Today's Favorite Verse: Joshua 18:8

Today's Favorite Verse: Joshua 18:8

"And the men arose, and went away: and Joshua charged them that went to describe the land, saying, Go and walk through the land, and describe it, and come again to me, that I may here cast lots for you before the LORD in Shiloh."

This made me think about temple sites and how they are selected. How men are assigned first to look over the land and bring a report to the prophet on the best sites available. Then a member of the First Presidency will come and visit these sites. Afterwards they will prayerfully choose a precise spot on which to build. There are times that none of the locations are right and then a way opens up for just the right location. I love reading the stories of how our temple locations are selected. The story of the Hong Kong temple with President Gordon B. Hinckley has to be my favorite.

"The group was exhausted from the rigorous day of prayerfully reviewing the various properties. President Hinckley retired to his hotel room and requested that Elders Brough and Carmack come back the next morning to further discuss the matter. It was apparent that the Area Presidency had yet to find a solution President Hinckley could accept.

("How the Hong Kong Temple Came to Be", December 2006 Ensign)

[President Hinckley] referring to his experience.... "He went to bed...feeling unsettled about the decision he needed to make. Then the whisperings of the Spirit woke him up early the next morning.

Something very interesting came to my mind, he recorded in his journal. I did not hear a voice with my natural ears. But into my mind there came the voice of the Spirit. It said, Why are you worried about this? You have a wonderful piece of property where the mission home and the small chapel stand. They are in the very heart of Kowloon, in the location with the best transportation... Build a building of [several] stories. It can include a chapel and classrooms on the first two floors and a temple on the top two or three floors. Having received that revelation, President Hinckley said, I relaxed and went back to sleep."

("Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Gordon B. Hinckley", chapter 7, "The Whisperings of the Spirit")

Day 2364