Guest Blogger: Another Perspective

Guest Blogger:  Carol Popper (her first blog ever)

Disclaimer #1:   I am not a member of the Mormon Church, but I do manage to spend 95% of my holidays with some.  I have some very good friends that are Mormon.

Disclaimer #2:   My daughter, Valerie (a member of the church) takes most of the photos on this blog and we are very proud of her.

"Today, I got to take a private tour of the Kansas City Temple. 

It was not my first time to a “pre-dedicated” temple (the Anchorage Alaska one was my first) so I sort of knew what to expect.   I knew there would be very nice, elegant and beautiful rooms.   I am not sure what all the rooms were named or even what purpose they have but that was not important to me.

I will tell you that even among the cords, ladders, boxes (full and empty) it was very…. shall I say peaceful?  

It is a very comforting building. 

  

The floors, walls and furnishings are very nice.   Calm, muted shades of cream, greens and beige are everywhere.  

As you come into a room you notice lots of nice things but then your eyes are drawn upward, to the bright beautiful ceilings.  It is almost as if you are looking toward Heaven (hmmm could be a theme?)   The ceilings are white, with lots of delicate gold trim and in the corners of most rooms (Sealing, Brides room, Celestial) very intricate designs.  Needless to say the chandeliers are gorgeous, very bright and shiny with lots of crystals.   

I noticed the cream colored rugs have cut areas that match the intricate designs of the ceiling.  It is very cool.   As I entered the Celestial Room, the archway above the huge doors is all glass and it also matches the rug and ceiling design. Very, very cool.

I was told that the wood for the pulpit in the Chapel is from the “field with the really long name that I can’t say or spell” (I am sorry to my Mormon friends I have never been able to say it… I can drive to it but I can’t say it!)  [Adam Ondi Ahman].

The mural in the Ordinance Room is so much like the landscape here in Missouri with green rolling hills.

The attention to detail is so wonderful from the small lamps in the Bride Room to the curtains behind the Ordinance Room to the carpet details.   If you stand on the landing of the carpeted stairs look at the vines on the stair treads…. they match exactly.  It is like one long vine.

I think my favorite (or maybe second favorite part – next to the ceilings) are the floral arrangements.  I must say that the people that did them are awesome.  The flowers are not real but… they are very life-like.  They are set in clear vases with the acrylic water. I notice that some of the flower ends that would be in the water actually look like the real thing like  roots, vines,  with them in slightly colored water like they are really rooted.  I caught myself wanting to smell them.  They bring a very nice bright spot of color and comfort to a classy space.

I did tell my daughter tonight that I feel all Mormons should be very proud of this temple.   It is truly a beautiful place.   Even though I will probably never enter it after the dedication, I can see why it means so much to all of you.  The grounds are nice and I can see a walk there in the summer just to enjoy the quiet peacefulness that seems to live there.

Good job to all that were involved.  It was worth the wait."

Carol Popper was able to take a tour through the temple last month.  I loved reading about her experience.  If you would like to share yours, let us know.

Article in the KC Star

http://www.kansascity.com/2012/04/05/3539252/137th-mormon-temple-awaits-75000.html#.T38JbOjCMdo.facebook

Or go here to read it.

A Peek Inside

http://broadcast2.lds.org/newsroom/2012-04-0020-kansas-city-missouri-temple-press-media-10mbps-eng.mov

The Church has officially posted images and a video slide show of pictures of the inside of the Temple.
Go here to read the article, see photos and view the slide show.
Enjoy!

Fit for the Open House

Only a few days left before the doors of the Kansas City Temple open to the public.

Have you made your reservation?

Have you invited your friends and neighbors?

Have you prepared yourself spiritually, to receive inspiration regarding people you can share the message of eternal families with?

While Temple Chasers have been preparing to attend the Kansas City Temple, hard work has been going on inside and out to prepare for you!

I can't help but think of those early pioneer-members of the Church and how excited they must be as well.

A  Temple fit for an Open House.  A Temple fit to be the House of the Lord.  Are we fit to receive the blessings of the temple?  

We would love to hear about your experiences at the Kansas City Temple Open House.

Have joy.  This is a blessed time to be a Chaser.

Build a Temple

"I build a Temple Mama!"

Need a fun activity for your next Family Home Evening?
Build Temples.
Prepare your children for the Temple Open House by having them build temples out of blocks.

This little Temple Chaser showed us the way....

A Big Day, Moroni

The following letter, addressed to Moroni from Valerie Anderson, was written about her experience at the temple yesterday.  She and her husband were there with others, being trained as tour guides for the open house.  The photos are her first pictures taken behind the fence.  What a memorable, special day! Enjoy.

Dear Brother Angel Moroni:

Happy 1^st Anniversary! 

Your first year in Kansas City has passed.  So, what do you think?

When our family moved to KC, on the day we arrived the first place we ate together here was at the Taco Bell on Barry and North Oak (yep, we were living large that day!).  Each year, around the first week of October, we always try to get a little Taco Bell from that same location.  There is something about the celebration of our first activity together as family here in our new home.  And there is something grounding about tradition.

You have witnessed so many neat things in the last year.  While it is true that much of the exterior work was complete when you were placed, there was a strange sort of ….ok, Moroni is in place…what is left?  Naïve on the part of us who have never worked a single day in construction or seen a temple built before.  I am kidding when I say that I hoped they would fling open the gate the next day and say, well, you are here…come on in…but in some seriousness I sort of hoped it would happen. 

Since Cheryl is so good at journaling, the entirety of the whole building process has been recorded and preserved.  Check out the blog if you want to read about it:

www.kcldstemple.blogspot.com

I am bumping into a lot of members of the church in some of the work I am doing, and I have only met one in the last several weeks that has not heard of the Temple Chasers blog.  Many folks keep up with you and the goings-on at the temple through it…which is a really nice thought that we have been able to work together to help so many people feel connected to the construction process and details of the temple.  I can tell it helps them feel closer to the temple that they may not get to see often in person or maybe have never seen.

So, on to the good news.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yesterday, you must have thought it was a sight to see probably close to 2,000 folks come to the meetinghouse across the street and then actually come through the temple for a tour!  The last time I remember that many folks gather there was last year, with the first Temple Run (which by the way, they are doing again on May 19^th). 

My husband, Mr. Fun and I were in that throng yesterday.  We were some of the folks selected to be Tour Guides/Hosts for the Open House.  There were generally a few couples from each unit, in each of the 12 stakes (I think) who were selected to participate.  We met together for some training on how to best do our assignments.  It was interesting and I took a few notes.

Some numbers:

The Temple President will officially receive the keys to the building on April 3^rd.

There are 100,000 saints in Kansas and Missouri

There are 25,000 saints in the Kansas City Metro area

The temple is being built in part as a “memorial to the early Saints.” (love this thought)
Tour groups will have 25-30 people.

The tour should last about 40 minutes.  There will be a short (about 12 minutes) introductory film about temples and then the tour through the building.

They said they are expecting 80,000-90,000 folks so far.

There are registrants from 43 states and 4 countries who have reserved tour tickets.

There will be about 400+ members volunteering each day.

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Other notes:
We were able to listen to some counsel from Elder Deschler, who is supervising the event.  He talked about how everyone who comes to visit is our guest and that the purpose of the open house is not to preach or proselytize, but to help people grow understanding and knowledge of what we believe and help them feel the Spirit.  One thing he said that I really liked is that we hope that when people leave the Open House, regardless of who they are, that perhaps they will ask themselves “Lord, what will thou have me do?”

A representative from the church’s Public Affairs department gave the sequence and break down and mechanics of how a tour will work.  Each tour guide was given a card with informational outline that we are to know so we can share the information in our own personal words and manner.  Instead of people moving from room to room and have a guide waiting there, we will be with our group from start to finish.

A representative from the Temple Department reminded us that we are to be the kind, gracious people that we would be if we were having guests in our home.  The mechanics of moving several thousand people a day through some pretty tight quarters will require no less than acute attention to time management, concise sharing of the information, and steadiness on our part.

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You may or may not know about the current hit movie called “Hunger Games.”  While I have not read it, or have any interest in it, I do not want anyone to tell me the story line or what happens.  If I go to see it, I want to have my own full, personal experience.

We were in the last tour yesterday of the first training session, second to the last couple from the end.  We took some pictures outside (which is allowed…none inside…even no sneaky camera phones please).  We smiled.  We toured.  We visually tried to soak it all in.  We were edified.  

Just like the movie, I do not want to share all the details with everyone here.  It was a treat, hopefully that most people reading this blog will get to experience for themselves.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I do have a personal note regarding what it felt like to finally go through that chain link fence and gate I have photographing around for almost two years.

It was certainly a moment.  It reminded of me when I climbed to the top of the Great Wall of China.

While on the temple grounds, I did not feel it appropriate to do the Rocky Balboa victory jumping like I did in China, I did have to do a little “woo hoo” which Mr. Fun recorded on the camera.

 (pictures of rocks from original construction site)

It was like finishing a great, long amazing race.  Of course, there is still so much to do.  There is still many photos to be taken, but it sure will be nice to not have to climb on the bed of the truck or the roof of the car (in heat, in snow, in cold, in rain etc) to do it….:)

There is no better way that I could have thought to spend your anniversary with you, Brother Moroni.

Love

Sister Val

On My Way

I will soon be on my way to Kansas City for the Temple Open House.

I can hardly believe it's almost time.

For several years now, Kansas City has been chasing the temple.

Are you ready?  Here's a great article by Elder Nelson to help.

Have you invited your friends to attend the Open House?

Can you believe this is what the Temple lot looked like two years ago?

A year ago?

Monday will be the anniversary of Moroni being placed on the temple.

I Love to See The Temple....I'm going there some day....in the very near future!

Kansas City Temple Open House video

A sample of KC from Val

Dear Temple Chasing Friends:

I enjoy hosting company and with the long-awaited Kansas City Temple dedication less than a month away, it is time to get to work.  A joyous work that we are so happy to be enlisted in doing!

One thing I do before my company arrives is we talk about what they are interested in doing and seeing while they are here.  As I have taken many “field trips” throughout the city, it might not surprise you that my camera has made those trips too.  It has helped me to see what the city really has to offer.

I was recently asked to compile some of those field trip photographs for a Rotary International project.  It is always nice to have variety, so I asked fellow field trip buddies, Dave and Carol Tallant of Dave’s Hot Rod and Auto Body Shop to pick some of their favorite photos they have taken to add to the project.  It was fun selecting which should be considered and reminiscing about our fun times together over the last several years.

Many of you reading this will be making special efforts to come see the temple for the Open House and/or Dedication.  So, as our guests, I wanted to share with you what neat things you might get to see while you are here. 

Kansas City sometimes gets some flack for not being high on the “destination location” list.  I beg to differ.  We have what is considered one of the newest and finest performing arts centers in the world.  We have a long pioneer history.  We are the home of American Idol winner David Cook.  We have world championship BBQ.  We have the World War 1 Museum.  And we have a temple!

Enjoy, and we look forward to seeing you!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRwMg6Qjhhs&feature=colike

Yours,

Valerie

The Temple Chaser Photographer

Ready, Set...Chase!

Open House tickets are flying.  Get yours here.

It's hard to believe that the temple looked like THIS, THIS, THIS and THIS, exactly a year ago.

The Anniversary of Moroni's arrival and placement are also coming.  You can witness them here, here, here, here, and here.   

Happy Chasing.