Oakland Temple Miracle Story, Granite Images

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The Oakland California Temple was announced 23 January 1961 and dedicated November 17-19 1964 by President David O. McKay. This beautiful temple has stood as a beacon to the community and a prophecy fulfilled. The Oakland California Temple has two 35-foot sculpted panels depicting the Savior Jesus Christ. On the north side of the temple the sculpture depicts Jesus teaching in the Holy Land and on the south side the it is of Jesus appearing to the Nephites. While building the Oakland Temple it was very difficult to know how to put these cement images into place and with the help of the Lord the architect Brother Glen Nielson was able to know the perfect way to get those giant cement images into place.

The images of the Savior Jesus Christ in both the Holy Land and the Americas were done by a granite company in the Northern California area. The beautiful artistic carvings are to look like the they are "growing out of the face of the building" being carved from the same granite as the rest of the exterior. The carvings are an integral part of the temple itself.

Safely, lifting the huge pieces of art, into place, posed a particularly difficult challenge.

The temple workers in charge of the granite artwork asked the granite company, if they had the equipment necessary for picking up the sculptures and setting them into place. The granite company unfortunately, did not have the equipment to pick up the granite slabs nor did they have any advice on how to do it. The brethren tried desperately to think of some way to accomplish the task, and began to worry on how it would get done.

The temple brethren, working on the problem finally came up with, what seemed to be, the best solution. They thought to drill "some kind of hole in the sculptured panels wherein a bolt could be inserted" with the intent of lifting the panels into place. The brethren spoke with the architect, explaining their plan, believing that would work best. The architect of the temple told the men to go back to the stone company and tell them the plan they had devised, and if the stone company agreed that this is the only way, they would do it.

Early Saturday morning one of the men, Brother Glen Nielsen, drove over to the granite company and spoke with the man who did the beautiful stone work, informing him of the plan. The artist told him that that he would not drill any holes, that there had to be another way. Brother Nielsen asked if the artist knew any other way, the artist said he did not know any other way, but was not going to drill holes.

Brother Nielsen asked the architect of the Oakland Temple to order the granite company to drill holes, but when the granite artwork was delivered to the temple, there were no holes drilled into the artwork.

Glen Nielsen, looking for direction, went to a friend for guidance on how he should move forward with the granite artwork. Glens friend said "Glen there is a way, now you go and pray about this and you will find a way."

Glen was a bit discouraged because he had been praying about it, along with the other men involved in the work, but agreed to try again. Glen said "Again, I went to my Father in Heaven with our problem and asked Him to please show us the way to pick up these large panels which weighed approximately twelve tons, without accident and if he would show us the way I would never use the method for financial gain." Even the slightest bump could break off the Saviors arms, requiring the whole figure to be sculpted again causing major delays.

The time was running out, the crane had been ordered and they needed to figure it out, quickly.

One Sunday, just before the panels needed to be set, Glens daughter was giving a talk in Primary and while Bro. Nielsen listened to his daughters talk he received this revelation, he recalled "I was sitting back by myself, and as I sat there I was shown the way we were to pick up the the panels. It was as clear to me as if I looked at someone face to face. I knew the exact number of bolts to use, their size, the metal to use and how it was to be constructed."

A working with Glen, named Stan Harvey, was waiting for him just outside remembered how Brother Nielsen came running out and exclaimed "Get a piece of paper and a pencil, I have just seen how to set these stones."

They used a unique clamp for lifting the sculptures which consisted of two heavy metal plates attacked to hoisting cables, one behind the sculpture and one in front; together they formed a cradle around the stone. Across the bottom of each plate was a row of a dozen quarter-inch holes through which stainless steel bolts held the two plates together. After the stone panel was in place, these bolts were unscrewed from the front and removed. The rear plate could then be lifted out from behind the stone before the space was filled with grout. The stainless steel nuts, which would not rust, could be safely left behind.

"The crane operators were the most careful technicians you could imagine. They did it with hand signals." The segments of the sculpture fit together so closely that the joints between them could not be seen.

Glen testified:

"The special gift from our Father in Heaven worked out just perfect. It picked up the panels and just put them in place just right. Everyone that was working on the temple at the time stopped working and came to watch as this miracle was performed. My good friend, Arthur Price, came up to help me and asked me how I thought us that most ingenious clamp. I told him of my prayer, and Brother Arthur looked me right in the eyes as if to say "Yes! It is His house and He will show the way." He reached out and patted me on the shoulder and went on his way. I will always love my Father in Heaven for what He has done for me. I know that He lives and that He will answer our prayers."

Elder Bednar speaking on Prayer said:

"The object of our prayers should not be to present a wish list or a series of requests but to secure for ourselves and for others blessings that God is eager to bestow, according to His will and timing. Every sincere prayer is heard and answered by our Heavenly Father, but the answers we receive may not be what we expect or come to us when we want or in the way we anticipate...

Prayer is a privilege and the soul’s sincere desire. We can move beyond routine and “checklist” prayers and engage in meaningful prayer as we appropriately ask in faith and act, as we patiently persevere through the trial of our faith, and as we humbly acknowledge and accept “not my will, but thine, be done.”

I witness the reality and divinity of our Eternal Father, of His Only Begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, and of the Holy Ghost. I testify that our Father hears and answers our prayers. May each of us strive with greater resolve to ask in faith and thereby make our prayers truly meaningful."

References:

"The Oakland Temple Portal to Eternity." by Richard O. Cowan and Robert G. Larsen p. 110-111

"Answers to Prayer" By Elder Brooks P. Hales