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Through the
Camera Lens: The Coverstone Ceremony
by
Maurine and Scot Proctor
President Hinckley didn’t waste any time warming the crowd up beyond
the morning sun on the southeast corner of the temple.
Traditionally,
putting on a temple capstone is the crowning moment of construction
that announces about the exterior structure, “We are there.”
Coverstone awaits being placed upon the southeast cornerstone to
cover the time capsule.
In the recent
temple dedications, however, that moment is replaced by a coverstone
ceremony with the placing of a time capsule in the corner of the
temple and then cementing a stone cover over it.
Elder Russell M. Nelson and wife, Sister Danzel Nelson, observe
all the proceedings of the ceremony.
President Hinckley holds up special commemorative coin before placing
it in the box with other items to be placed in the time capsule.
Those who have
seen the Palmyra or Winter Quarter’s temple dedications probably
noticed that President Hinckley invites other General Authorities
and their wives, dignitaries, and children from the audience up
to seal up the stone–usually with mixed results.
President Hinckley looks on as project manager Ron Prince and temple
construction department director Cory Karl get ready to place the
time capsule in the cornerstone of the Nauvoo Temple.
At the Nauvoo
Temple coverstone ceremony the prophet quipped, “We’ve had a lot
of experience in sealing these coverstones all over the world–but
we don’t get any better at it.
Cory Karl and area director for temple construction Vern Hancock
heft the heavy coverstone in place so that President Hinckley can
place the first mortar.
President Hinckley readies to place some “mud” on the coverstone.
No one has had more experience at this than Gordon B. Hinckley.
When we get
through, the workmen come along and straighten it out and do it
over.” This time, however, President Hinckley said, we’re going
to do a better job, to which Elder Neal A. Maxwell said in a voice
that unbeknownst to him was picked up by the microphone, “Are we
going to do this by trowel and error?”
Close view of President Hinckley placing “mud” in the coverstone.
What a far cry
this celebration and light-hearted quick wittedness was from the
first Nauvoo capstone gathering. When Joseph Smith was killed,
the Nauvoo temple was only one story high, yet on the twenty-fourth
of May, 1845, eleven months after his martyrdom, the capstone was
laid at the surprising hour of six o-clock in the morning. The
hour was early on purpose because the Twelve were kept in an enforced
semi-seclusion to avoid the officers who sought to serve writs upon
them for trumped up charges.
Elder Neal A. Maxwell and Sister Colleen Maxwell place “mud” upon
the coverstone of the Nauvoo Temple.
John Taylor’s
account recorded in The Comprehensive History of the Church reads,
“On the morning of Saturday, May 24th, 1845, we repaired to the temple
with great secrecy, for the purpose of laying the [cap] stone.
Elder Jon M. Huntsman was called out of the audience by President
Hinckley to put a little “mud” on the coverstone.
There were but
few that knew about it, [but] the band playing on the walls, and
the people hearing it, hurried up. About six o'clock a. m., the
brethren being assembled, we proceeded to lay the stone; at a quarter
past six the stone was laid; after which Brother Young prayed, his
voice being heard distinctly, by the congregation below; and the
congregation shouted 'Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna to God and the Lamb,
Amen and Amen!'
Brother Jim Sorenson Sr. is also called out of the audience by President
Hinckley to put a little “mud” on the coverstone.
Brother Kay
sung a song, composed for the occasion by W. W. Phelps, called 'The
Capstone.' Although there were several officers watching for us
to take us, yet we escaped without their knowledge; when the singing
commenced we left unnoticed, and they had not an opportunity of
seeing us."
Four mayors stand side by side at the coverstone ceremony. In front
(from l to r): Quincy, Illinois Mayor Charles W. Scholz; Nauvoo
Mayor Tom Wilson; Keokuk, Iowa Mayor Bob Davis; and Ft. Madison,
Iowa Mayor John Wright. C. Angus Henry Belliston, 2nd
Counselor in the Temple Presidency stands in the background.
This time the
public officials were friends who each got to take a hand at adding
a little mortar to the stone and saying things like, “Our goal in
Keokuk is to continue to be a good neighbor.”
President Richard W. Winder, Nauvoo Temple President, is invited
by President Hinckley to say a few words on his way to the coverstone.
President Hinckley
put his arm around one attorney who had done some work for the Church
and thanked him profusely for what he’d done. He was not a member
of the Church and President Hinckley didn’t miss the opportunity
to say, “He’s not a member of the Church, but any time he’s willing
to change his mind, we’ll welcome him!”
Trowels upon the table with mud spilled upon the base of the coverstone
await the construction workers to come and finish off the job.
Though President
Hinckley joked that in about 50 years somebody was going to come
along and want to look at what was in this time capsule, Meridian
provides a list here so that the coverstone can stay intact:
Books:
- Bible,
Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, Pearl of Great Price
- Stand
for Something by President Gordon B. Hinckley
- Teachings
by President Gordon B. Hinckley
- Hymnal
- History
of Hancock County, II. I (Sesquicentennial Edition-1968)
- Rediscovery
of the Nauvoo Temple by Virginia S. Harrington and J.C. Harrington
- Deseret
News, 2001-2002 Church Almanac
- Nauvoo,
Illinois Temple - Volumes 1&2 (scrapbooks containing news
and magazine articles, press packets, brochures, photos)
Tools:
- Knife used
by Charles W. Allen to seal all the Temple windows
- Trowel from
the cornerstone ceremony
- Chisel for
tooling the “basket-weave” pattern on the temple exterior
Item:
- Commemorative
coin presented to special guests during the Open House
Articles:
- Church
News: (200) - Nov 4, Nov 11; (2001) - Feb 3, June 30, Jul
14. Sept. 29; (2002) - Apr. 20, May 4.
- Church
Magazines; Improvement Era, (April 1937) - 226-227; (July
1939) - 400-401, 438-439; (November 1963) - 974-976, 978, 980,
982; (October 1968) - 10-13, 15-16.
- The Instructor
(March 1965) 97-99
- The Friend
(September 1993) - 47-48; (April 1996) - 12-13; (June 2002) -
24-27
- Ensign
(September 1994) - 59-64; (May 1999) - 88-111; (February 2001)
- 74-75; (July 2002) 8-25
- New Era
(May 2002) 20-25
(All
photographs unless otherwise noted Copyright 2002 Scot Facer Proctor)
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© 2002 Meridian
Magazine. All Rights Reserved.
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