The Columbus Ohio Temple
A Foundation of Faith
What causes people to willingly give of their time, means, and energy to serve God? Why do they choose to follow the Lord’s commandments when it may result in persecution or even death? The Prophet Joseph Smith stated, “Faith is . . . the moving cause of all action in . . . intelligent beings . . . Faith is not only the principle of action, but of power also.” By faith, the early Saints sacrificed and labored to construct a House of the Lord in Kirtland. It was this same belief which gave them the courage to abandon that sacred edifice because of persecution and follow the Prophet to Missouri. In our day, this power has influenced thousands of Ohio members to perform saving ordinances for their ancestors. For decades, it has been the hope of the Saints that the Lord would once again build His house in Ohio. From when the Kirtland Temple closed for all intents and purposes in 1840, until 1998
–158 years later– Church members could only pray that a sacred House of the Lord might return. That hope became a reality on April 25, 1998, when President Gordon B. Hinckley announced the time had come to build a temple in the Columbus, Ohio area. As it was with the Kirtland, Ohio temple, so it is with the Columbus, Ohio temple – faith has brought to fruition the hope of the Saints. This truth was reaffirmed at the groundbreaking when Elder John K. Carmack stated, “It is faith that has brought this temple. This people with their dedication and courage deserve this temple.”
Ohio Turfgrass Foundation
After accepting the opportunity to write a history of the Ohio Turfgrass Foundation, I drove through several local suburbs to take a fresh look at some of the wonderful lawns and gardens which we take for granted in 21st century America. With a new perspective I saw in a different light what I had come to accept without thought: Our communities exhibit an incredible sea of green as neighborhood after neighborhood unfolds beautifully kept lawns, gardens, and park settings. It is a testimony to American ingenuity and hard work that across this broad continent and an array of climates, middle class families can grow a quality of grass only kings and queens could have engineered 200 years ago.
