Nigerian Members Ready to Begin Temple Work

By Donna and Vern Whisenant, Public Affairs Missionaries in the Africa West Area For Nigerian Latter-day Saints, August 7, 2005, will always be remembered as the day that President Gordon B. Hinckley dedicated the Aba Nigeria Temple as a house of the Lord. More than 7,000 members of the Church crowded into the temple and the adjacent Aba Nigeria Stake Center to participate in one of four dedication sessions. Members, dressed in white shirts and ties or beautiful dresses with matching headdresses, started to gather early in the morning, several hours before the first session. Many remained after the dedication to enjoy the spirit of the day. On August 6, President Hinckley met with members of the media to answer questions about the Church. The dedication of the temple was of national interest in Nigeria. Newspapers, radio, and television media reported on the open house, cornerstone ceremony, and cultural celebration. Before the first dedicatory session, President Hinckley and Elder Sheldon F. Child, President of the Africa West Area, joined other Church leaders to officiate at the cornerstone ceremony. The contents of the cornerstone box included books by President Hinckley, scriptures, a hymnbook, a history of the Church in Nigeria, several newspaper and magazines articles about the Church in Nigeria and the temple dedication, and other pieces of memorabilia. Members from the congregation were called to help President Hinckley seal the box. Among those asked to participate were Izoma Emmanuela Nwobi, 8, and her brother, Chukwndi G. M. Nwobi, 10. Izome expressed her feelings by saying, "I felt very happy and warm inside. I was also a little frightened." Her brother said he could feel the Spirit during the meeting. "I was so close to the prophet," he said. The cornerstone choir included 100 voices. Okereke E. Chimwe, a member of Owerrinta Branch, had a big smile on his face as he spoke, "I feel delighted to sing for the Lord. I felt the Spirit of the Lord so much in the temple." Nnenna Lynda Anyanwu, 17, called the opportunity to sing for the prophet in the temple "the happiest day of my life." "I felt the influence of the prophet, and I felt peace. I heard something whisper to me that truly this is a true prophet of God," said Nnenna. "I feel his love and a calm feeling of peace whenever he stands to address the congregation." Members waited in long lines before each session, but nobody seemed to complain. This was the day they had patiently awaited. Many members traveled several hours to arrive at the temple. Former missionaries and Nigerians living in America, England, Peru, and other parts of the world also traveled to Aba to participate in the dedication. For many, the dedication was a time of rejoicing with friends and family. Damian and Margaret Uchegbu expressed the feelings of many Nigerian families about having the opportunity to be sealed as a family: "We do not even know how to express the feelings we are having right now. We are changed people." Members were eager for the temple to open. Many came prepared to stay later in the week when the temple opened for temple work for themselves and their ancestors. For Nigerian members who waited years for the opportunity to go to the house of the Lord, waiting a little longer did not seem to be a problem.