On the Mark: (Finally) Turning Some Sacred Dirt

June 6, 2006 - what a day! Lori and I had the chance to grab a couple of golden shovels and turn some dirt at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Missoula Montana Temple. That didn't happen as part of the official program. Instead, for us, it happened afterwards with lots of other folks who lined up to give it a go, but that didn't matter. However, it was great fun to help set the table for the day, thanks to our responsibilities serving on the Missoula Montana Temple Groundbreaking Committee.

Lori and I headed up the historical subcommittee with duties of capturing the day in words and photos. To help make that happen, we asked a fellow church member from the Stevensville Stake and another from the Kalispell Stake, both accomplished photographers, to help out. I was also asked to help the communications committee by working with media and community members to compile lists and invite them to attend.

Groundbreaking festivities took place on an overcast morning on the southern edge of Missoula, not far from the Bitterroot River. More than 500 people, church members and invited community members alike, attended. We did have a few raindrops about 20 minutes before the program but that held off during the day.

Elder Jose A. Teixeira

Elder Jose A. Teixeira, president of the Central Area and member of the First Quorum of the Seventy, presided. Lori and I had the chance to meet him the previous afternoon during a casual gathering at the temple site he scheduled so he could meet and thank all of us.

Adam Smith, former Ronan Stake president and friend whom I served with nine years prior to his release in February, gave the opening prayer. Craig Bell, who was called as the Ronan Stake's first-ever executive secretary whom I also served with, spoke as did a young girl from the Missoula Stake as well as Elder Teixeira.

"Today is the day of gratitude, a day of anticipation. We are thankful for your presence. We are thankful for your support that made it possible this day," said Elder Teixeira. "I can't help to put a smile this morning because of this lovely setting. We're here in this valley surrounded by these beautiful mountains and in this beautiful valley. We are gathering together to see the beginning of the construction of one more temple of the Lord. While the temple is not yet built, it has an influence on us and all of those that will watch the construction and subsequently the open house and its dedication. We can have that influence in the temple in our lives right now."

After Elder Teixeira's dedicatory prayer, selected church and community members joined him and his wife for three rotations to turn soil. It was after that that the broadcast ended. At that point, anyone who wanted to turn soil could do so. And when the broadcast ended is when Lori and I really got to work, getting photos taken and compiling reaction from attendees for the historical report we had one month to compile and send to church headquarters in Salt Lake City.

All in all, it was such a great day to turn some sacred soil, which raised the green flag for construction to finally begin on the Missoula Montana Temple - our temple! And it happened four years, two months and three days after it was announced by President Russell M. Nelson. #bringit