Editor’s note:  Because we have the opportunity to travel and because we like to take pictures, we would like to share with you a series of photographic essays on the Temples of the Lord.  We have a sufficient supply of photographs in our archives now to begin this process — enough to do at least twenty temples.  Today we begin.  We would encourage you, especially those of you who live in the temple district of the temple being featured, that you send the links to these articles to your friends and family, to your home teaching families and ward members.  You can click here to share this article with your friends.  We also encourage you to send in your stories (that you can share) from these temples, whether it be from the dedication, from your experiences there, from being married there, from visiting there.  We’d love to hear from you.  Click here to send in your response and/or stories.

My Morning

I try to work out at least five or six days a week.  We have to stay in shape just to keep up with Meridian.  I love to listen to various talks from the leaders of the Church as I pump out my five miles each day.  Two mornings ago I was listening to Spencer W. Kimball in a talk he gave in 1977.  I want you to read this brief quote from him (this is what motivated me to do this photo essay today) and think about this in perspective:

The Latter-day Saints are known throughout the world as a temple-building people.  We have a total of 16 operating temples, each bearing the significant title:  Holiness to the Lord…In addition we have four other temples in various stages of construction, one in Japan, one in South America, one in Mexico and the other in the northwestern part of the United States.  Never before has the Church had four temples under construction at the same time and this is indicative of the rapid growth and increased needs of the Church…

We’re all familiar with the prediction of the Prophet Brigham Young who saw the day when there would be hundreds of temples, and it has even been spoken, thousands of temples.  Of course, that will take time, but we can promise you many additional temples which will someday dot this land and the other lands of our world, Europe, Asia, South America, the islands of the sea.  Before temples are built in greater numbers, of course, we must prepare for them.”  (Kimball, Spencer W. Temples Now and in the Future, Genealogical Seminar, August 4, 1977)

Is that just wonderful?  Do you remember those days?  I gave a talk once about temple building and I noted that it took the Church just over 167 years to build the first fifty temples (St. Louis was the 50^th temple, dedicated June 1, 1997) and it only took 40 months, to the day, to dedicate the next fifty temples (Boston was dedicated October 1, 2000 as the 100^th temple).  Now that is an exciting acceleration of the work.

My New Grandson

On Friday, April 14, our daughter Laura gave birth to her third child, a beautiful son.  Well, of course, that was the signal for Ana (that’s Maurine) and Grandpa (that’s me) to head to Vancouver, Washington, to see what kind of early influence we can have in the life of this little soul.  During our most delightful stay, I mentioned to our family there that I would like to take a couple of hours and shoot a photo essay of the Portland Oregon Temple.  Directions were given and on a beautiful sunny afternoon off we went. 

What follows are a few of the pictures I took on that day.

Before You Start

First of all, the Portland Oregon Temple is absolutely breathtaking — stunning.  The setting is marvelous and the architecture is exquisite.  I looked up this temple on the Church’s official website and learned these interesting facts:  “The land upon which the temple stands was originally purchased by the Church during the 1960s with the intent to possibly build a junior college there. The temple grounds were left heavily wooded, and the temple’s six spires were designed to suggest the large trees surrounding the temple.”

My impression as I shot this essay was over and over again, “Lift thine eyes to the heavens.”  The trees and the spires work in perfect harmony to lift your eyes heavenward.  The exterior facing is so gorgeous.  The grounds, as with all of the temples, are beyond telestial.  Enough of this.  Let’s take a look at the temple together.  I hope that the Saints in the stakes this temple serves will especially enjoy this essay. [i]   Remember, if you have comments, stories, feelings, experiences that relate to the Portland Oregon Temple, please click here and share them with Meridian readers.

The Photographs

Click to Enlarge

The view from the freeway is quick and sweet.  You have to be watching for it but be careful when you finally see the temple — just pull over or you’ll wreck.  If you look very closely you can find all six spires.

I love the Moroni figure on each of the temples.  That symbolic image from the Book of Revelation is so powerful:  “And I saw another angel [scripture mastery] fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come:  and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.” [ii]

The architect of the temple here must have walked among these enormous pine trees and felt the texture of the bark and been awed by the sheer height of these monoliths.  There is a oneness between the House of the Lord and nature here.

As Maurine and I pulled into the neighborhood where the temple stands we said, “We could live here.  This is about as lovely as it gets.”  Now, I know that we are at the tail end of the tulips (I’ll probably get letters about that), but I still think they were breathtaking.  I’m still going to show you some close-ups of the tulips later.

Okay, so I was transfixed by the combination of the trees and the temple.  We both could feel the Spirit of the Lord as we walked upon this hallowed ground.  What a place a transcendent beauty to bring your family.

The spires of this temple are truly striking in their brilliance and beauty.  The star motif was everywhere to be found upon the temple.  It reminded me of the kind of artistic rendition you often see of the star that pointed to where the babe of Bethlehem lay.

I had only one lens with me on this trip (remember, I was in the area to be a Grandpa, not a professional photographer) so I could not capture the full grandeur of this temple.  What a magnificent edifice.

All I can say is that if I were living in one of the thirty stakes of this temple district, I would want to attend here often—just to be lifted up in the very presence of the temple.  The unique architecture of this temple reminded me of this Psalm:  “One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in his temple.” [iii]

Click here to go to Part 2 of Lift Thine Eyes to the Heavens, The Portland Oregon Temple.