A weekend of "renewal" - full of tears, smiles and hugs - was topped off by the gentle memories of President Thomas S. Monson, who spoke at the 50th anniversary of the dedication of the Church's first meetinghouse in Eastern Canada.

President Monson, second counselor in the First Presidency, spent the weekend here, where he and his wife, Sister Frances Monson, renewed friendships made years ago. As president of the Canadian Mission from 1959 to 1962, President Monson and his family attended Church meetings at the Ossington (named for the street on which it stands) meetinghouse."Thousands of investigators and newly baptized members of the Church regard the Ossington meetinghouse with a spirit of reverence," said President Monson. "Here they were introduced to the truth, here they were baptized, and here they accepted their first responsibilities as members of the Church."

More than 300 people attended a Saturday evening homecoming dinner, including almost 100 "pioneer members" of the branch that first met in the Ossington meetinghouse, said Bernie Nellis, first counselor in the Toronto 1st Ward and one of the organizers of the anniversary event. "We had 93 people come who actually attended meetings here when the building was dedicated in 1939."

Included in those numbers were Luana Mednick, the first bride married in the building, and her brother and sister. Their father was one of the workers who built the Ossington meetinghouse.

"As we walked through the door, there were many, many memories that came rushing into my mind," said Sister Mednick, who traveled from Murray, Utah, for the building's golden jubilee.

William G. Mark came from Seattle for the celebration. "It's exciting and great to see people that I grew up with," commented Mark, who is first counselor in the Seattle Temple presidency. He left Canada in 1956. He said while it is thrilling to return and see old friends, "it is even more thrilling to see that they are still active in the Church."

Members who attended Church in the Ossington meetinghouse have seen many changes through the years. The structure, which was built in 1938 and dedicated in 1939 by President Heber J. Grant, has been renovated and remodeled, with classrooms and a cultural hall being added. The building, which currently houses the Toronto 1st and 6th wards, is symbolic of Church growth that has occurred in Eastern Canada.

Toronto's association with the Church goes back to the roots of the Church and the pre-incorporated city. During the winter of 1829-1830, before the Church was formally organized, early believers traveled to Toronto in search of funds to finance the printing of the Book of Mormon.

Six years later, the first missionary to preach in the Toronto area arrived. Parley P. Pratt came in response to a blessing he had received and, while only spending a few months, was instrumental in baptizing numerous people, including John Taylor, who would become the third president of the Church, and Mary Fielding. She later married Joseph Smith's brother, Hyrum, and from that union came a son, Joseph F. Smith, and a grandson, Joseph Fielding Smith, both of whom served as presidents of the Church.

Many people were converted during those early days, but most left Ontario to gather with the saints in Ohio, Missouri, and, ultimately, Utah. As a result, by 1913, there were only about 25 members in the Toronto area. However, the Canadian Mission was reopened for missionary work in 1919, and Church membership began to grow.

That growth has continued in the past several decades. Today, in the area originally covered by the Canadian Mission, there are 88 buildings with 119 units and 35,250 members. In addition, a temple is under construction. President Monson visited the temple site during his weekend stay.

"The temple will be a great blessing to all of the saints in the eastern United States and Eastern Canada," he said. "It has been long awaited and the members have prepared to utilize it fully.

"Imagine, 50 years ago, there was just one LDS Church building in Eastern Canada and today there is a temple progressing toward completion."

President Monson's remarks were, according to Nellis, "the highlight of a fantastic weekend. There were a lot of tears shed, a lot of love shared, an abundance of the Spirit here," he said. "It was just a joyous time."