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Latter-day Saints from Australia's Northern Territory gather for a photo outside the Sydney Australia Temple in April 2024. Some of them had waited close to 40 years for the opportunity to worship in the house of the Lord.2024 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.This story appears here courtesy of TheChurchNews.com. It is not for use by other media.
By Rachel Sterzer Gibson, Church News
Latter-day Saints from different Indigenous Australian tribes in the country’s Northern Territory recently journeyed more than 3,000 kilometers (1,800 miles) east to worship in the Sydney Australia Temple.
Some individuals had been waiting close to 40 years for the opportunity to worship in the house of the Lord, reported the Church’s Pacific Newsroom.
The Northern Territory is a vast, arid state in Australia famed for its “outback” desert vistas. The region is largely undeveloped, and Church members there experience the blessing of temple worship infrequently, at best.
The group of Latter-day Saints, from the remote towns of Alice Springs, Mulga Bore and Elliott, flew to Sydney, on the East Coast of Australia, in April, accompanied by a senior missionary couple, Elder Scott Gamble and Sister Diane Gamble, as well as three returned missionaries who served in the Northern Territory in the 1980s: Matthew Tarawa and Tane Kaka, both from New Zealand; and Vernice (Howe) Petty, who comes from New Zealand but now lives in Melbourne, Australia.
Several recently returned missionaries from the Australia Adelaide Mission, which now includes the Northern Territory, also attended: Zachary Lekias, Will Carroll, Benjamin Jian and Anamalia Tupou.
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A map shows the location of Alice Springs at the center of Australia. Graphic courtesy of Church News.Copyright 2024 Deseret News Publishing Company.In preparation for the temple trip, friends and ward members helped the first-time visitors research their ancestry through FamilySearch.org.
Because some participants are from Indigenous tribes, some information was gathered through interviews, while other information was verified or gleaned from the Barkley Regional Council Death Registry.
Many miracles occurred that led to finding vital historical information, Pacific Newsroom reported.
Elder and Sister Gambles, who helped orchestrate the temple visit, drove seven hours from Elliott to Alice Springs to pick up those traveling to the temple. After arriving at the Sydney temple, the group participated in 227 ordinances, including baptisms, initiatories, endowments and sealings.
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A group of Latter-day Saints from Australia's Northern Territory gather for a photo outside the Sydney Australia Temple in April 2024. Some of them had waited close to 40 years for the opportunity to serve.2024 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.Blessings of the Temple
More than a year ago, Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles traveled the 14,000 kilometers (8,500 miles) from Church headquarters in Salt Lake City to Alice Springs.
President Jonathan R. Schwalger, president of the Alice Springs Branch, described Elder Christofferson’s visit as both an honor and a blessing.
Many local members and their friends — even ones they hadn’t seen for a while — were able to attend and feel the Spirit and meet Elder Christofferson, President Schwalger reported.
“The following Sunday, blessings continued as many Saints shared their experiences, and it was not surprising that Elder Christofferson’s message touched so many in different ways.”
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Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and his wife, Sister Kathy Christofferson, visit Alice Springs, Australia, on Thursday, May 25, 2023. This was the first time an Apostle visited the remote town.2024 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.Tim McNamara, a local artist, presented Elder Christofferson with a painting of the Last Supper. Elder Taniela B. Wakolo, a General Authority Seventy and member of the Pacific Area Presidency who accompanied Elder Christofferson to the outback, later promised McNamara that if he went to the temple, his family would be blessed.
McNamara was one who traveled to the Sydney temple this year. Sister Gambles recalled how as McNamara was sealed to his parents, a tear rolled down his cheek. “The promise made by Elder Wakolo has been fulfilled. We believe Tim is the welding link between his ancestors and his posterity and that his family will continue to be blessed,” Sister Gambles said.
Matthew Tarawa was one of the first two missionaries to serve in Elliott in the 1980s. In 1981, he baptized Beetaloo and Biddy Bill, whose daughters — Sarah and Sharon Bill — were among those on the Sydney temple trip.
Tarawa said of the experience, “My huni [sweetheart] and I are grateful and blessed to be a part of this life moment.”
Sarah Bill described the temple as both “quiet and peaceful,” adding, “I felt the Spirit and I know my mum and dad were there watching me and my sister Sharon, what we did. We know our Heavenly Father loves us and is happy with what we have done. The temple brings families together forever. I love my family.”
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The Sydney Australia Temple.2024 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.Copyright 2024 Deseret News Publishing Company.