SPRINGFIELD, Ore. — To the casual observer, the name Oregon Willamette Valley Temple merely indicates the location of this new house of the Lord. But considering how The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints began in this region, the name is one that encourages unity and solidarity.
In 1951, the Willamette Stake was established in Oregon, stretching from Salem in the north to Myrtle Creek in the south. Now, 75 years later, the original boundaries have been divided into various stakes and are no longer a vast collection of cities within a single stake.
But the June 7 dedication of the Willamette Valley Temple (located in Springfield but named after a historic stake in the area) will reunite the Valley Saints.
“The temple is a great unifying force for all of us,” said Brenda Jones, who along with her husband, Steve Jones, is coordinating the open house and dedication committee. Especially during the open house, the temple “helped bring us all together, and I think it really helps all the stakes come closer together,” she added.
Steve Jones pointed out that this unity extended to various religions. “Some people who don’t have our faith have come along and said, ‘I’ve found my people.’ They realize that we all have common beliefs and that we’re not as different as people think.”
A total of 38,225 visitors visited the temple during the open house held from April 23 to May 9. Here’s a sample of how open houses have brought together family, friends, faith, and community.
“A sense of light, guidance, and hope.”
Elder Peter M. Johnson, First Counselor in the United States West Area Presidency, noticed a new temple pattern.
“When a temple enters a community, what I feel is an increase in faith in Christ, an increase in hope, a light that brightens things even in a very complex and overwhelming world,” he said. “In the midst of all the uncertainty, this temple brings light, guidance, and a sense of hope.”
And it’s not just Church members, Elder Johnson explained. As friends of the Church see and learn more about Springfield’s new temple, “the questions they ask also help them receive a personal revelation that there is a God in heaven, that His Son, Jesus Christ, is truly alive and that we can connect with Him through the ordinances we perform and the covenants we keep in the Lord’s house.”
Build ties with local communities
Members of the Springfield Oregon Stake have testified of the Savior by serving and working to unite in the community.
For example, in the months before the dedication, stake members forged relationships with local Jewish and Muslim communities and Christian denominations to provide school supplies, hold clothing drives for Catholic social services, collect toys and gifts for foster care services during Christmas, and partner with local organizations to provide services and supplies.
“We did this to build a relationship before the open house, so we had already built a relationship with them, and we were hoping that when they came to see the Lord’s House, their experience would be different,” said Springfield Stake President Jeffrey Fuller. “And so it happened.”
Attracted by the light of hope
President Christopher Cornelius and Sister Rhonda Cornelius, who preside over the Oregon Eugene Mission, said one young man visited the open house six times. The sister missionaries asked him, “Can I answer some questions?” He replied, “I’m trying to understand what’s so different. I feel something, but I can’t pinpoint it.”
President Cornelius said of the temple open house: “So many people come and are drawn to it. They feel something but can’t pinpoint what they’re feeling. And it’s so much fun to be able to share what they’re feeling and why they’re feeling it.”
Those drawn to the temple included members who were not very involved in church activities. President Cornelius said he feels drawn to the House of the Lord because it is a symbol of hope for those returning to church life.
Sister Cornelius said having a temple nearby “helps the Saints remember not only the covenants they make in the house of the Lord, but also the blessings they will see.”
Install woodwork in the temple
Jayden Platt of the Eugene YSA Ward spent seven and a half months installing the finished woodwork in the temple. “Being able to build one of the Lord’s houses was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for me, something I never thought I would be able to do.”
Pratt would go to work each morning and before his shift began he would go into the celestial room and say a prayer. Now, every time he walks through the temple, “I look at every nook and cranny and I finally see all the memories flowing into my head again.” He said he couldn’t stop smiling when he visited the open house for the first time.
Pratt also recognized the members’ generosity by coining the term “Cookie Wednesday.” Every Wednesday, the local ward made cookies for the workers on the temple grounds. “This was another way for the local stakes to say thank you to all of us.”
Blessings throughout the community
Satina Tolman of the Sweet Home Ward of the Lebanon-Oregon Stake noticed that many open house visitors were impressed by the temple’s beauty: the art glass window design, the carefully crafted rugs, and the design motifs of local flowers and rivers.
But what moved them even more deeply was the building’s focus on faith, family, covenant relationships, and drawing closer to God. “While the craftsmanship and artistry captured people’s attention, it seems that it was the spirit and purpose of the temple that moved people,” Tolman said.
She added that this house of the Lord is evidence that the Lord’s work is accelerating, but it is also a blessing that helps sustain and accelerate that acceleration. “The blessings of the temple extend far beyond those who enter its doors and ripple throughout the community.”
“The peace they so desperately want.”
A woman who works at a clinic across the street from the temple was drawn to the light of this house of the Lord. “She was dealing with some particularly difficult things on a particularly difficult night,” said Elder Benjamin Rowan, a missionary from Provo, Utah, serving in the Eugene Mission.
“When she looked out her hospital window, she saw the temple lights come on for the first time. She said she felt a fleeting but powerful sense of peace that brought her in that moment. Later, she had the opportunity to tour the temple. Although she does not consider herself religious, she said she could feel the sacredness of the place.”
Anna Grossnikle of the Eugene YSA Ward served as a parking aide and usher during the open house. As she watched and spoke to hundreds of people, “it felt like an Israeli gathering was happening right before my eyes,” she said. Sharing religion can be nerve-wracking, but “the open house provided many members with a natural and more comfortable way to share what they believe.”
Young adults like herself will be especially blessed by the new temple, she explained. “Young people are making many big decisions at this time in their lives, some of which have an eternal impact.” With the House of the Lord nearby, “they have the opportunity to receive guidance, inspiration, and even a little peace that they sorely need.”
