EDITORIAL: Temple will be blessing to community

For local members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and there are many, news that a temple will be built in the Coeur d’Alene area was welcomed with great joy.   

Former Hayden Mayor Steve Griffitts, a church member, said he and his wife, Marilyn, were traveling when they received a barrage of texts from family members — all at the same time.

“They were so excited but we didn’t know what happened to make them feel that way,” he said. Steve and Marilyn texted back, asking what was going on. “When they told us that (church) President (Russell M.) Nelson had announced that a temple would be built in Coeur d’Alene, my heart jumped with joy.” 

Temples are, according to the church’s website, “houses of the Lord, where members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints regularly go to worship. Inside these holy buildings, faithful Church members make promises with God, feel His Spirit, and come closer to Him through sacred ceremonies called ordinances.”

They are “places of peace, happiness, and service. They help us draw closer to God, learn about His plan, and serve those who have passed on by giving them the opportunity to receive saving ordinances that they did not have the opportunity to receive in this life.”

Everyone in the community who does not belong to the LDS faith will be invited to an open house after construction is completed and before the temple is dedicated.

As of this writing, a specific location and exact construction timetable had not been announced. One thing everyone can be sure of, though, is that the local temple will be built of the finest materials by outstanding craftsmen. It will stand for many years as a revered place of worship for LDS members and a structure everyone else can be proud of because of its outstanding architecture.

The Press extends its warmest congratulations to local members of the LDS faith, who will no longer need to travel for religious ceremonies including weddings and blessings known as “endowments.”

Please look back at the temple description above that states temples are places of peace, happiness, and service. It’s that last word — service — that really resonates on a community level.

Most faiths stress service, and to varying degrees they perform service admirably. With members of the LDS faith, service is ingrained as an integral practice rather than a theory or a goal. 

Locally, LDS church members are involved in a multitude of public service initiatives. You might not be aware of their broad devotion to helping others because they do so humbly and, often, anonymously.

It's true that not everyone "gets" the LDS faith. And that's OK.

When the Salvation Army Kroc Center was founded in Coeur d’Alene in 2009, the story was told of a Jewish donor in the Seattle area who provided a massive financial gift. When he was respectfully asked why a Jew would bestow such a blessing on a Christian organization, the donor said:

“I don’t believe what you believe. I believe in what you do.”

The whole world could worship in a temple built on that foundation.