For the Increase of Faith: Sacredness of the Temple; Aid from Beyond the Veil

FOR THE INCREASE OF FAITH, [Under this title, the Era will contain from time to time such experiences, contributed by living witnesses, as will tend to increase and strengthen the faith of the reader in the "marvelous work and a wonder" which our Heavenly Father has founded in the earth, through the instrumentality of the i'rophet Joseph Smith, and continued under the inspiration of his successors. For the fact is clear that the manifestations of the Spirit, under the former and present authorities of the Church, were and are continued as under Joseph the Prophet, and are as strong and frequent as during any period in Church history, ancient or modern. These incidents are intended to illustrate this truth, as well as to increase the faith of the reader in the care, protection and interest of our Father in heaven over his children. We solicit contributions for this department. — Editors.] SACREDNESS OF THE TEMPLE. BY HEBER J. GRANT, OF THE QUORUM OF TWELVE APOSTLES. Some weeks ago, I had the privilege of visiting, in company with my brother, Joseph Hyrum Grant, our two Canadian stakes, and the Big Horn stake in Wyoming. He related two incidents which greatly impressed me, and, as they are faith-promoting in their character, I have pleasure in repeating them for the benefit of the readers of the Era. As is generally known, prior to the dedication and opening of the Salt Lakf^ Temple for ordinance work, a party, not of our faith, was permitted to go through the building. This circumstance tried my brother's feelings, and he was greatly astonished later to be greeted by an attorney, one of those who had had the privilege of going through the Temple— who said that he had never in his entire life had such an impression made upon him a.^ that which he received while in the Temple. He felt that he was in very deed "treading upon holy ground," and that he was near his Creator. He had never taken any interest whatever in religious matters; had been rather skeptical; but such a profound impression had been made upon him during his visit to the Temple, that he would gladly travel around the world for the privilege of again

362 IMPRO VEMENT ERA . entering its sacred precincts . As he was passing through the building, one of the persons with him stepped up to a table upon which were our Church works, and inquisitively opened one of the books. This act of irreverent curiosity so outraged his feelings that he felt almost as though he could strike the man. It aroused such a feeling of antagonism against the person who had carelessly handled the books in this sacred edifice, that he never could have the same kindly feelings toward him thereafter. When I heard the above incident related, I asked myself the question, "Do the Latter-day Saints who have the privilege of entering our holy temples, appreciate the great blessing that is given to them, and do they, in very deed, realize, as did this man of the world, inclined to skepticism, that they are treading upon 'holy ground?' " We receive so many blessings from the Lord, among the greatest of which is the privilege of officiating in the temples, that I sometimes think these blessings become commonplace, and are not fully appreciated, and that our hearts do not go out, as they should, in gratitude to God for his blessings to us. AID FROM BEYOND THE VEIL. The second incident was equally as striking as the first. A business man from Missouri, who had visited Salt Lake City several times, expressed his pleasure with what he had seen. He said he was very thankful to have the opportunity of visiting Utah a number of times, and to have the impressions which he had entertained regarding the Latter-day Saints entirely changed. He had learned to respect the people as being among the best with whom he had ever mingled. He had written to his wife, telling her of his change of opinion regarding the "Mormons;" and she answered that he had been away from home so long that he "did not know the difference between silk and calico." He remarked that the next time he came to Utah, he was going to bring his wife with him , as he felt sure a visit would entirely eradicate from her mind the spirit of hatred and animosity she had for the "Mormon" people. Subsequently he visited Utah, accompanied by his wife, but she positively refused to meet a Latter-day Saint. Some days later, my brother was very much astonished to receive a request from the lady to visit her at her hotel. She questioned him very

FOR THE INCREASE OF FAITH. 363 closely about temple work, and soon began asking such pertinent questions about matters connected with the temple ceremonies, that he refused to answer her. He decided that she must have been talking with an apostate or some one familiar with temple ceremonies. He had learned from a previous conversation with her husband that she had expressed the most profound contempt and hatred for the temple work, stating that' she would feel like having the building torn down, if she had the power, should the "Mormons" presume to perform blasphemous ceremonies initiating her father and mother into their faith . He afterwards learned that the lady had been visited in her dreams by her parents, and that they had given her information in detail regarding temple work,and informed her that the only place on earth where she could perform labors for them and secure privileges which they wished to enjoy, was in a "Mormon" temple. At first she paid no attention to those dreams, but they were repeated, and the impression became so strong that she sent for my brother to question him ; and she later visited a relative of hers, a cousin, who was working in the Logan temple, and whom she had previously declared she never desired to meet, because the cousin had joined the "Mormon" Church. Afterwards, she attended the meetings in our Tabernacle, and some time later her husband remarked to my brother, "You certainly have captured my wife; she's a 'Mormon.' I'll have to take her home; I only brought her here to change her feelings of prejudice, but now she's practically a 'Mormon,' " The gentleman returned home to Missouri, where he died. My brother has always regretted that he does not know the name and address of the wife, because he believes that if one of our missionaries would call upon her, that she would accept the gospel. Should the lady's cousin, who resided at Logan at the time of this incident, see this article and recall the visit which was made to her, I would very much appreciate her sending me her cousin's address. Incidents of this kind are certainly faith-promoting in their character, and go to show to the Latter-day Saints that those on the other side of the veil are ready and anxious to aid us in the accomplishment of the labors that devolve upon us in performing vicarious work in the temples. Salt Lake City, Utah.