Numerous lives have been changed and hearts touched as more than half a million people have toured the new Mount Timpanogos Utah Temple, according to stake leaders in the temple district who have been in charge of the open house.

Plenty of tickets - free of charge - are still available for the tours, which began Aug. 6 and extend through Sept. 21. (Please see accompanying article on this page.)Pres. Stephen M. Studdert of the Highland Utah East Stake is vice chairman of the temple committee. Assisting as open house coordinator is R. Sherman Robinson, recently released as president of the American Fork Utah North Stake; and as temple dedication coordinator, Pres. Gary J. Worthington of the Lindon Utah Stake.

"Our focus has been on the individual, that every single one who visits the temple will have a sweet and spiritual experience," Pres. Studdert said. From the beginning, President Gordon B. Hinckley's charge to the committee has been to emphasize the ordinances and covenants of the temple rather than the architecture of the building, he added.

The result has been "a profound outpouring of the Spirit, not unlike what was experienced at Kirtland," Pres. Studdert said.

"Or on the Day of Pentecost," Pres. Robinson added.

On Sept. 10, the three took time out from planning recommendations that will be submitted to the First Presidency for the upcoming temple dedication to share a plethora of spiritual experiences. With tender emotion they told experiences involving some who have toured the temple and others who have helped in hosting and other capacities. Here are some of their accounts.

Pres. Worthington told of Merilee Holdaway of the Lindon stake, a vivacious BYU student, a talented dancer and very athletic. Though only 21, she had suffered seemingly unbearable hardship through her life. Her father passed away when she was 2 weeks old, and when she was 13, her mother died in childbirth. While a student at BYU, she was diagnosed as having inoperable brain cancer. Her student-ward bishop and his family took her in to care for her.

The stake president said she had been bed-ridden for months when arrangements were made to bring her in a reclining wheelchair on a special tour of the temple. "She absolutely loved the experience. She went home and never got out of bed again. She passed away about three weeks after that."

"I watched," Pres. Studdert said, "as Pres. Worthington, after he took her through, gave her a blessing in the temple. In the House of the Lord, she found a peacefulness that was not with her when she entered. Through that tour, she seemed to find the meaning of eternity."

"And that stayed with her until she passed away," Pres. Worthington said. "There were a lot more smiles, a lot more pleasantness and a lot more comfort."

One evening Pres. Robinson noticed a young couple with two small children and an infant come to the temple. Guessing they were not members of the Church, he slipped into the line behind them. As they were in the foyer, the baby was the focus of their attention, and the other two children became restless.

"You could see they were very uncomfortable with this situation, when, out of nowhere, one of those sisters who knows how to do things, a volunteer host, came and began to care for the baby. Immediately the baby calmed down. All of a sudden the tension they were feeling dissipated and this lady walked them through the temple."

In a conversation with Pres. Robinson outside, the husband compared the temple tour with life. He observed that when they came to certain points, instruction was given to them, then they were led to the next point where they received further instruction.

"He said, `My life's been like that. I have had learning opportunities, and in between, there have been people to help me.' He said if you do it right, if you learn and let people help you, you finally end up in the presence of Heavenly Father.' "

The man promised to fill out a referral card for missionaries to visit him and his family at their home in Ohio.

Pres. Studdert told of Willard R. Devitt, 76, of the American Fork 4th Ward, American Fork Utah Central Stake, one of the volunteer hosts. "On Tuesday, his wife of 56 years took sick and passed away. On Friday the funeral was held. Early Saturday, he was back in the temple at his assignment. I went up to him, expressed my condolences on the passing of his wife, Beth, and thanked him for being there. He said, `It's where I'm supposed to be. This is where Beth would want me to be. This is what my duty is.' "

Across the street to the west of the temple is the Utah State Developmental Center, a residential-care facility for the developmentally disabled. Residents there were among the first guests to be taken through the temple, and family members were invited to be with them.

Pres. Studdert said a man in his 60s, who has resided at the center since age 8, whose speech was unintelligible, was brought to the temple open house by his brother and sister-in-law. As they entered, he became agitated, and it began to seem the visit was a bad idea.

"On the wall behind the recommend desk is a large painting of the Savior, and cradled lovingly in His arms is a lamb, signifying the lost sheep. And this brother in the wheelchair, as he approached that painting said in a voice that was completely clear, `Stop!' And he looked at the picture of the Savior and said in an equally clear way, `Jesus.' He folded his arms in the same way the Savior had His arms folded in the painting and then was completely calm, silent and at peace as he went through the temple."

Pres. Ronald Kurt Hawkins of the Orem Utah Sunset Heights Stake escorted an 86-year-old man, physically weak with terminal cancer, through the temple. In the celestial room, he stood up from the wheelchair and gazed for about 10 minutes at the infinite images in the opposing mirrors.

"Then, with tears on his cheeks, he turned to Pres. Hawkins and said, `All is well; I'm ready to go now,' Pres. Studdert related. "He wasn't suggesting, `I'm ready to go home from the temple.' He was saying, `I'm ready to go all the way home.' He had complete peace."

Part of the temple open house experience has been any one of the 800 Primary children's choruses from the temple district that at scheduled times sing Primary songs as patrons enter the temple. The children assemble at a Church meetinghouse across the street, and it is the duty of some of the volunteers to escort them to the temple.

A man who had been less-active through much of his life but had recently had his wife and children sealed to him commented to Pres Studdert, "I had the sweetest experience of my life yesterday, except for the day I was sealed to my family." He then told Pres. Studdert, "I spent the day leading the children of Zion to the House of the Lord. I never set foot in the temple, and I have never had a more spiritual experience."

Pres. Robinson told of a man in his 60s who was disgruntled because of the assignment he was given at the temple. Rather than a supervisory duty, he was assigned to escort a disabled woman in a wheelchair. In the celestial room, she put her hand on his, a signal that she wished to linger. Kneeling in front of her, he noticed tears on her face.

"I guess it kind of cleaned him up inside," Pres. Robinson said. "When he came back down, he asked the supervisor if he could have the same duty the rest of the night. He expressed how his heart had been changed, that he realized through his life he had been way too pushy, and he wanted to go home and get his family together and say, `I'm sorry.' "