An amazing weekend.
As we enter the Lenten season, it is with great joy that I write this post.
I served my mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Spain, specifically the Spain Seville Mission. Wow, it hurts to write that, and to say "Seville" instead of Sevilla hurts my teeth for some reason. Why do I bring this up? Well, there are few countries so Catholic as Spain. As we knocked doors we would be told time after time, "Soy cátolica apostolica romana". They would then follow up by stating that they didn't believe everything their priest said. So what, right?
Last Saturday, March 10, Pope Francis held a private audience with President Russel M. Nelson of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (hence referred to as the Restored Church) President Nelson was in Rome for the dedication of the Rome Italy Temple which is done in a series of Dedicatory sessions that began yesterday, March 11.
Of course, this was a memorable event, Rome, the Eternal City, the home of the Vatican, and center of the Catholic Church has had a House of the Lord built in their midst. (House of the Lord is a term referring to the temple and is inscribed on every temple of the Restored Church) The Visitor's Center has a statue of the Christus (the original by Thorvaldsen, in Denmark) which is common in Visitor's Centers throughout the world. What isn't, is that along with the Christus are also Thorvaldsen's Twelve Apostles (also in that same church in Denmark) They are beautiful in pictures, and would love to see them up close. But that isn't why it was memorable.
Attending the Dedication, for a first outside of the United States, and only the third time every outside of the Church's headquarters, the entire First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles had gathered in Rome for the dedication. President Nelson dedicated the temple, including references to the fact that two of Christ's Apostles from the ancient church had been in Rome, and died there. Peter and Paul both ended up in prison in Rome.
The man who currently possesses Peter's keys today, President Nelson, walked where Peter walked, and ministered to all in that wonderful city. Which brings me to a kind of tying things together moment.
An apostle of the Lord in this dispensation, Elder LeGrand Richards wrote a wonderful book, "A Marvelous Work and a Wonder". For years this book was considered the go to book regarding missionary work. There was a passage in it, where he referred to a Catholic Priest's experience in Salt Lake City, at Temple Square. I am paraphrasing, but this is essentially what the Priest said.
"You mormons have no idea what you have. When it comes to true Christianity, there are only true choices, based on authority. One choice is the Catholic Church. We claim the keys of Peter handed down from Pope to Pope to this day. If that claim is legitimate, then all other Christian churches are apostate, for God's authority remains with the Pope. However, if the church had gone astray, which most protestant churches believe, then the question remains: Which of these churches carries on the authority of God, his priesthood? The truth is that if the Catholic church was apostate, then what was needed was not a reformation, but a restoration. None of the protestant churches make that claim, only the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints claims that the Priesthood, God's power given to man, was restored; to the prophet Joseph Smith in 1829."
Those same keys, delivered by the hands of the Resurrected Peter, James, and John, have been passed on by the Calling of God, to this day, currently held by Russell M. Nelson. It is a blessing to know that God's prophet walks the earth today, carrying the authority to administer the church and all ordinances required for the Salvation and Eternal Life of mankind.
Here are some articles regarding the dedication of the Rome Italy Temple.
https://www.thechurchnews.com/global/2019-01-14/learn-everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-statues-in-the-rome-italy-temple-visitors-center-48751
https://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/rome-temple-dedication
I served my mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Spain, specifically the Spain Seville Mission. Wow, it hurts to write that, and to say "Seville" instead of Sevilla hurts my teeth for some reason. Why do I bring this up? Well, there are few countries so Catholic as Spain. As we knocked doors we would be told time after time, "Soy cátolica apostolica romana". They would then follow up by stating that they didn't believe everything their priest said. So what, right?
Last Saturday, March 10, Pope Francis held a private audience with President Russel M. Nelson of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (hence referred to as the Restored Church) President Nelson was in Rome for the dedication of the Rome Italy Temple which is done in a series of Dedicatory sessions that began yesterday, March 11.
Of course, this was a memorable event, Rome, the Eternal City, the home of the Vatican, and center of the Catholic Church has had a House of the Lord built in their midst. (House of the Lord is a term referring to the temple and is inscribed on every temple of the Restored Church) The Visitor's Center has a statue of the Christus (the original by Thorvaldsen, in Denmark) which is common in Visitor's Centers throughout the world. What isn't, is that along with the Christus are also Thorvaldsen's Twelve Apostles (also in that same church in Denmark) They are beautiful in pictures, and would love to see them up close. But that isn't why it was memorable.
Attending the Dedication, for a first outside of the United States, and only the third time every outside of the Church's headquarters, the entire First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles had gathered in Rome for the dedication. President Nelson dedicated the temple, including references to the fact that two of Christ's Apostles from the ancient church had been in Rome, and died there. Peter and Paul both ended up in prison in Rome.
The man who currently possesses Peter's keys today, President Nelson, walked where Peter walked, and ministered to all in that wonderful city. Which brings me to a kind of tying things together moment.
An apostle of the Lord in this dispensation, Elder LeGrand Richards wrote a wonderful book, "A Marvelous Work and a Wonder". For years this book was considered the go to book regarding missionary work. There was a passage in it, where he referred to a Catholic Priest's experience in Salt Lake City, at Temple Square. I am paraphrasing, but this is essentially what the Priest said.
"You mormons have no idea what you have. When it comes to true Christianity, there are only true choices, based on authority. One choice is the Catholic Church. We claim the keys of Peter handed down from Pope to Pope to this day. If that claim is legitimate, then all other Christian churches are apostate, for God's authority remains with the Pope. However, if the church had gone astray, which most protestant churches believe, then the question remains: Which of these churches carries on the authority of God, his priesthood? The truth is that if the Catholic church was apostate, then what was needed was not a reformation, but a restoration. None of the protestant churches make that claim, only the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints claims that the Priesthood, God's power given to man, was restored; to the prophet Joseph Smith in 1829."
Those same keys, delivered by the hands of the Resurrected Peter, James, and John, have been passed on by the Calling of God, to this day, currently held by Russell M. Nelson. It is a blessing to know that God's prophet walks the earth today, carrying the authority to administer the church and all ordinances required for the Salvation and Eternal Life of mankind.
Here are some articles regarding the dedication of the Rome Italy Temple.
https://www.thechurchnews.com/global/2019-01-14/learn-everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-statues-in-the-rome-italy-temple-visitors-center-48751
https://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/rome-temple-dedication
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