Provo Revisited

In December 2010 the Provo Tabernacle, a major landmark in the city of Provo, was tragically burned by an electrical fire. The entire building was gutted and the brick shell was left standing. It was heartbreaking for the residents of Provo, both those who were members of the LDS Church and those who were not. The building was used for religious meetings for several denominations as well as civic events. For over 100 years the building had stood on that spot, and was suddenly taken away.

I personally felt the loss of this historic building. I had lived in Provo for the majority of the previous 6 years. Every day as I drove to and from work I would drive by the Tabernacle. I attended meetings and concerts in the beautiful building. I admit, during some of those long meetings I would pay more attention to the woodwork, stained glass, and plaster painting details than I did to the speakers. The building had a special place in my heart.

One of my favorite things was when I drove by the Tabernacle and saw brides having their pictures taken around the beautiful building. I hoped that I would have the opportunity to have my wedding pictures taken next to that building as well.

I moved away from Provo only a few weeks later (coincidence only). I followed the news reports as the workers went through the rubble. I was ecstatic when President Monson announced that the LDS Church was going to rebuild the tabernacle and turn it into a Temple. I followed the rebuilding process online and anxiously awaited the time when I could attend the open house with my family.

Five years after I moved away I was able to return to Provo with my young family. While I had been away I was sealed in the temple and we had a little boy. (I wasn’t able to have wedding pictures taken at the Provo Tabernacle because it was under construction.) I had driven through a couple of times, but had not driven down the familiar streets since I had left.

I was surprised at how different things were since I left. I was sad to see some of my favorite places had gone. We drove past my old apartments and I told my husband stories about my former roommates and friends.

The new Provo City Center temple was more beautiful than I could have imagined. Great care was taken in the reconstruction to stay true to the original style of the building, in every aspect. From the door hinges to the exit signs and everything in between, it was gorgeous. I cried as I walked through the halls with my little family. I loved seeing the joy on my son’s face as he saw the beauty of each room.

It was an experience that is difficult to put in words. I was not expecting to feel such powerful emotions. I was so grateful that I was born in the Covenant and raised as a member of the LDS Church. I was, and still am, grateful that the love of my life cared enough for me and our future family to marry me in the Temple of the Lord for Time and Eternity.

However, I did not realize how grateful I truly am for these blessings until I drove with my family up to the original Provo Temple. It was there that I turned weekly, and sometimes biweekly, that I pleaded with my Father in Heaven for an eternal companion and children of my own. More tears and prayers than I can remember were spent inside that wonderful structure and to return to it after I had been so hugely blessed was humbling.

We had traveled down to Provo to walk through the new temple, but it was at the older temple that I truly felt at home. For so long I had been looking in the wrong place to find peace with the hard things I experienced while living in Provo.

I had been persecuted and emotionally abused by people I knew while I lived there. I looked for and prayed for real friends, and was blessed with a precious few. While I was there I believed that I had to be better, that nothing I did was ever good enough. I was wrong and the people who made me feel that way were also wrong.

When you rebuild yourself you need to stay true to who you are and who you have always been. Just like the rebuilding of the Tabernacle into a Temple, you need to find your inner strength and beauty in order to realize your full potential.