Prophet visit a ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ event

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This article was published 01/09/2018 (2879 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

If you are Roman Catholic, imagine what it would be like to meet the Pope in person.

If you are Muslim, imagine going on the hajj.

If you are Jewish, imagine praying at the Western Wall in Jerusalem.

Some members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Winnipeg don’t have to imagine what something like that would feel like. They know because they met the leader of their church — a man they regard as a prophet of God — last month.

More than 1,300 people came to hear president Russell Nelson on Aug. 17, with some lining up for over four hours before the event started.

The 17th man to hold the position, Nelson, 93, is considered by the faithful as God’s representative on Earth.

His visit is only the second time a president of the church has come to Winnipeg; Gordon Hinckley visited in 1998.

Nelson came to Winnipeg to visit the church’s new temple, which is under construction in the southwest part of the city. It is scheduled to open in 2020.

“As the temple is prepared for the people, the people need to prepare for the temple,” he told the gathering, going on to describe ways members of the church need to become “temple-ready.”

Prior to coming to Winnipeg, Nelson was in the news asking people to refer to the church by its official name, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, instead of the commonly used terms “Mormons” or “LDS.”

In the few minutes I had to speak to him before his address, I asked about that decision.

By announcing the change, he said he was trying to “correct an egregious error” that had taken root over generations. He said he “loves” the prophet Mormon, from whom the name is derived, but “this is not Mormon’s church. I think Mormon himself would be embarrassed if people thought this was his church.

“I’m trying to make clear this is (Jesus’) church,” he said, noting that Jesus had impressed this on his mind.

The instruction he received is “an amazing revelation” and will be “a wonderful thing” for the church.

At the same time, Nelson acknowledged changing the name won’t be easy. But when “we know what the Lord wants, we move in that direction,” he said.

For members of the church in Winnipeg, it’s clear his visit was a memorable event.

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance for people in Winnipeg to see him,” Ken McInnes said. “It’s a very special moment.”

“It was a wonderful privilege to have him come here, to remind us of what we need to do to prepare for the temple,” his wife, Silvia, added.

“We see (the presidents) on TV, but it’s different to be in the same room.”

Winnipeggers weren’t the only ones there. Dhafne Rasera is from Brazil.

“It was an amazing experience,” said the University of Manitoba student of her first time seeing a prophet. “I felt the Holy Spirit. It was powerful.”

Fiona Nauna of Papua New Guinea is doing her mission service for the church in the city.

“It was awesome, a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” she said. “I am the first one in my family to see a prophet in person.”

It was the same thing for Baley Godderidge of Logan, Utah, also doing her service in Winnipeg.

“I feel very lucky to be in the right place at the right time,” she said, laughing at the irony that someone who lives near Salt Lake City — the headquarters of the church — would need to come to Winnipeg to see its president.

Added Allan Robison, a longtime member of the church in Winnipeg: “This is the highest honour, to have him visit us… it’s thrilling to me whenever I can hear a prophet.”

I grew up in a church tradition that doesn’t have a pope or bishops, or even sacred places, and so the reverence and rapture members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Winnipeg showed for Nelson was hard for me to relate to. But it was still moving to see how much his visit meant to them.

Now I just need to get used to not calling them Mormons.

jdl562000@yahoo.com

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