Time and All Eternity

"I took this picture for Tim's (her husband) Dad the day before he passed.  He loved this temple.  He would visit it quite often just to sit in it's presence and ponder as he watched the progress being made.  In his final week as his health was failing he yearned to go see the temple, but being not possible, I took this picture to hang on his wall.
Our family cannot wait for this temple to be finished as we know this will always be a very special place where we not only can feel close to the presence of our Father in Heaven but our loved one passed as well.  So grateful to have an eternal family."

~Jeanene Morris of the New Mark Ward, Platte City Stake Missouri
This photo was taken and edited by Jeanene in August prior to the passing of her Father-in-law.

Information regarding temple

 We have received the following information in a letter from Elder Donald D. Deshler, of the Seventy, regarding the formation of a Committee to plan the Kansas City Temple Open House and related events.  Elder Deshler will serve as the Coordinator for the Kansas City Missouri New Temple Committee.  Note the rough outline for dates and an estimated dedication time frame:

“The completion of construction of the temple is anticipated to be by around the first of March.  Following that, the contractor will turn the temple over to the Church for its review and approval, cleaning, official photographs of each of the rooms, etc.  This process can take anywhere between 3-6 weeks.  Once that process is complete, a date will be set for the open house, cultural celebration, and dedication.  Establishing the date will be influenced by the following factors: (1) the Prophet’s availability, and (2) the availability of a venue for holding the cultural celebration. Of course, consideration will be given to anticipated weather, school events (e.g., graduation, etc.), etc. It is estimated that the dedication will take place by mid-summer."

You are encouraged to share this information with all members. Please do what you can to discourage speculation on anything beyond what is written here.  We will keep you updated as these exciting events continue to move forward.

With warmest regards,

Jeremiah Morgan

Sean Foley

Rodney Ames

Presidency, Liberty Missouri Stake

 

Come, Ye Thankful People, Come

Come, ye thankful people, come;
Raise the song of harvest home.

All is safely gathered in
Ere the winter storms begin.

God, our Maker, doth provide
For our wants to be supplied.

Come to God's own temple, come;
Raise the song of harvest home.

Hymn 94, LDS Hymnal

Happy Thanksgiving Temple Chasers.

Dear Moroni, A Stake Meetinghouse will keep you company

Dear Brother Angel Moroni:

Well, my friend, your days of hanging out alone have come to an end.

No longer will you be seeing just the faces of the workers and me.

Our rarely uninterrupted visits of the last seven months have been terrific.

We have had some good times.  Sunsets, sunshine, sunrises, lightening, rainy storm clouds, tornado clouds, humidity, scorching heat and freezing cold.

I think I have looked at you more than my own children some days.  And for sure, I know that you have been seen by lots of locals and folks passing through.

There have been Temple Chasers, folks who have wondered why there is a Angel “Macaroni” on the big church building, and bystanders who have no idea what you or the building are. 

There are folks who happen to jog by, bike by, drive by on their way to work and come by for curiosity.  There were almost 2,000 who ran by that one Saturday morning in April.

And now, there are the dedicated and loyal Saints who will be coming to the new Liberty Stake Center building every week.  Sundays, Tuesday nights, and Wednesday nights.  For starters.  

There will be Boy Scouts, young ladies, old folks and babies. 

There will be Christmas parties, Halloween trunk or treats, wedding receptions, Pine Wood Derby races, and special evenings with spiritual messages.

There will be music (you will love that…no more just the sound of heavy construction equipment and silence).  Lots and lots of music.

There will be baptisms.  Folks who are living good, often great lives who want to live better.  One of my favorite quotes is from a kindly LDS President, Gordon B. Hinckley:  “The purpose of the gospel of Jesus Christ is to make bad men good and good men better.”  I don’t imagine a lot of “bad men” are baptized, but if they are, even better.

And someday soon, in the not too distant future, there will be weddings, sealings, and people who will come to the temple to make promises to their God to do and be more.

And you, Brother Angel Moroni, will get to see it all.  A front row seat to these cherished family moments and intimate personal eternal decisions.

You are a man of few words, but by your sheer presence alone I have children run around the lot with huge smiles on their faces.  I have had more gospel conversations with people who long to know more than I can remember, and I have even seen a dying man come out of his death bed to see you one more time with his children.

Speaking of that, in one of my own darkest hours of my life, after Tom passed away in June, all I wanted to do was come and be with you. 

You represent the stability of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Strong, consistent, and immovable.

The new church building has been readied and the dedication is going on as I write this.  Time for “game on” my brother.

If you would like to see the pictures of the church building, go here:
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150439150880042.412197.532120041&type=1&l=b46913caf4

It has been an honor to welcome you to Kansas City.  Enjoy this new chapter in your life.  

Love, Val

We Love Thy House, O God

We love thy house, O God,

Where-in thine honor dwells.

The joy of thine abode

All earthly joy excels.

It is the house of prayer,

Where-in thy servants meet,

And thou, O Lord art there,

Thy chosen flock to greet.

We love the word of life, 

The word that tells of peace,

Of comfort in the strife,

Of joys that never cease.

Text brought to you today from:  William Bullock, LDS Hymnal, Photos by Valerie Anderson and

progress on the House of the Lord and joy found there-in by our Father in Heaven.

We love thy house, O God.

Hope, Smiling Brightly

When dark clouds of trouble hang o're us,
and threaten our peace to destroy.
There is hope smiling brightly before us,
and we know that deliverance is nigh.

We Thank Thee, O God, for a Prophet, LDS Hymnal

Keep focused on the temple.  It is the hope smiling brightly before us.

Progress

Fencing is almost complete.

Landscaping is being planted.

Stained glass windows are in.

Sheet rock is going up.

New exterior lighting is lit.

It's progressing!!!

Photos by Valerie Anderson

How Far Is Heaven?

"How far is heaven?
It's not very far.
In temples of God,
It's right where we are.

How far is heaven?  I testify that in the holy temples it is not far at all--for it is in these sacred places that heaven and earth meet and our Heavenly Father gives His children His greatest blessings.

As we touch the temple and love the temple, our lives will reflect our faith.  As we go to the holy house, as we remember the covenants we make therein, we will be able to bear every trial and overcome each temptation."

President Thomas S. Monson, Blessings of the Temple, Liahona, Oct. 2010

Temple Chasers....how far is heaven?  Soon to be found in Kansas City.

Open House for the new Stake Center will be November 4th.  

November 5 & 6 Stake Conference and Dedication of the building.

Beginning November 13, 2011, the New Mark Ward will attend church in the new Liberty Stake Center across from the Kansas City Temple.  Sacrament begins at 11:00 am until the end of the year.  The building will be shared with the Shoal Creek Valley and North Kansas City wards from the Liberty Stake and will be the only ward from the Platte City Stake attending the new building.  

This is such wonderful and blessed news for those who have had to travel up to a half hour each way to church in Platte City for many years. It's almost done!

Drop by Drop

Look what Valerie captured in this tiny, spectacular droplet of water last week.

Look closer. 

"Attendance at sacrament meetings adds oil to our lamps, drop by drop over the years.  Fasting, family prayer, home teaching, control of bodily appetites, preaching the gospel, studying the scriptures--each act of dedication and obedience is a drop added to our store.  Deeds of kindness, payment of offerings and tithes, chaste thoughts and actions, marriage in the covenant for eternity--these, too, contribute importantly to the oil with which we can at midnight refuel our exhausted lamps."

President Spencer W. Kimball, Faith Precedes the Miracle, 256

I'm grateful for the perspective of seeing temple attendance in a different way.  Each time we go, we are blessed and spiritually filled, drop by drop.  

Drops of obedience every day, prepares us to attend the temple.  

The time is quickly coming when the Kansas City Temple will be open.  Are we ready?  Let us fill our vessels by following the counsel of our prophets.