The Temple Standard

While recently touring the beautiful Brigham City Utah Temple, I was reminded of an experience that I had while serving as the coordinator of the open house, rededication, and cultural celebration of the historic Laie Hawaii Temple.

A few months prior to the completion of the extensive renovation work, I was invited to tour the temple with the Executive Director of the Temple Department, Elder William R. Walker, and his Temple Department associates.
In addition, various members of the general contracting firm were in attendance.
The purpose of the tour, in part, was to review the progress and quality of the work performed.
At the time of this tour, the work was about 85 percent completed.

As we moved through the temple, I watched and listened to Elder Walker and his associates as they inspected the work and conversed with the general contractor.
On occasion I observed one man running his hand along the walls as we moved from room to room.
A few times after doing this, he would rub his fingers together and then approach the general contractor and say, "I feel grit on this wall.
Grit is not temple standard.
You will need to re-sand and buff this wall."
The contractor dutifully took notes of each observation.

As we approached an area in the temple that few eyes would ever see, the same man stopped us and directed our attention to a newly installed, beautiful leaded-glass window.
This window measured about two feet wide by six feet tall and contained an embedded, small stained-glass geometric pattern.
He pointed to a small two-inch colored-glass square that was part of the simple pattern and said, "That square is crooked."
I looked at the square, and to my eyes it looked evenly placed.
However, upon closer inspection with a measuring device in hand, I could see there was a flaw and this little square was indeed one-eight of an inch crooked.
Direction was then given to the contractor that this window would need to be replaced because it was not temple standard.

I admit that I was surprised that an entire window would need to be replaced because of such a small, barely noticeable defect.
surely, it was unlikely that anyone would ever know or even notice this window given its remote location in the temple.

As I drove home from the temple that day, I reflected on what I learned from this experience--or, rather, what I thought I learned.
It wasn't until several weeks later when I was invited to tour the now completed temple that my understanding of the prior tour experience became clearer.

As I entered the completely renovated Laie Hawaii Temple, I was overwhelmed by its beauty and quality of finish.
You can appreciate my anticipation as I approached the "gritty" walls and the "flawed" window.
Did the contractor re-sand and buff the walls?
Was the window really replaced?
As I approached the gritty walls, I was surprised to see that beautiful wallpaper now hung on all the walls.
My first thought was, "So this is how the contractor addressed the grit--he covered it."
But, no, I learned that it had always been the plan to hang wallpaper on these walls.
I wondered why a little hardly detectable grit mattered if wallpaper was to cover it.
I then eagerly approached the area where the flawed window was located and was surprised to see a beautiful floor-to-ceiling potted plant sitting directly in front of the window.
Again I thought, "So this is how the contractor addressed the crooked little square--he hid it."
As I move closer, I pushed the plant's leaves aside and smiled as I saw that the window had indeed been replaced.
The formerly crooked little square now stood neatly and evenly in the pattern.
I learned that it had always been part of the interior design to have a plant in front of this window.

Why would walls with a little grit and a window with a little asymmetry require additional work and even replacement when few human hands or eyes would ever know?
Why was a contractor held to such high standards?

As I exited the temple deep in thought, I found my answer as I looked up at the refinished exterior and saw these words: "Holiness to the Lord, the House of the Lord."

The temples of this Church are precisely as proclaimed.
These sacred buildings are built for our use, and within their walls sacred and saving ordinances are performed.
But there should be no doubt as to whose house it really is.
By requiring exacting standards of construction down to the smallest of details, we not only show our love and respect for the Lord Jesus Christ, but we also hold out to all observers that we honor and worship Him whose house it is.

-Scott D. Whiting -Temple Standard -October 2012 General Conference

Until you next see these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi