Memories are Made as Temple Reopens its Doors
Photos and captions by Laurie Williams Sowby
Attending any temple dedication is an event to remember for a lifetime, but attending a temple dedication in a place where you are serving a mission carries with it an extra measure of poignant memories. Here are photos that capture the spirit of the Santiago Chile Temple rededication, which was held over the weekend of March 11, 2006.
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President Hinckley stands between Area President Francisco Vinas on his right and his son Richard Hinckley of the Quorum of Seventy on his left before the devotional begins in Santiago's Estadio Monumental. At their left are temple President Julio Jaramillo and his wife.
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President Hinckley's image is displayed on a big screen above the podium as he speaks
in his first public appearance since his January surgery for colon cancer. "I didn't know
whether I would get here," he told the crowd, "but I pondered and prayed and decided
to make the effort." His plane landed two hours before the meeting.
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Many Chilean Church members, such as this family listening to Elder L. Tom Perry in the devotional, traveled by bus to the stadium to be part of a large gathering of Latter-day Saints.
As most members have no private transportation, they came by bus, train, taxi and metro.
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The Andes Mountains form a nearby backdrop for the devotional
in one of the country's largest soccer stadiums.
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In a touching tribute to the Prophet, members wave white handkerchiefs as the 400-voice choir sings the closing hymn, "I Believe in Christ." After the closing prayer, President Hinckley responded by returning to the podium and waving his own handkerchief at the crowd.
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President Hinckley greets temple President Julio Jaramillo and his wife
as he enters the stadium for the devotional.
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Missionaries make an impressive sight as they march across the field
holding Chilean flags as the cultural celebration begins. Hundreds of elders
and sisters from missions closer to Santiago represented the nine missions in Chile.
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Colorful costumes help portray the culture of the country as dancers perform
folk dances and music from Chile's various regions.
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These boys are part of 2,000 LDS youth who particpated in their biggest event yet. Many gave up their summer vacations in January and February to attend rehearsals for the program. Coming from great distances, they weren't able to rehearse together until the night before the show.
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A group of youth from central Santiago, who all had to come up with their own authentic costumes for the "Cueca," a national dance, pose before their turn in the program.
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Dressed in shiny satin, these little girls are kept in line by their mothers
as they await their turn on the field at the cultural celebration.
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The three couples in the Santiago West Mission - Moyer, Parkin and Sowby -
gather for a group photo after attending the rededication of the temple.
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Members mingle in the gardens behind the temple following its rededication
by Pres. Gordon B. Hinckley on a blue-sky day in Santiago, Chile, March 12, 2006.
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The choir that sang in the first dedicatory session
poses in the gardens for a photographer after the service.
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Missionaries at the Chile CCM (MTC) watch the post-dedication proceedings
in the gardens of "Temple Square" from their third-floor dorm windows.
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The red, white and blue flag of Chile files near Angel Moroni and the Santiago Temple. Coincidentally, the nation's new president, Michelle Bachelet,
was inaugurated the same weekend as the dedication events.
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The Santiago Temple, which was enlarged by one-third in the renovation, glows at sunset.
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Eugene F. Olsen and wife Rea, who served as the temple's first president and matron
when it opened in 1983, made their first return trip for the rededication. They recalled
the temple's first first day, with 407 first-time endowments - including those of most of the temple workers. The oxen-supported font was added with the renovation this year.
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BYU professor Ted Lyon visits with old friends after the first dedicatory session.
He served as president of Chile's CCM and also as president of
the Osorno Mission in the southern part of Chile.
