Looking into the Heart of Texas, Part 5
A Photographic Essay of the People at the San Antonio Temple Dedication
By Scot Facer Proctor

click photos to enlarge

It’s amazing how these small choirs at these ceremonies sound like very large choirs.  Some people say it’s the acoustics of the tent covering.  Other say they are just blessed.

During the jubilee the night before the dedication the youth sang the State Song of Texas.  Those words were ringing through my ears as I looked upon this choir singing the songs of Zion:  God Bless you Texas!  And keep you brave and strong, That you may grow in power and worth, throughout the ages long.

This young man’s grandparents, Elder William and Sister Virginia Mannewitz, were serving a mission here overseeing the building of the temple.  We asked him if it was worth it having his grandparents on a mission.  He just said a flat out “no.”  And he didn’t tell us that his comment was “off the record.”

Elder and Sister Mannewitz’s daughter and her husband and family gathered for a photo by the coverstone.  The Mannewitz grandparents had served for one year in San Bernadino, then six months in Nauvoo, then they were home a short time and were called to San Antonio.

These are the hands of Rudolph Rosas (see Rudolph Rosas and the San Antonio Coverstone Ceremony) as he prepared to put some of the last remaining mud onto the coverstone.

Families from all over the temple district could not resist posing for a picture by the newly dedicated temple.

Tom and Gayle Holdman pause for a moment and pose for me.  Tom is the artist who composed and constructed the 200 art glass windows of the San Antonio Temple (with 18 others that he hired).  I thanked Gayle as well as Tom and said, “I know you don’t just sit around and watch Tom work.  Thanks for all you’ve done.”  She said, “You’re right, it’s a team effort.”

People were now lining up for the fourth dedicatory session and we were going to have to be on our way to the airport.

We ran into this lovely couple from Aba, Nigeria, Ozuomba and Angela Aliche who are excited to soon have a temple in their home country (to be dedicated August 7, 2005).  We told them that if we could figure out a way we hoped to also get there for that dedication.

This little guy turned and smiled for me and, well, I just liked him and appreciated his smile, so I put the picture in the essay.

This precious eight-year-old, McKenzie Van Wagenen from Austin, Texas, had just been baptized the week before the temple dedication and was able to wear her special baptismal dress for this sacred occasion.

It wouldn’t have been Texas without at least one of the ushers having a nice hat like this.  Again, I heard the words from the State Song run through my mind:  “Texas, O Texas!  Your freeborn single star, Sends out its radiance to nations near and far, Emblem of Freedom!  It set our hearts aglow.”

This young woman wanted to get back a ways to get a good view of the south side of the temple.

As we were leaving for the airport we saw this family heading to the dedication—it was Jeff Chapman, the director of the youth jubilee, with some children and other family members.  We said to him, “How can you even be awake after all that you’ve been through?”  He said, “Oh!  This is what it’s all been for—right here.”  He pointed to the temple and we felt his gratitude that they now had a temple in San Antonio.

God Bless You Texas! and Keep you Brave and Strong,

That you may grow in power and worth, throughout the ages long.

Click here to go to the Beginning of Looking into the Heart of Texas.

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