Faith that defies reason
In the book ”The Blueprint of Christs Church” by Tad R. Callister he speaks of how true faith combines belief and action. “True faith combines belief and action in an inseparable partnership that invites Gods power into our lives.”
This principle was evident in the building of the Detroit Michigan Temple. The typical Michigan Winter is very cold, and that can cause many problems when building buildings. The Michigan Temple was no exception to the rules and the members were worried about getting the temple done in a timely manner because of these harsh Michigan winters.
The groundbreaking ceremony for the Michigan Temple took place in October of 1998, and the temple was dedicated in October of 1999. Getting the Michigan Temple done in the timeframe that was planned was very important to the saints in that area, and the weather was a great concern for all involved.
Michigan Member Prayers
The Michigan members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints prayed that the weather would be moderated and it would allow the work to continue on. The temple construction workers began pouring concrete for the temple foundation in January and continued to do so in all the months following. They needed to cover and heat the poured concrete to allow the concrete to cure properly. One of the temple construction missionaries, Elder Brown said ”As cold as it was, I do not think that we ever had weather severe enough to interrupt construction.”
How amazing is that?! The Lord answered the prayers of the Saints and helped the building materials work all according to plan! When the Saints come together with the faith the Lord answered their prayer and the temple was completed in time.
Windy Days for Michigan Temple Walls
Another miracle of the Detroit Michigan Temple came when it was time to put the walls of the temple up. The walls were assembled flat on the ground and then hoisted by a crane into position. When it came time to hoist the walls of the temple up into place the wind was blowing and there were fears that the wind would effect the construction. The same temple missionary described what happened: “The day the crane arrived, the area was experiencing thirty-mile-an-hour winds. But the building site, it was never too windy to set the walls. Can you imagine a forty-foot wall, twenty feet high, in a thirty-mile-an-hour wind? On the site it was not that windy, and we set all the walls in one day.”
The Lord will help His work to progress. There are simple miracles all around us but there needs to be a desire to see these miracles. Many people could look at both of these weather instances and simply see good luck, or good timing. It is a choice to see Gods hand.
Michigan Temple Miracles
The faith and the prayers of the members of the Michigan area were answered when the Detroit Michigan Temple was completed in the timeframe for which was hoped and planned. “Faith inspires believers into action.”
When building these beautiful temples, it does not always go smoothly or without problems but sometimes the Lords hand can be seen clearly. The best thing is believing seeing Gods hand in the things that go right! The Lord truly is in charge and He will help His buildings get done in the time frame that is perfect for His work.
When seeing the miracles of the Lord it is important to recognize them and share, because if we are looking for miracles we will see them!
References:
pg 102 of ”Holy places” by chad Hawkins, and page 128 ”Temples of the new Millennium”
”The Blueprint of Christs Church” by Tad R. Callister