Several dignitaries and more than 400 members of the Church attended the 20th Anniversary Commemorative Service of the second oldest meetinghouse in San Francisco.

Dignitaries attending the Jan. 27 commemoration included Percy T. Eastham, consul general of Canada, and his wife, Peggy; Walter Konig, consul general of Germany, and his wife, Gisela; Michel Dejaegher, deputy consul general of France; and Delia de Trigo, consul general of Bolivia, and her husband, Juan, and members of their family. Mrs. de Trigo's oldest daughter, Martha Belasquez, who attended the services, is a member of the Oakgrove 2nd Ward, Walnut Creek California East Stake.Also attending was John B. Ritchie, honorary consul of Uruguay, who is a member of the Church.

Others present were Maj. Gen. Patrick Brady, deputy commanding general of the U.S. Sixth Army and the Presidio of San Francisco, and his wife, Nancy; and Brig. Gen. Leslie M. Burger, commanding general of the Letterman Army Medical Center at the Presidio, and his wife, Julie.

The guests were presented with copies of the Book of Mormon and "A Marvelous Work and a Wonder."

The meetinghouse, which serves the Bay Ward, Golden Gate Ward and the Mission Spanish Branch in the San Francisco California Stake, was dedicated on Jan. 24, 1971, by President Harold B. Lee, then first counselor in the First Presidency.

Stake Pres. Merrill F. Higham, who presided at the commemoration, said, "We appreciate our distinguished guests attending today and hope you've gained a better understanding of our Church."

Mr. Konig told the Church News, "I was delighted to participate in the special services for the 20th anniversary of the inauguration of this house of worship. I was impressed with the dignified service. I'm aware of the good work and faithful work which The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is doing. I had the pleasure to visit Salt Lake City and of being received by President Ezra Taft Benson during one of my previous visits to Salt Lake City. I'm also aware of the presence of the Mormon community in Germany."

Brother Ritchie, who joined the Church in 1971 in the Bay Ward, said, "Latter-day Saints arrived in San Francisco in 1846 and have lived through everything - the earthquakes, the fire - everything."

Bishop Dennis L. Calkins, one of five successive military members who served as bishop of the Bay Ward, noted that a third of the Bay Ward, and now also the Golden Gate Ward, is comprised of military families from the nearby Presidio and the Treasure Island naval base. Another third of the members are students - legal, dental and podiatry - while another third are long-time residents.