How the Vancouver Temple Came to Be

May 12, 2015

How the Vancouver Temple Came to Be

Share this article

Share

In the fall of 2005, I was serving as the Abbotsford Stake President. I received a call from a gentleman in Salt Lake City who wanted to come visit with me. He did not disclose the matter he wanted to discuss. We met in Langley and he informed me that he was here to investigate the possibility of building a temple in Vancouver. Together we viewed three possible locations in the area. Three weeks later the same man returned to meet with all three of the local stake presidents. As a group we reviewed and discussed all the possible locations for the Vancouver temple and were informed that President Gordon B. Hinckley, would visit the area to make the final determination.

To prepare the sites for President Hinckley’s visit, I meticulously cleaned the preferred site, levelled the ground and spreading two large trucks of bark chips so the Prophet could walk around safely. To get the best view of the property I brought a man-lift to the site so the prophet could better see the land contours. At 40 feet in the air, I thought he would have a great vantage point. Next, I rented a large van to accommodate everyone traveling with the prophet. I made sure the van was impeccably clean, which led to some curiosity about who was going to be in the van. All I could do was smile as the visit was to be strictly confidential.

I tried to anticipate every need, including umbrellas just in case of rain. I got a backup vehicle so that nothing could disrupt the tour . December 28th, the date of the prophet’s visit, would be my real Christmas. To maintain security and privacy the prophet and company would fly into the smaller Abbotsford airport in a private jet, furnished by a Church member.

When the day finally came, of course it rained, but that didn’t dampen my excitement. The jet pulled up, lowered the stairs and I ran out with umbrellas and escorted the Brethren to the van. President Hinckley sat in the front with me. President Monson sat in the second row seats, accompanied by several other brethren including the Church architect,” . once seated, President Hinckley gave the word, ‘Let’s go,’ and we were off. I soon realized that I was about to have a 5 1⁄2 hour interview with the Lord’s prophet. “President Christensen, why do we need a temple in Vancouver?” President Hinckley asked. I responded that I felt the spiritual light of a temple would greatly help in spreading the gospel in the area,” . I also detailed the problems members faced trying to cross the border to attend temples in the States. President Hinckley intently listened.

The search committee had considered 200th Street and the Freeway in Langley the prime site ,and we drove there first. The rain made the road a quagmire. Taking extra precaution, we transferred to a 4×4 van to ensure we could get through the rain-soaked terrain. I had erected a canopy so that our visitors wouldn’t have to stand in the rain. President Hinckley and President Monson examined the property, but instructed the Church architect and one other brother to ascend in the man-lift to take in the birds eye view.

Once back on the road, President Hinckley asked to be taken to a local chapel. I noticed cars in the parking lot as we drove up and advised President Hinckley that if we entered the building there would be no stopping the spread of the news that the Prophet was in Vancouver. President Hinckley said that would be fine and instructed that we proceed. When he and President Monson walked into the gym, the surprised people decorating for a wedding reception, dropped everything and came running to meet the Prophet. After warm greetings, President Hinckley inspected the chapel and then we returned to the van in order to continue our site visits. As we drove up the street to go around the block, President Hinckley looked to his right and declared, ‘That would be a good site for a temple,’’. A very tall hedge of trees on our right side obstructed the view of the property he was referring to so none of the rest of us saw anything. It took me several hundred yards before I realized what had just happened and I brought the van to a stop. I asked President Hinckley if he would like me to back up so we could see the spot he was referring to. “No, just carry on,” the Prophet said.

“As we drove around the city to view the other sites, I had a chance to talk to President Hinckley,” . I told him about the city and the church in the area. To save time we ate lunch while we drove. President Hinckley opened his box lunch and saw an enormous sandwich. “What am I supposed to do with this?” he exclaimed. “Does anyone have a knife?” No one answered. “I leaned over and advised President Hinckley that he would have to ‘break bread’,” . After a while I became aware of the fact that no one else was joining in our conversation. The others were reverently respecting the prophet’s need to ponder and maintain his focus. Although I had much I wished to discuss, I realized that I should keep quiet as well. During the 5 1⁄2 hour trip the Prophet stayed sharp and perfectly alert. “President Hinckley was truly magnified and given strength to fulfill this most important assignment.

The next day the temple department in Salt Lake City called. “Please get all the information you can get on that property the Prophet identified as a ‘good site’ for a temple,” they said. The property wasn’t one of those being considered nor was it for sale. I went directly to the site. As I walked past the hedge we had driven by, I saw what the Prophet had perceived. I then realized that I had witnessed the Prophet of God exercise his priesthood as a Seer. Nestled in a lovely setting with trees all around, stood a beautiful spot at the peak of the largest hill in the area. It felt like the right place. I took pictures of the area, got information on the property from city hall and sent it to Church headquarters. The next day I received yet another call. “That’s it, find out who owns it and let’s get to work.”

After finalizing the negotiations for the purchase of the several lots that comprised the property, I addressed many of the obstacles to developing that site including the lack of a adequate sewer line, no storm drainage line,a requirement for parkland, necessary school facilities,inadequate roads and a non-conforming zoning. As I struggled to overcome these problems the temple department instructed me to just keep working at it and keep them posted as to my progress. I met many times with the appropriate city officials discussing and reviewing each of the obstacles. Eventually all the problems were resolved and we received “green light” from the city. I have never before seen so many concessions granted on one application.Truly, hearts had been softened by the Spirit. The perfect spot for the Vancouver British Columbia Temple stands witness to a Prophet’s vision and the fulfillment of the Lord’s will.

– Paul Christensen