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Gramps,
I am looking for an account of the Founding Fathers coming to the St George
Temple to have their work done. There is a copy of the painting in
Washington DC Temple. Where can I find this account? Steve, from Utah |
Dear
Steve,
There
are numerous references to the ordinance work that was done for the founding
fathers in the St. George Temple in 1877. President Benson spoke a number of
times of the event. Here is an excerpt of a statement by President Benson, who
was at the time the President of the Quorum of the Twelve, from the Church News,
2/18/89
“Shortly
after President Spencer W. Kimball became president of the Church, he assigned
me to go into the vault of the St. George Temple and check the early records. As
I did so, I realized the fulfillment of a dream I had had ever since learning of
the visit of the Founding Fathers to the St. George Temple. I saw with my own
eyes the record of the work which was done for the Founding Fathers of this
great nation, beginning with George Washington.
Think
of it, the Founding Fathers of this nation, those great men, appeared within
those sacred walls and had their vicarious work done for them.
“After
he became president of the Church, President Wilford Woodruff declared that
‘those men who laid the foundation of this American government were the best
spirits the God of heaven could find on the face of the earth. They were choice
spirits… and were inspired of the Lord. ”
On
the occasion of the 500th anniversary of the voyage of Columbus to
the New World, President Benson made the following declaration concerning
Christopher Columbus and the other “eminent men” whose temple ordinances
were performed by President Woodruff:
“The
temple work for the fifty-six signers of the Declaration of Independence and
other founding fathers has been done. All these appeared to Wilford Woodruff
when he was President of the St. George Temple. President George Washington was
ordained a High Priest at that time. You will also be interested to know that
according to Wilford Woodruff'’s journal, John Wesley, Benjamin Franklin, and
Christopher Columbus were also ordained High Priests at the time. When one casts
doubt upon the character of these noble sons of God, I believe he or she will
have to answer to the God of heaven for it (Benson 604) (Arnold K. Garr,
Epilogue, Christopher Columbus, p. 72).
After
President Woodruff became President of the Church he declared “those men who
laid the foundation of this American government were the best spirits the God of
heaven could find on the face of the earth. They were choice spirits [and] were
inspired of the Lord” (CR October 1987, Ensign 17 [November 1987]: 6).
Gramps