In January 2016 we went to the Provo City Center Temple open house. As I walked through the doors I remembered in great detail where I had been the day that the Provo Tabernacle caught fire. I was a missionary at that time serving on the East Coast. We lived with a wonderful family in our area. On that December Day we were making lunch when the dear sister asked if we knew that the tabernacle was burning. I froze at her words and then in a daze turned to look at the computer screen where live footage was showing the black smoke billowing from the caving roof. There are very few buildings that I can honestly say have made an impact in my life, but the tabernacle was near the top of that list.
From the time that I was about seven-years old I participated in a children's choir that performed multiple times a year in the tabernacle. I had spent many hours sitting on the hard choir seats waiting to practice or perform. I had participated in singing praises to God in such songs as "The Hallelujah Chorus" and "Come Thou Fount." The tabernacle was a place that I had learned to recognize the promptings of the Spirit, felt God's love for me, and where I learned to love music and singing praises. My last performance in the tabernacle was just before I turned eighteen. I remember the feeling that I was losing something special and that the next time I entered the tabernacle would be to hear others sing.
In October 2011 I was sitting in my family's home watching General Conference when the announcement was made that the tabernacle would become a temple. I felt the spirit testify to me that this was a great miracle. This building, now just a shell of brick walls, that was loved by thousands would now become a holy temple. Living relatively close, while my husband attended school, we were able to watch the transformation from ashes to temple. To see the building raised on stilts as the foundation was dug, reinforcements placed, and the structure made sound. We were excited when windows were placed in the walls and doors were added. It was fun to watch the many changes that would become the house of the Lord.
Back to January, as we walked through the temple I could feel many of those same feelings from my time in the children's choir. The Spirit was there, God's love was there, and through the organ music playing I knew that praises were there. Even our little daughter felt these things and quietly looked about her on the tour. I have seen many stories and analogies about the tabernacle turned temple, but for me the greatest thing was the knowledge that God cares more for his children than for a building, but He turned a loved building into a temple so that He could bless the lives of His children.
I said there were few buildings that were important to to me. At the top of that list are the Temples of the Lord. My favorite has aways been the Provo, UT Temple for it is the one that I grew up next to and learned to love first. Now I can add the second Provo temple to that list of favorite buildings as I learned to love it in my youth.
