for a house of the Lord that should stand as a crowning jewel to the work of God. It is difficult to believe that in those conditions and under those circumstances a structure of such magnificence was designed to stand on what was then the frontier of America. I doubt, I seriously doubt, that there was another structure of such design and magnificence in all the state of Illinois. It was to be dedicated to the work of the Almighty, to accomplish His eternal purposes. No effort was spared. No sacrifice was too great. Through the next five years men chiseled stone and laid footings and foundation, walls and ornamentation. Hundreds went to the north, there to live for a time to cut lumber, vast quantities of it, and then bind it together to form rafts which were floated down the river to Nauvoo. Beautiful moldings were cut from that lumber. Pennies were gathered to buy nails. Unimaginable sacrifice was made to procure glass. They were building a temple to God, and it had to be the very best of which they were capable. In the midst of all of this activity, the Prophet and his brother Hyrum were killed in Carthage on the 27th of June 1844. None of us living today can comprehend what a disastrous blow that was to the Saints. Their leader was gone—he, the man of visions and revelations. He was not only their leader. He was their prophet. Great was their sorrow, terrible their distress. But Brigham Young, President of the Quorum of the Twelve, picked up the reins. Joseph had placed his authority upon the shoulders of the Apostles. Brigham determined to finish the temple, and the work went on. By day and by night they pursued their objective, notwithstanding all of the threats hurled against them by lawless mobs. In 1845 they knew they could not stay in the city they had built from the swamplands of the river. They knew they must leave. It became a time of feverish activity: first, to complete the temple, and secondly, to build wagons and gather supplies to move into the wilderness of the West. Ordinance work was begun before the temple was entirely completed. It went on feverishly until, in the cold of the winter of 1846, the people began to close the doors of their homes and wagons moved slowly down Parley Street to the water’s edge, then across the river and up the banks on the Iowa side. Movement continued. The river froze over, it was so bitter cold. But it made it possible for them to move on the ice. Back to the east they looked for the last time to the city of their dreams and the temple of their God. Then they looked to the west to a destiny they did not know. The temple was subsequently dedicated, and those who dedicated it said “amen” and moved on. The building was later burned by an arsonist who almost lost his life in the evil process. A tornado finally toppled most of what was left. The house of the Lord, the great objective of their labors, was gone. Nauvoo became almost a ghost city. It faded until it almost died. The site of the temple was plowed and planted. The years passed, and there slowly followed an awakening. Our people, descendants of those who once lived there, had stir within them the memories of their forebears, with a desire to honor those who had paid so terrible a price. Gradually the city came alive again, and there was a restoration of parts of Nauvoo. Under the prompting of the Spirit, and motivated by the desires of my father, who had served as mission president in that area and who wished to rebuild the temple for the centennial of Nauvoo but was never able to do so, we announced in the April conference of 1999 that we would rebuild that historic edifice. Excitement filled the air. Men and women came forth with a desire to be helpful. Large contributions of money and skills were offered. Again, no expense was spared. We were to rebuild the house of the Lord as a memorial to the Prophet Joseph and as an offering to our God. On the recent 27th of June, in the afternoon at about the same time Joseph and Hyrum were shot in Carthage 158 years earlier, we held the dedication of the magnificent new structure. It is a place of great beauty. It stands on exactly the same site where the original temple stood. Its outside dimensions are those of the original. It is a fitting and appropriate memorial to the great Prophet of this dispensation, Joseph the Seer. How grateful I am, how profoundly grateful for what has happened. Today, facing west, on the high bluff overlooking the city of Nauvoo, thence across the Mississippi, and over the plains of Iowa, there stands Joseph’s temple, a magnificent house of God. Here in the Salt Lake Valley, facing east to that beautiful temple in Nauvoo, stands Brigham’s temple, the Salt Lake Temple. They look toward one another as bookends between which there are volumes that speak of the suffering, the sorrow, the sacrifice, even the deaths of thousands who made the long journey from the Mississippi River to the valley of the Great Salt Lake.
President Gordon B. Hinckley
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Derrick Porter
Harmer, Ariel
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Center and rededicated the restored Brigham and Mary Ann Young
Elder Gerrit W. Gong
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