Rudolph
Rosas and the San Antonio Temple Coverstone Ceremony
Part Two
By
Maurine Jensen Proctor
Photography
by Scot Facer Proctor
click
photos to enlarge
In
the last two years since his baptism, Rudolph has played a key
role in bringing four others into the gospel and his two sons,
those once "heavy metal" boys are planning to be baptized
next month.
He
drives to work on a little scooter that he calls the Mormon mobile,
and tucked into the back seat is a Book of Mormon to share—just
in case he runs into a prospect.
Out
of the blue, as we are interviewing him, he asks, "Are you
folks Mormons?" There is a fire in his eye and you can tell
he is ready to hand us that Book of Mormon with his testimony
penned inside.
It's
the first time we've been proselytized by an earnest member, and
we laugh at his zeal. But we are warmed by it as well.
Rudolph's
Dream
Rudy
said of the new San Antonio Temple, "It just pulls you in. I felt God's presence
in the celestial room so keenly during the open house."
With
the temple dedication, Rudolph had another dream. "I want
to meet the prophet so badly because I know he's close to Jesus
Christ."
So,
on May 22, the morning of the temple dedication, Rudolph arose
early so that he could see the coverstone
ceremony. He positioned himself behind the white rope lining
the walkway President Hinckley would take to the southeast corner
of the temple where the coverstone sat
in place ready to be mudded.
Then
he waited—chin raised, anticipatory.
As
is customary during the first session of temple dedications, the
prophet, other General Authorities, the temple presidency and
their wives emerge from the temple for a traditional ceremony.
The
prophet walked by Rudy, whose eyes followed every move and whose
face was filled with the joy of the Spirit.
The
choir sang, "Let the Mountain Shout for Joy." Then,
President Hinckley took the trowel, lined it carefully with the
mortar, and put it in a place around the coverstone. Others followed, one by one. Finally, as is
his custom, President Hinckley invited some little children to
come forward, knowing that it is in the hearts of the children
that this memory must be impressed and sealed.
The choir
sang again. The prophet and his party walked back along the path
to the temple, passing Rudy again.
Though President
Hinckley nodded and smiled toward many, I don't think that President
Hinckley locked eyes upon Rudy. It didn't matter because for Rudy
it was enough. The Spirit had witnessed to him again that this
was a prophet and the San Antonio Temple was the Lord's house.
After the
prophet left, he waited in a long line to be able to add his trowel
of mud to the coverstone. He said, "I loved being here. To
be close to the prophet was everything to me."
When his turn
came, he put his hands to his lips, kissed them and then touched
the coverstone. The man who used to never cry had tears in his
eyes.
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