SALT LAKE CITY — Leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are reminding all who plan to attend the open house and dedication of the Nauvoo Illinois Temple to be patient, courteous and respectful as they are welcomed by the citizens of Nauvoo over the next two months.
"Many will come," acknowledged President Gordon B. Hinckley in a recent interview. The world leader of the Church was quick to add, "We hope that courtesy will prevail in everything that goes on, that there will be respect and appreciation one for another, [and] patience. All of these qualities will be required and we hope that they will shine forth."
More than 350,000 people will visit the newly reconstructed temple during the months of May and June. Public tours are scheduled to begin Monday, 6 May, and continue until Saturday, 22 June, excluding Sundays. With a population of approximately 1,100, Nauvoo is poised for its largest ever influx of visitors.
"Inevitably when you bring that many people together, you have some inconvenience," President Hinckley said. "I hope that we all rise above it, that we will be neighborly and good and treat one another with the greatest deference as we gather together in this historic city on the Mississippi River."
At the October 1999 groundbreaking ceremony to initiate the reconstruction of the temple, President Hinckley assured Nauvoo Mayor Tom Wilson that the Church and its members would cooperate with city officials and citizens to resolve concerns.
Elder Donald L. Staheli, president of the Church’s North America Central Area, praised Mayor Wilson and Nauvoo city officials for their cooperation and support during construction over the past two and a half years.
"They have worked with us to successfully resolve issues as they arose. There has been an excellent working relationship between the city and the Church," Elder Staheli noted.
Nauvoo city councilman Jim Sheetz agrees. "I think with all the planning and everything that we’ve done, and certainly what the Church has done, that [the open house] will be successful," he said.
For Latter-day Saints whose pioneering forebears were driven by religious persecution from Nauvoo in 1846, the rebuilt temple symbolizes a healing of old wounds. President Hinckley has said the new building will stand as a memorial to those who built the first such structure there.
"There is a great interest in Nauvoo," President Hinckley said. "There always has been; there always will be on the part of our people. The thousands who lived in Nauvoo have become tens of thousands in their descendants. They look back on their people with affection and remembrance and with a great desire to honor them and respect them."
Elder Staheli noted the positive experience of many Church members who volunteered during the Salt Lake Olympic Winter Games as an example for how visitors should conduct themselves during the open house.
"Our desire is to have the citizens of Nauvoo feel as positive about us as their guests as the world felt about the volunteers who served so well as hosts for the Salt Lake Olympics," he said. "During the Nauvoo Temple open house there will be 8,000 to 10,000 visitors daily. Courtesy on the highways and walkways and with the merchants in the community will provide lasting impressions of us as a people. The temple is a beautiful and impressive addition to the city of Nauvoo. As Church members and visitors we can show our appreciation to the good people of Nauvoo as we heed President Hinckley’s call to be sensitive and respectful."
Specifically, Church officials are asking visitors to respect private property and observe parking regulations throughout the town and its environs. Open house visitors are reminded that free tickets must be obtained in advance and will not be available at the temple. For information on whether tickets are still available, please call 800-537-8097 or visit www.lds.org/nauvoo.
At the conclusion of the seven-week public open house, the temple will be dedicated in 13 dedicatory sessions over four days, beginning on 27 June. Selected dedication sessions will be broadcast over the Church satellite network.
Church leaders are asking members who reside outside the Nauvoo temple district not to travel to Nauvoo for the dedication services. Church members in good standing over 8 years of age can obtain a dedication recommend from their local bishop to attend one of the satellite broadcasts at their local meetinghouse.
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