A stellar moment in Church history occurred when President Spencer W. Kimball announced in 1981 that nine temples would be built: Chicago, Ill., Dallas, Texas; Guatemala City, Guatemala; Lima, Peru; Frankfurt, Germany; Stockholm Sweden; Seoul Korea; Manila, Philippines, and Johannesburg, South Africa.
The announcement included the largest number of temples proposed at one time and the most international in setting. It brought the number of temples scheduled or in operation to 37.
When the Panama City Panama Temple is dedicated on Aug. 10 and the Twin Falls Idaho Temple is dedicated on Aug. 24, the Church will have 128 temples in operation.
Even with the increase in the number of temples, announcement of a new one to be built is always exciting. Temples touch lives in a manner not possible through any other venue. Faithful Latter-day Saints yearn to be near a temple, to have, as it were, hands-on contact with a temple.
Two accounts illustrate this. While serving as a counselor in the First Presidency in 1957, President Harold B. Lee spoke of two boys who brought their little brothers to touch the Salt Lake Temple. President Lee quoted from a note that a watchman, employed on Temple Square, had written about the youngsters' venture.
The watchman wrote that the boys, each about 7 or 8 years old, had come early one morning to Temple Square, pulling their brothers in little carts. One of the boys told the watchman that it was the birthday of his little brother Joe, and explained, "'He is two years old today, and I want him to touch the temple so that when he gets to be an old man he will remember he touched the temple when he was two years old.' "
The boy pointed to the other toddler and said that his name was Mark, and that he was two years old, also.
The watchman's note continued: "Then with a solemn, reverent attitude rare in children so young, he asked, 'Can we go over and touch the temple?' I replied, 'Sure you can.' They pushed their little carts over to the temple and lifted the infants up, and placed their hands against that holy building. Then as I stood there with a lump in my throat, I heard the little boy say to his infant brother, 'Now, Joe, you will always remember when you (were) two years old you touched the temple.' They thanked me and departed for home" (Given in an address at the April 1957 general conference, and reprinted in the Ensign, February 1971, p. 35).
Another account of how Latter-day Saints desire to be near or in a temple unfolded at the time the nine new temples were announced by President Kimball. Regional representatives stake presidents, General Authority administrators and others were in a meeting a few days before the April 1981 general conference when President Kimball told them of the plan to build the new temples. As the place of each new temple was named, something akin to an electric stir rippled throughout the audience. Priesthood leaders turned to one another, shook hands, embraced. And wept.
Primary children sing, "I Love to See the Temple" (Children's Songbook, 95). Some parents take their children to visit temple grounds, wanting the youngsters to feel of the spirit of the place, to sense its sacredness, to develop a love for temples.
Without doubt, these parents want their children not only to touch the temple when they are young but also, as they grow older, to be touched by the temple.
Yes, temples can touch us as much — more so — than we can touch them. When we go to a temple, we touch its solid surfaces, but the temple touches us on a deeper level. It touches the spirit.
May we ever yearn to be in the temple, the House of the Lord, and may be always be prepared to feel its touch in our lives.