607. Provo City Center Temple Dedication, and my chance to play the Salt Lake Tabernacle Organ.

Today brought back many memories of various times in my life.  I have been to 2 Temple dedications, as I remember, of temples dedicated here in Utah, via watching on a large screen in our chapel.  Also the beautiful hymn, my favorite, "The Spirit of God" was sung, and I have a special story about that.

Those of my readers, did you hear, about 5 years ago of the really elegant
tabernacle, with spires, etc., in Provo which burned down, with only the shell of  brick remaining?  It was quite a landmark at the time, and many important people, musicians, Church, etc., had spoken and entertained there. 

Well, awhile after they decided to revive it, and make it into a Temple.  It was quite an undertaking, as only the brink walls remained.  They had to secure them, and do a lot to keep them from falling down, while they totally rebuilt the interior.  The temple by the MTC is used so much by the missionaries this gives patrons from the town somewhere else to go.

.  Today, anyone in Utah who got a recommend from their bishop, age 8 years and up, could go to one of 3 sessions, either at 9 a.m., 12 p.m. or 3 p.m.  We just got back from the one at 12 p.m. It was so inspiring!  

This is what is is like today, with an Angel Moroni on the top.  It is the 150th dedicated Temple.

If you have been to a Temple dedication before, only the people
in the same state of the Temple can watch it on a big screen at the
Chapel.  There were no other meetings held today.  We had to get a
recommend from the Bishop, and be there half an hour early.  Elder
Dallin Oakes was conducting today, and after several speakers, gave
the dedicatory prayer.  The prayer itself was written, and read in
each of the 3 sessions.  The talks were probably different.
Some of the inspirational thoughts were:  (as I wrote them in notes)

The Temple brings us peace.  Plan your Temple attendance, and don't leave it to just when you have time.  Put it on your calendar ahead of time.  We should not just ask youth if they are going on a mission,etc., but ask them "Are you worthy to go to the Temple? 

    Speaking of the fire, one speaker said that sometimes things happen that make us wonder why.  And then said that we can enter the Temple as people who have been burned, and scarred, such as the Provo tabernacle was, but we can become like a holy, pure Temple. Temples are not inexpensive, but are essential to Heavenly Father's work. 

    What is Holiness?  "It is the essence of what Heavenly Father is." Some choose to be guided by the natural man, or we can elevate ourselves to obedience.  Draw upon the merits and mercy of JesusChrist.  Rededicate ourselves to become holy.  He will guide us, and sanctify us and bring us back home. 

    Elder Russell M. Ballard spoke, and said to remember the faithful pioneers, and all who pay tithing, who helped to make this building possible.  His own apostle grandfather, Melvin J. Ballard, spoke in that tabernacle in 1923.  He said we are not on this earth at this time by chance.  The finest spirits have been saved to complete the Lord's work now.  The rest of God means to not be disturbed by winds of evil.  

     To find His rest, we should remember daily prayer, scripture reading, fasting, working in the Temple, and caring for the poor.  We should become disciples that are fixed, all doubts removed.  We should have purity of life, honor, and fidelity.  So long as people receive and are guided by the Holy Ghost they will know they are led aright. Have full purpose of heart, repent when necessary, and witness to Heavenly Father we are willing to take upon ourselves the Name of Christ and we'll have unspeakable blessings now and for eternity.  

He quoted the scripture that says "Come unto me, all that labor and are heavy laden, and ye shall find rest."

 (I remember hearing about his grandfather, the Apostle Melvin J. Ballard.   he was first a missionary to the Maori people in New Zealand, when young, and loved those people. 

     Then the dedicatory prayer was given.  They asked everyone to shut their eyes and listen, so I didn't take notes during the prayer.But it was a beautiful prayer, including praying for the missionaries,and even the people who are homeless and refugees, and all those who care for them.

   They had a remarkable choir with 10 men and 10 women, who sang several hymns during the program.  The last song was the "Hosanna Anthem", and then the congregation sang "The Spirit of God, Like A Fire Is Burning".  That hymn has been my favorite hymn since I was a teenager.  I have a special story about that song, and the Salt Lake Tabernacle in Temple Square.  I wrote the following in our book of our life stories on page 349 --   

I loved Seminary and Institute (at Dixie College) which I had mosty from Brother Pearsoon Corbett and his wife Gladys Corbett.  During the year we had Church History, about the 11th, grade, we made the usualy trip with the Seminary class to Salt Lake City to see the Church Office Building and the Church History sites there.  The new tall Office Building wasn't built yet.  One day on that trip I wanted to go to the Tabernacle and hear the noon Organ Recital, and no one wanted to go with me, so I went alone.

While there, I began talking with some man who was a friend of the organist.  At that time, it was the largest organ in the world, and after the recital, some great visiting organist was allowed to play on it. That gave me the idea that perhaps they would let me play just a chord on it, and the man I had talked to went up and asked the organist if I could. They had just let someone else, so they reluctantly agreed to let this young high school girl do it.

I remember they set it at a very quiet stop, and I picked up a hymn book and asked if I could play my favorite hymn, “The Spirit Of God Like a Fire is Burning”. They said yes, and I played it, but as I played it and looked up at that great organ and realized the sound coming from it was what I was playing, I began to cry for joy as I played. I was so thrilled! I remember going to a rest room, which was located by the west gates after that experience, and a lady, who had been on a tour of the building while I was playing commented on it to me, and how much a thrill it must have been to me.

The Tabernacle organ, without the Tabernacle Choir in their seats.  Our oldest son, Wayne Miles Eckman, is now in the Tabernacle Choir, and has been for around 4 years.  ( See blog # 523, on October 22, 2015.)  After he turns 60 next year, he will  be released , as that is a rule that everyone is released after 60 years of age, or 20 years in the Choir.

Right after they were taking that visiting organist on a tour of the inside of the organ, back in rooms where thousands of pipes were, and that same man asked if I could go also. So I got to see the inner parts of that organ, and what a blessing and wonderful memory! Since then I have either played or sung “The Spirit Of God” in Nauvoo, at the Kirtland Temple, in the Sacred Grove, in Sweden and Connecticut on missions, in Nauvoo, and all over Utah. It truly is my favorite hymn. It was composed for the dedication of the Kirtland Temple, and has been sung, or performed in every Temple dedication since then. 

       The pictures above are of me, at about the age I played the Tabernacle Organ, in 1951.

 Below is just a bit of history about that organ: 

The Tabernacle organ is considered to be one of the finest examples of the American Classic style of organ building. Inspired by the design of the  Boston Music Hall organ, the original organ was built in 1867 by an Englishman, Joseph Ridges. Ridges' instrument contained some 700 pipes and was constructed of locally derived materials as much as possible. The pipes are constructed of wood, zinc, and various alloys of tin and lead. When it was initially constructed, the organ had a tracker action and was powered by hand-pumped bellows; later it was powered by water from City Creek. Today it is powered by electricity and has an electro-pneumatic action.