The Lima Peru LDS Temple Mission: Transition Day at the MTC

Favorite recent and insightful quote I have read recently:

Favorite quote I have recently read: "The word temple comes from the Latin templum, which signifies an extended open space that has been marked out for the observation of the sky. In what manner is such a space marked out? According to Dr. Hugh Nibley, the word templum, "designates a building specifically designed for interpreting signs in the heavens--a sort of observatory where one gets one's bearings on the universe." The root "tem-" in Greek and Latin denotes a "cutting" or intersection of two lines at right angles, the point where the "cardo" and "decumanus" cross, hence where the four regions come together." Matthew Brown - "The Gate of Heaven"

Monday, September 27, 2010

Transition Day at the MTC

We are happy to be transitioned to the temple portion of our training for our last four days here. We are being instructed by a number of people but are especially enjoying the tutelage of Elder and Sister Rex D. Pinegar. He was a Seventy in the First Quorum for 29 years and then President of the Mount Timpanogas Temple. For the last 3-1/2 years he has been here instructing and training the senior missionaries going off to one of the many temples around the world. This is their last week. They are to be replaced with Elder and Sister Melvin Hammond formerly of the Washington DC Temple and an emeritus Seventy.

We also picked up our new name tags en Espanol so we feel we have made a great transition today. I am certain and several of the young elders here have confirmed my suspicions that Espanol is the predominant language at the MTC, no hay duda! We are happy to identify with our friends, elders, brothers and sisters here.

RA is in front and facing the Provo Temple. The flowers and gardens are beautiful. Watching a DVD of a talk by Hugh Nibley in our apartment on Saturday he said that early on in the construction of this temple he wrote a letter to the Brethren making it clear the architect had ignored an important aspect of temple design. The major axis of the Provo Temple does not correspond with the cardinal points of the compass like the other temples do and dating back to antiquity. Apparently, the architect rotated it some to "better" position it on the hill. Brother Nibley did get over it and several other points he shared with the Brethren. He has written in multiple places the Provo Temple was his favorite in all of the Church. We learned they are open here during the week at times until midnight accommodating the numbers of patrons needing to attend.

Estamos muy feliz! (We are very happy!)