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Finland has never hosted a meeting quite like
this one. On October 21, in the LänsiAuto Areena, in a suburb
of Helsinki, 3500 Latter-day Saints, chatting to each other in Russian,
Finnish, English, Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian, were brought
together as one to see their prophet and celebrate their temple.
Click on
Photos to Enlarge
Saints from Lithuania gather for a group photo.
Though the languages floating across the arena
were many, one voice united them all — the voice of the Spirit
— and somehow all differences were erased.
Three sets of mission presidents gather for a photo:
(l-r) President and Sister Estes, President and Sister Thompson
and President and Sister Johnson.
Among them were several past Finnish mission
presidents from the United States who couldn’t bear to miss
this significant day in the history of the Church in Finland.
Former Mission President Malcolm and Sister Pat Asplund
could not resist returning to Finland for the temple dedication.
Members had come from as far away as Siberia
to enjoy the celebration. Vladimir Spirin from Omsk had to travel
three days by train and bus to cover the 4,000 km that brought him
to the festivities and events surrounding the temple dedication.
He said that he had seen the prophet when he came to Moscow three
years ago, and he didn’t want to miss having the opportunity
to see him again.
President Hinckley gives his characteristic friendly
wave as he arrives on stage to speak to the thousands of Saints
from the region who have come to hear him.
The prophet, at 96, continues to amaze everyone
with his long distance visiting of members around the world and
his clarion, confident voice. President Gordon B. Hinckley told
the members, “What a marvelous occasion this is when we dedicate
a house of the Lord.”
President Gordon B. Hinckley speaks; Elder Richard
G. Scott of the Twelve looks on.
“I’m so grateful for the opportunity
of being with you. I’m now an old man. This may be the last
temple that I’ll dedicate, but we’ll just see how things
go.”
President Gordon B. Hinckley and son, Elder Richard
G. Hinckley of the Seventy, look on at the member meeting.
Earlier this year, President Hinckley had suffered
from a bout with cancer, and at his age, it would have been enough
to slow anyone else down, but as Elder Richard G. Scott said just
preceding the prophet’s talk, “In a few moments, you
will have the blessing of hearing Gordon B. Hinckley. I testify
that he is a prophet, seer, and revelator. In a very special way,
the Savior has witnessed to us how much he loves President Hinckley
by miraculously strengthening his life. I love him. I trust him.
I have seen him inspired time after time in the guidance of this
church.”
Click
here to go to Part 2 of The Prophet Greets the People in Helsinki.
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Keep watching this entire week as we
bring you coverage from the Helsinki Temple Youth Cultural Celebration
and Dedication, as well as fascinating inside views into the members
from Finland and other Baltic States and Russia. If you haven’t
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