Kyiv Ukraine Temple: Expressing love for a prophet
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KYIV, UKRAINE
The love members in the Kyiv Ukraine Temple district feel for President Thomas S. Monson is, quite literally, beyond description. Even if there were no language barriers, many would have no difficulty expressing their feelings for President Monson’s legendary role in bringing the first temple to Eastern Europe in the vast area once under Soviet control.
It is little wonder that when he came to attend a cultural program on Saturday evening, Aug. 28, and to dedicate the Kyiv Ukraine Temple on Aug. 29, his presence evoked an outpouring of love and admiration.
Several times during his visit, President Monson expressed his love for the people of this vast temple district, which includes eight nations: Armenia, Belarus, Bulgaria, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Romania, Russia and Ukraine.
As often as possible, he paused to shake hands with members young, old and in between and engage them in as much conversation as language barriers allowed. In reality, a common language wasn’t necessary since this man is known for his compassionate and caring nature and communicated his love for the members through his smile, the warmth in his eyes and his good-natured humor.
During a brief ceremony to seal the Kyiv temple’s symbolic cornerstone Sunday morning, he spoke of his interest as a young boy in geography. He said that he saw maps and read about places such as Ukraine and other countries and wondered if he would ever travel to them. He then commented that he assigned himself to dedicate the Kyiv temple, so he could come here. He barely mentioned his extensive travels to other parts of Eastern Europe.
President Monson’s history in this part of the world began in 1968, five years after he was called to the Quorum of the Twelve, when he was assigned to oversee the work in countries in Eastern Europe behind the figurative Iron Curtain and the literal Berlin Wall.
He has made numerous visits to this once closed-off section of the world, ministering to members, and offering words of counsel, comfort and confidence. He buoyed spirits in congregations and provided one-on-one service to members, “lifting hands that hang down” and “strengthening feeble knees.” For many Latter-day Saints, especially those in East Germany, Elder Monson was the face of the Church, their tie to headquarters in Salt Lake City. His was the apostle’s voice that conveyed continuing revelation, bringing hope to Latter-day Saints in a desperate situation under communism’s yoke.
On a hillside overlooking Dresden he offered a prayer of dedication on the German Democratic Republic (DDR) on April 27, 1975.
Twenty years later, on Aug. 26, 1995, President Monson, then first counselor in the First Presidency, returned to that hillside with a small group of people, including his wife, Sister Frances J. Monson, and Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf, then of the Seventy and now President Monson’s second counselor in the First Presidency, and his wife, Sister Harriet Uchtdorf.
During the 1995 return to the hill, President Monson spoke about the occasion when he offered the prayer upon the DDR in 1975: “It was a cold, rainy day. I felt impressed that I should offer a dedicatory prayer, realizing that as the DDR had become a new nation with the division of Germany at the end of World War II it had never been formally dedicated. As I said the words, `May this be the dawning of a new day for the Church in this land,' we heard a rooster crow in the valley below. A church bell began to chime. Then I felt warmth on my hands and face. After I finished the prayer, I opened my eyes and saw that the clouds had parted and a ray of sunshine was streaming down on the spot where we were standing. Before we could return to our automobile, the clouds had gathered and it began to rain again” (Church News, Sept. 2, 1995, p.5).
Over the years President Monson has continued to work in behalf of the Church throughout the world, including “Iron Curtain countries.” He had a key role in gaining permission from the DDR government for the Church to build the Freiberg Germany Temple. He broke ground and dedicated the temple site on April 23, 1983. President Gordon B. Hinckley dedicated the temple on June 29, 1985.
Church leaders from headquarters and Eastern Europe, as well as many members in the area recognize the pivotal role the Freiberg temple has had in the progress of the Church here and upon individual lives and their testimonies. Ever since the first group of Latter-day Saints traveled from Kyiv to the Freiberg temple in November of 1992, the Freiberg temple has been “their temple.” (Please see Church News, Aug. 28, 2010.)
Latter-day Saints in other Eastern European nations also laid claim to the Freiberg temple as they began making visits.
In 1994, Gottfried Richeter, who was first counselor in the Freiberg temple presidency, told the Church News:
“The Freiberg Germany Temple, once planned and built for the members of the German Democratic Republic, experienced a substantial extension of its district after the collapse of the communist government in the eastern countries of Europe (1989-92).
“Now the visits of Czech, Polish and Hungarian members are not uncommon. They even bring their own temple workers along. Most of those visitors, however, are comparatively new converts to the Church. In their homelands, the materialistic doctrine was the doctrine of their government, and the whole educational system accordingly was atheistically defined. The desire of the people of the eastern countries was for freedom, truth and justice, and their longing for something better, more noble and more beautiful was great.
“As members from many parts of the eastern countries have a long trip connected with personal sacrifices, the trip for the members of Ukraine is by far longer and more strenuous, not to mention the material sacrifices. The first groups from Ukraine always arrived by bus, which was filled to capacity — a real 'old timer.' They had to pass two border checkpoints, and, at one time, their wait lasted eight hours.
“In terms of social status, they have the lowest of all the countries mentioned. With an average monthly income of $12, they have to somehow exist and do without all the things the people in the West take for granted.
“Life had been very hard to them. But their great faith, their humility, their love and willingness to learn touched the temple workers deeply. They never complained about their situation, nor felt sorry for themselves.
“For their young people, baptisms for the dead were arranged. When we saw a group of young women (about 15 years old) coming toward the temple on the morning of their arrival, we opened the door for them. But we watched them standing on the first step, close together as a group, with their heads bowed in solemn prayer. This was their attitude before they entered the temple for the first time in their young lives.
“When the hour of departure was near, the members turned around again and again to hug and thank the temple workers. Some of them stood crying at the outside wall, with their heads leaning against it and their arms stretched out wide, as if to embrace the temple and hold it tight” (Church News, Sept. 24, 1994, p. 7).
Members who gathered in Kyiv, Ukraine, for the dedication of the Kyiv Ukraine Temple recognized President Thomas S. Monson not only as President of the Church, the prophet of their day, but also as their friend. From the expressions on their faces it was obvious that they love him for the work he has done in their behalf, and are grateful that he came to dedicate “their own” temple.
