Last week we were happy to go twice to the temple - Thursday with all the missionaries and then again on Friday with the MTC Presidency to do sealings.
Both Sister Howes and Sister Briggs are great Family History people. Sister Howes is able to get a lot of work done in the temple because when we all go on Thursdays we all take one of her names. She has a large stack of Sealings that need doing and we attacked that stack on Friday.
It was especially sweet because our Sealer was Elder Parker - the man I have told you about who with his wife, Rangi Parker, has done so much history work on the early missionaries in the Pacific. How sweet to spend a few hours in such a Holy Place with such wonderful people who love and serve the Lord.
The New Zealand Temple
When I first saw the New Zealand Temple from the windows of the bus filled with missionaries, that first Thursday, my immediate reaction was, 'It looks just like the Swiss Temple!' Not that I have ever actually seen the Swiss Temple, but my grandma Amacher had a picture of it on her wall in the living room of her little house and as a little girl, I would always look at it.
I was right! I have learned the New Zealand Temple is a sister temple to the Swiss Temple.
The Swiss Temple was the first temple build in Europe and was dedicated 11 September 1955. I would have been just 4 years old. (for those of you who happen to love Disneyland, it was opened 17 July 1955 - Disneyland is less than 2 months older than the Swiss Temple)
The New Zealand temple was the first temple built in the Southern Hemisphere and was dedicated on 20 April 1958.
I have been reading about both temples and have found some interesting stories for the grandchildren to hear. First the Swiss Temple:
The Swiss Temple
The first temple built in Europe, the Swiss Temple represented President McKay’s commitment to care for the spiritual needs of the Saints in the expanding church. It was the first temple to use modern media in the presentation of the endowment ceremony, now a feature in all new temples and most older temples that have been remodeled. Because of this decision to innovate, temple sessions at Berne were easily available in seventeen different languages.
Furthermore, President McKay had evidently seen the temple in vision, its clean simple lines reminiscent of the Church’s first temple at Kirtland. He described it so vividly to Edward O. Anderson, a Church architect, that he was able to reproduce it exactly. However, as the design process went on, the original drawing was modified until President McKay, upon seeing the drawings, pointed out, “Brother Anderson, that is not the temple that you and I saw together.” The finished drawings, needless to say, reflected President McKay’s original description.
In the fall of 1953, President McKay gave a special charge to Gordon B. Hinckley: "I want you to find a way to present the temple instruction in the various languages of Europe while using a minimum number of temple workers." The monumental task had a two-year time limit and was to run concurrent with his responsibilities in the Missionary Department. Tremendous study and prayer lead to his recommendation that the sacred ceremony be filmed in its various languages, leaving the challenge of production. The priesthood assembly room of the Salt Lake Temple was temporarily converted to a production studio. A full year was required to produce the film in English, followed by new casts and translations for 7 additional languages.
Once production was finally finished, transportation of the sacred films became the next concern. In Basel, the customs agent asked Brother Hinckley what the small drums he carried contained. "Church film and lectures," he responded. The agent explained that the films must be transported to Bern for approval by the federal film board. Sensing he should not draw undue attention, Brother Hinckley reluctantly surrendered the canisters. A day of fasting and pleading followed. Early Monday, Brother Hinckley and President William F. Perschon of the Swiss-Austrian Mission reported to customs. In the federal film board office, the officer in charge directed a number of questions. Later, President Perschon reported that "a friendly understanding seemed to come over [the officer]." In unusually cooperative manner, the papers were stamped and films released without anyone seeing a frame or hearing a word.
Pres. and Sis. Briggs, Pres. and Sis. Howes, Pres. and Sis. Thatcher at the Temple
The Hamilton New Zealand Temple was the first Mormon temple built in the southern hemisphere, and it is the eleventh operating temple worldwide. Construction plans went quickly because the temple’s design was similar to that of the Bern Switzerland Temple. Groundbreaking services were held on December 21, 1955, and construction began right after the conclusion of the ceremony. Volunteer laborers worked during their Christmas holiday, and many were so excited that they would run with their loaded wheelbarrows.
The temple construction work was done entirely by volunteer workers. In 1950, the Church had created the “labor missionary” program so that much-needed Church buildings could be constructed in the Pacific. People with experience would be called as missionaries to supervise the projects, and young local missionaries would volunteer their labor. More than 1,500 missionaries would be called to assist in building the temple, and many people who were not members of the Church also volunteered.
These volunteer laborers took building the temple so seriously that they insisted on continuing their work even through inclement weather, including very heavy rains. They came early and worked extra hours to ensure the temple would be ready in time, and they often sang hymns as they labored. One day during the construction, Wendell Mendenhall heard a group of workers praying at the site at 4:00 a.m.: “O God, our Eternal Father, bless us that we will have the power and the strength and the health to finish this project on time and cause that we can go without sleep and rest and even food, that we can build this Temple and have it ready for the Prophet of God.”
That is your history lesson today. Maybe you noticed one thing that is very different about the two temples. What would that be? Look carefully at the pictures.
After the Temple session with the missionaries we took them to the Church Museum of the Pacific. There we met again our new friends Elder and Sister Parker. This was the day before he was our sealer at the Temple. As I walked in the room where they were working diligently on history, Elder Parker stood up and introducing me to the secretary there he said, "This is our friend Sister Thatcher. She has 13 children and 60 grandchildren." I was amazed that he remembered me let alone all that detail. But just maybe the details were why he remembered me.
Virginia King, Elder Parker and Sister Parker and myself at the Museum
Making Music at the museum - Elder Vaekau can't read music but plays beautifully by ear- Elder Lauhingoa, Elder Tupou, Elder Image, Elder Vaekau, Elder Barber, Elder Taufa
Sisters enjoying time together at the museum - Sister Donnet-Monay, Sister Basset, Sister Taeatua, Sister Savu, Sister Digo, Sister Shan, Sister Oh, Sister Lamositele, Sister Scott
For my birthday it was fun to talk to many of you and face time. We also had a party here in New Zealand. We went to dinner with President and Sister Briggs. Having been here longer than we, they know some of the good things to do around here and some of the good places for food. We went to a little tucked away Italian Restaurant - there aren't many of those here. I had schnitzel - (just an aside for Paul, Ken, and Alex) - It was delicious! The company was delightful.
Happy Birthday Sister Thatcher - Pres. Briggs, Pres. Thatcher, myself and Sis. Briggs
The missionaries also sang Happy Birthday to me on the bus on the way home from the temple
Another taste treat - Tip Top Ice Cream - at a little town called Pokeno on our way back from the temple - according to President Howes - it is a MUST stop!
Our Sunday was wonderful and long. I could have said that it is wonderfully long but it is amazing to me how quickly the time passes. The first Sunday here I was so tired and I didn't think 9:30 pm would ever come. I think we must be getting our Sunday muscles because when 9:30 came we both still felt fresh and happy. We could have had another meeting and enjoyed it.
Being Fast Sunday meant there wasn't any lunch served so to use that hour the missionaries took their cameras outside in the wind and enjoyed some camera time - some memory capturing moments.
Sister Basset, Sister Taeatua, Sister Shan, Sister Teriirere, sister Oh, Sister Howes, Sister Savu, Sister Matuaiti, Sister Maitere, Sister Motuliki, Sister Donnet-Monay, Sister Thatcher
Elder Sua, Elder Peresetene, and Elder Fala - proudly holding the Samoan flag - notice the Southern Cross?
Elder Gardner, Elder Barber, Elder Siaw, Elder Mamea, and Elder Lauhingoa
Some of you have asked what we do on days not spent at the MTC. We do missionary work. We visit inactive members of the Clover Park ward. We had some very enjoyable times doing this work this week. We meet lots of very nice, welcoming people.
It is an adventure trying to locate the homes of the people and usually no one is home or the people we are looking for moved years ago. (The ward records we have are really a mess). Can you guess what dad does when this happens? He talks to the people at the door and usually gives them a Book of Mormon or a pamphlet.
We will be driving down a street, see someone walking by and President Thatcher will say, "We should give that young man a Book of Mormon." Then he will pull over and start visiting with the person and gives them the gift of a Book of Mormon.
We gave a book to four young boys we met on a street looking for an address that didn't exist. They were out playing and were so friendly with us. Dad told Ronnie, Jonah, Corey, and Justin all about the Book of Mormon and the golden plates and the angel Moroni who told Joseph Smith about the plates. He told them they would make great missionaries some day. The boys all wanted to read the Book of Mormon, so dad gave them one to read together.
My favorite story is when we were climbing back in our car after not finding someone home.
Elder Thatcher had noticed a woman across the street walking into her home with two young children. He said we should go visit her because at least we knew she was home. So we walked up to the door and knocked. She answered and Elder Thatcher told her we were Mormon missionaries and wondered if she had ever heard of the Mormons. She said she had, that her brother was a Mormon. After a friendly conversation he asked her if she would like a Book of Mormon. "Yes, I would." she said, "I need something to read." She thanked Elder Thatcher for the Book and then said, "I will read it tonight!" Parley P. Pratt move over! We will go back soon and see how she liked the Book of Mormon.
Dad gave away at least 6 Books of Mormon this week and several pamphlets as well. I'm afraid at this rate he will be buying so many to give away that most of your inheritance will remain on shelves in New Zealand. No matter - there is no stopping him.
We met some nice people at one home we stopped at. They were outside fixing a car. The woman who owned the home was a member but is in the hospital and one of the men was her son. There was a young woman there who said she was a member but not active. Another of the men said that he had read the Book of Mormon and started talking about Lehi, and Nephi. He said he was a member off and on. The woman's name was Moana. I told her our grandchildren would love to hear that we had met the real Moana and we took a picture together.
But our best missionary story of the week is about a family that we met. The ward list showed a woman living at this address with a 14 year old boy - we assumed he would be her son. The woman did live there but with her husband and three little girls. The woman is Antonina, and her children are Naomi (7), Samantha (6) and Keisha (4). We met them at the door one day last week. Antonina seemed rushed and not to anxious to see us but the children were all smiles and wanted us to come in. We asked if we could come back some time and show the children a video. Antonina said sure and we set the visit for Monday evening at 4:30.
Monday came but they weren't at home when we stopped. We kept making other visits and checking back. Finally about 6:30 they opened the door. She was embarrassed and said she had forgotten we were coming. They let us in and we showed them a cute little video that I had downloaded from lds.org. The children loved it and the spirit filled the home. The mother had tears in her eyes as she watched her beautiful little girls so enrapt in the video of children talking about the savior. I asked if they would like to watch another one and the mother said, 'Yes, please."
While the 3rd little video was playing the father, Moses, came home. He walked in and was instantly swarmed with loving little girls hugging their father. He saw what was happening and sat down so respectful and was also touched by the spirit in the room. Another man, a friend, we think, named Steven also came. They told us they wanted to become active in the church and be sealed in the temple. Steven said he was raised in the church but was not active. His father had been a bishop in Samoa and he had been named after an Elder.
They said that Elder and Sister Terry - a couple who served in the MTC used to come a lot to see them and they were on their way until they had gone home. "I've gone backwards." Moses said.
We are going back for home evening next Monday and will work with them. We love them already. I don't have a picture of this family but if you just picture 3 little girls at least as beautiful as Moana in the movie, with long black hair and beautiful eyes you will get an idea. That is our favorite missionary story of the week.
We are so thankful that we have the gospel and all the attendant blessings that come with it in our lives. You could feel the longing in Antonina's heart as she felt the spirit and saw her children loving what they were feeling.
Always remember that we are a forever family. And never forget to thank Heavenly Father for all that has been restored in the latter days so that we can be together always. I feel like my father, grandpa Johnson while he was dying and said to us, 'It's not fair! We have so much and others need what we have. Get me up! We need to go on a mission and tell the people about the gospel of repentance and remission! Get me up!"
We are thankful for all the good news we hear from back home.
If you want to make the highlights of the week - send me pictures.
Happy Birthday to Henry and Eva who celebrated on August 5th. Today in New Zealand it is August 9th. So Happy Birthday to Emily and also to William Swede Hadfield. What important days in our family. We hope you all have wonderful birthdays.
We love all of you, and miss you so much. But we are thankful to be missionaries and to have such a wonderful message to share. I just try to keep up with Elder Thatcher - he is going to flood New Zealand with the Book of Mormon and I am going to smile as I watch him.
Take care, and in your spare time give a couple Books of Mormon away.
Much love from half-way around the world,
Elder and Sister Thatcher,
Mom and Dad,
Grandma and Grandpa
How fun to hear the history of those temples. And the missionary stories are wonderful. ❤️
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