メリディアン
日本語
帰還宣教師から
From Returned Missionaries
Dwayne N. Andersen-Excerpts from Autobiography
Tokyo Temple President
Part 27
NOTE: After we had been in the Tokyo temple for a few months, I received a letter from Dr. Nelson, asking me to arrange for a night’s stay in Tokyo, on his way to China, where he would share his medical knowledge with Chinese doctors. We asked them to stay in our spare bedroom in our apartment, which they accepted. During his visit, he shared with us more about Trudy’s operation. He said that the tumor was so close to the heart that he could not put a clamp on the artery, so he had to put his finger in the artery to stop the blood. He held his finger there so long that his finger went numb. He stopped the blood by sewing around the artery and pulling it shut like a purse string. All the time he was thinking: “ I have three lives depending upon my finger.” He calls Trudy his “miracle girl.” Incidentally, the lab reports showed no malignancy or further cancer.
After a few weeks’ training in the Provo and Salt Lake Temples, we packed up our necessities, rented our home, and headed for Hawaii. There, at the temple, Doug, Peggy and I received a few days’ training. At this temple, I sealed a Japanese couple. We were in Hawaii during the fourth of July, so we joined the Islanders in celebrating Independence Day. After a nostalgic experience in Hawaii, we took a flight to Tokyo and arrived July 8, 1980. Sister Andersen, Doug, and I were the only non-Japanese involved with the opening and operating of the Tokyo Temple. I am sure that the temple trip I organized for the Japanese saints in 1965 was the reason I was called to be the first president of Tokyo Temple. That 1965 trip to the temple in Hawaii was the first real experience that the Japanese had had with the sacred ordinances of the temple.
The culture of Japan has better prepared the Japanese saints for the temple experience than does the American culture. The Japanese understand ancestral worship and doing things for their dead ancestors. They also have some rituals and symbolisms that make the temple ceremony more understandable for them. By the time Tokyo Temple was dedicated in 1980, there were three thousand recommend holders in Japan. These people had all traveled outside of Japan from 1965 to 1980 to receive their endowments.
The Tokyo Temple was the first LDS temple in Asia and the first LDS temple in a non- Christian nation. It was a great privilege for Peggy, Doug, and me to be a part of this historic experience. When we arrived in Tokyo, July 8th, President Matsushita was waiting there to greet us. The ride to the temple was a “thriller’ as we tried to remember how it was riding on the left side of the road! We were surprised to learn that our apartment was in the back of the temple. The construction included two comfortable apartments in the back of the temple, one for the temple engineer and wife and the other for the temple president and wife. We could enter the temple by going up two flights of stairs, directly from our apartment door, to the fourth floor. There was an emergency door; and we had a key that let us in to the temple. The Tokyo Temple became the 18th temple and the 8th largest of the temples in operation at that time.
The temple had four stories and a full basement. When Peggy, Doug, and I arrived, the temple was basically completed except for some interior decorations. We had a chance to help in selecting some of the interior decor.
Between the time of arrival in Tokyo and the dedication, I had time to write up ordinance procedures and other activities within the temple. This had to be translated and printed in Japanese. I also wrote up temple information and instructions for bishops and branch presidents, since they knew nothing about how to prepare their members for entering the temple. Elder Kikuchi was the Area Administrator for the church at this time and had asked me to prepare this information for the church leaders.
Later I wrote an extensive article entitled: “A Message to the Youth of Japan.” In this article, I discussed the position of the temple in The Plan of Salvation, and the temple’s importance in the lives of the members–and enumerated the temporal and spiritual preparations necessary for entrance into the temple. I outlined many blessings that can only be received in the House of the Lord. I also helped to prepare materials for placement into the cornerstone box. I was surprised that my name was on so many of the things that had already been collected. It made me realize that I had been a part of the influences and growth of the church in Japan. I felt unbelievably privileged in having had so many wonderful opportunities to serve the Japanese people. Truly God has blessed me beyond any worthiness.
Shortly after our arrival in Japan, Doug played a great role with the training of the temple missionaries to be able to perform the ordinances. We had two “niseis” (2nd generation), Japanese, from Hawaii who had worked in the temple in Hawaii: Frank and Grace Suzuki and Hideo and Sharon Kanetsuna. They had pretty well learned the ordinances in the Japanese language, and were the only temple missionaries who had had previous experience in a temple.
They were a great help to Peggy, Doug, and me. Of the 20 temple missionaries who served in the beginning, eight were “niseis” (2nd generation) from the United States, and twelve were local Japanese. Four of the locals were in their eighties. The average age of our temple missionaries was 67 years; so it was not an easy task to train them.
We had a most successful open house with many Japanese business and civic leaders, along with hosts of every-day Japanese people. The dedication itself was truly a remarkable time for us. President Spencer W. Kimball, President Marion G. Romney, with Elders Ezra Taft Benson, Gordon B. Hinckley, and Mark E. Peterson of the Quorum of the Twelve, were in attendance. Other General Authorities included: Grant Bangerter, Marion D. Hanks, and Yoshihiko Kikuchi, the Quorum of the Seventies. Derek Metcalfe and Parley Fullmer from the temple department were also there to assist us.
On the day of dedication, President Kimball arrived earlier than we expected. He wanted to be shown through the entire temple. Those who were attending to President Kimball turned him over to me and told me that I was responsible for him while he was in the temple. President Kimball immediately interlocked arms with me and clasped my hand, and then gave me a kiss. As I escorted him through the temple, from time to time he would squeeze my hand and say: “ I am glad that you are here presiding at the temple, President Andersen.” The first task was to set the corner stone. It was presided over and done by President Kimball. There were hundreds of missionaries in the street. All of the missionaries in Japan were called in to Tokyo to participate in the temple dedication, but also to attend an All-Japan Missionary Conference after the dedication. President Kimball and the other authorities conducted the missionary conference. After the cornerstone ceremony, all of the general authorities, along with the temple presidency, were escorted into the small celestial room where the first dedication service would be held. I was seated with other authorities in the first row behind the pulpit. Behind our row was built a platform where the Japanese choir could render their beautiful music. I was privileged to speak at the first dedication service, along with other general authorities. Since I had such special feelings about the Japanese people as I prepared my talk, I will include the talk at this time.