Saturday, August 20, 2022

MY FIRST 100 TEMPLES

Dear family,

The word "family" includes many people. I have met many family members during my travels throughout this beautiful world. Whether I'm visiting Japan, Colombia, or Germany, or California, Utah, or Alabama, whenever I approach a temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which more often than not is topped with a statue of the Angel Moroni, I immediately feel a connection to the people inside. Most of those people don't look like me or talk like me, but that doesn't matter. Jesus Christ and His gospel unite people. 

Live the gospel of Jesus Christ, which includes frequent temple attendance where possible, and you will find yourself more united with your brothers and sisters journeying through this life. Jesus Christ is the Great Uniter.

"When you come to the temple you will love your family with a deeper love than you have ever felt before. The temple is about families." - Richard H. Winkel

I love temples. The structures and surrounding grounds are beautiful. What we are taught inside is even more beautiful.

Daniel Ben Ogden

Summer 2022

Note: Years ago I began a little competition with my Dad to see who could go to the most temples. According to my rules, in order to count a temple I had to participate in some kind of temple work inside (baptism, initiatory, sealing, endowment), not simply take a picture in front of the temple and move on. These are my first 100 temples. I had a goal of attending all of the temples in the world, but President Russell M. Nelson came along and destroyed my goal by announcing 10-20 new temples during every General Conference weekend. I cannot help but be happy about the fact that I will never achieve my goal. It means the blessings of the temple are reaching more people.

Sam at the Albuquerque New Mexico Temple.
With Dad in front of the Anchorage Alaska Temple.
Anchorage Alaska
With my beautiful Sam in front of the Atlanta Georgia Temple.
Atlanta Georgia
With Joseph in front of the Barranquilla Colombia Temple. This was temple #100 for me. It was built and dedicated where I served my mission, almost 20 years after I left the mission. Joseph and I returned to my mission 25 years after I began my service.

With Rene Sarmiento (left - a stake patriarch) and Robert BolaƱo, 25 years after I met them on my mission. I participated in Rene's baptism while I was a missionary.
One of my favorite families from Colombia.
Oliva, Maria Isabel, Ana Paulina, me, Jackiee, Cesar, and Mateo 
Barranquilla Colombia Temple

"Temples are the greatest university of learning known to man, giving us knowledge and wisdom about the Creation of the world. Endowment instructions give guidance as to how we should conduct our lives here in mortality." - Robert D. Hales

Baton Rouge Louisiana
Bern Switzerland
Bern Switzerland with Sam and two-year-old Douglas.
Bern Switzerland

Billings Montana
Birmingham Alabama

Bismarck North Dakota with little Douglas off to the right side.
Boise Idaho
Boise Idaho

"I have hallowed this house, which thou hast built, to put my name there for ever; and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually." - I Kings 9:3

Boston Massachusetts

Sam and I were married and sealed for time and all eternity in the Bountiful, Utah Temple on July 20th, 2013.


Bountiful Utah


Sam's family
My family

"It is in these holy houses that faithful couples enter into the ordinance of celestial marriage through which they become parties to the Abrahamic covenant." - Bruce R. McConkie

Brigham City Utah


Sam and baby Douglas at the Calgary Alberta Canada Temple
Calgary Alberta Canada
Cardston Alberta Canada
Cardston Alberta Canada
Cardston Alberta Canada with Sam and Douglas.
Cedar City Utah
Cedar City with Sam, Douglas, and Penny.
Cedar City Utah
Chicago Illinois
Chicago Illinois

"As we come unto Christ and journey to higher ground, we will desire to spend more time in His temples, because the temples represent higher ground, sacred ground." - Joseph B. Wirthlin

Columbia River Washington

Columbia River Washington
Columbia South Carolina with Sam

Columbus Ohio with Marianne and Kevin Scoresby
Columbus Ohio

Dallas Texas
Denver Colorado with my brother, Joseph, in 1996.
Denver Colorado
Detroit Michigan with baby Douglas
Draper Utah with Sam and Douglas

Fort Collins Colorado
Fort Collins Colorado
Fort Lauderdale, Florida with my brother-in-law, Nate Coombs.
Fort Lauderdale 
Fort Lauderdale
Frankfurt Germany
Frankfurt Germany
Freiberg Germany
Freiberg Germany
Freiberg Germany wearing my hoodie from Libya.
Fresno California with Dad
Fresno California with Chris Green
Gila Valley Arizona

"At the temple the dust of distraction seems to settle out, the fog and the haze seem to lift, and we can 'see' things that we were not able to see before and find a way through our troubles that we had not previously known." - Boyd K. Packer


Gilbert Arizona
Gilbert Arizona
Gilbert Arizona
Guatemala City with Dad
Guatemala City
Hartford Connecticut
Hartford Connecticut
Hartford Connecticut
Sam in front of the Hong Kong China Temple
Hong Kong China

"And early in the morning [Jesus] came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them." - John 8:2

Houston Texas

Idaho Falls with Aunt Audrie Gunn
Indianapolis Indiana
Indianapolis Indiana
Sam and Douglas at the Jordan River, Utah Temple
Jordan River Temple
Jordan River Temple
Kansas City Missouri
Kansas City Missouri
Sam and Douglas at the Kirtland Temple. This one does not count among the 100 because it is currently owned by another church.

"For thou knowest that we have done this work through great tribulation; and out of our poverty we have given of our substance to build a house to thy name, that the Son of Man might have a place to manifest himself to his people." - Doctrine & Covenants 109:5

Doctrine & Covenants section 109 is the prayer offered by Joseph Smith at the dedication of the Kirtland Temple on March 27th, 1836.

Kona Hawaii
Kona Hawaii
Laie Hawaii

Laie Hawaii
Laie Hawaii
Sam at the Las Vegas Nevada Temple
Las Vegas Nevada
Lima Peru
Lima Peru
Lima Peru with Doug Coombs (my father-in-law) and Clara and Miguel Barragan (Coombs family friends)

"I urge our people everywhere, with all of the persuasiveness of which I am capable, to live worthy to hold a temple recommend, to secure one and regard it as a precious asset, and to make a greater effort to go to the House of the Lord and partake of the spirit and the blessings to be had therein." - Gordon B. Hinckley

Logan Utah
Logan Utah

Logan Utah
London England

Los Angeles California
Los Angeles California

"And [there were] other choice spirits who were reserved to come forth in the fulness of times to take part in laying the foundations of the great latter-day work, including the building of the temples and the performance of ordinances therein." - Doctrine & Covenants 138:53-54

Louisville Kentucky
Louisville Kentucky with Dustin Adams (aka Chuck Norris)
Louisville Kentucky
Lubbock Texas with Sam

Manhattan New York with Dad

Manti Utah
Medford Oregon
Memphis Tennessee

"One thing have I desired of the Lord...that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple." - Psalm 27:4

Meridian Idaho
Meridian Idaho with Sam

Mesa Arizona
Mom, me, Sara, Lizzie, and Joseph at the Mesa Arizona Temple.
Mesa Arizona with Paul McLaughlin (cousin)

"The time will come when there will be temples established over every portion of the land, and we will go into these temples and work for our kindred dead night and day." - Lorenzo Snow

Monticello Utah with Dad


Montreal Canada

We had the opportunity to help clean the temple.
With Dad and David Galbraith in front of the Montreal Canada Temple. Brother Galbraith was the temple president at the time and he let me do an endowment session in Arabic.
Mt. Timpanogos Utah
Mt. Timpanogos Utah


Nauvoo Illinois
Nauvoo Illinois
Newport Beach California
Newport Beach California
Oakland California
Oakland California with Sam
Oakland California
Oakland California
Oakland California
Oakland California with Quince Altman (US Army friend) - 2002

"I have a suggestion: When a temple is conveniently nearby, small things may interrupt your plans to go to the temple. Set specific goals, considering your circumstances, of when you can and will participate in temple ordinances. Then do not allow anything to interfere with that plan." - Richard G. Scott

Ogden Utah (before reconstruction)
Ogden Utah (after reconstruction)

Sam and Douglas at Ogden Utah Temple

Oklahoma City

"We have thought of thy lovingkindness, O God, in the midst of thy temple." - Psalms 48:9

Oquirrh Mountain with Douglas
Oquirrh Mountain Utah

Orlando Florida

"We should expect that the adversary will try to interfere with us as we seek to participate in this sacred and inspired work. The interference can vary from the terrible persecutions of the earlier days to apathy toward the work. The latter is perhaps the most dangerous and debilitating." - Boyd K. Packer

Palmyra New York
Palmyra New York
Panama City Panama
Panama City with (left-to-right) JosƩ Barragan, Miguel Barragan, and Doug Coombs


Payson Utah with Jude Frye (nephew)
Payson Utah
Payson Utah with Sam and Douglas
Philadelphia Pennsylvania with Sam and Dustin Nguyen. Sam and I met each other thanks to Dustin.
Philadelphia Pennsylvania with baby Penny
Philadelphia Pennsylvania

"There, in the house of the Lord, you can learn what you need to know to be truly free. There, tucked away from turmoil and strife, is the chance to be totally unselfish--a rarity in today's world." 
- Robert L. Simpson

Phoenix Arizona
Phoenix Arizona
Douglas wanted his mama, not a photo in front of the temple.
Phoenix Arizona
Portland Oregon
Preston England
Preston England
Preston England with Dad
Provo City Center Utah
Provo City Center Utah

With Dad at the Provo Temple just before leaving to serve my mission - 1997.
With Mom at the Provo Temple just before leaving to serve my mission - 1997.
With Sam, Mom, Dad, Sara, Lizzie, and Joseph at the Provo Temple the day Joseph received his endowment - April 23rd, 2022.
Mom, Dad, Joseph
With Sam, Mom, Dad, Sara, Lizzie, and Joseph at the Provo Temple the day Joseph received his endowment - April 23rd, 2022.

Raleigh North Carolina

Redlands California
Reno Nevada
Reno Nevada with baby Douglas

Rexburg Idaho with Uncle Craig Gunn
Sacramento California
Kathy and Luther McLaughlin, Daniel, Zach, Kelly and Brian Zufelt at the Sacramento California Temple. Kathy and Luther are my aunt and uncle. Kelly is my cousin. Brian is her husband. Zach is their son.
Salt Lake City Utah
With cousin Paul McLaughlin at the Salt Lake Temple.
Salt Lake City Utah
Salt Lake City Utah
Salt Lake City Utah
Salt Lake City Utah

"To accomplish this work there will have to be not only one temple but thousands of them, and thousands and tens of thousands of men and women will go into those temples and officiate for people who have lived as far back as the Lord shall reveal." - Brigham Young

San Antonio Texas
San Antonio Texas
San Antonio Texas
San Antonio Texas

"To you who are worthy and able to attend the temple, I would admonish you to go often. The temple is a place where we can find peace. There we receive a renewed dedication to the gospel and a strengthened resolve to keep the commandments." - Thomas S. Monson

San Diego Temple with cousins Ben Carter and Paul McLaughlin
San Diego Temple with Sam shortly before we were married.
San Diego California
Santiago Chile - 1999
Seattle Washington

"I know your lives are busy. I know that you have much to do. But I make you a promise that if you will go to the house of the Lord, you will be blessed; life will be better for you." - Gordon B. Hinckley

Snowflake Arizona

Spokane Washington
Spokane Washington with baby Douglas
St. George Utah with Douglas
St. George Utah


St. Louis Missouri
With Sam and Douglas at the St. Paul Minnesota Temple
St. Paul Minnesota (Sam took this photo while I was inside the temple)

"[The temple] is where we climb high above the smoke and the fog of these earthly things and we learn to read by God's eternal stars a course that will lead us safely back home." - Harold B. Lee

Star Valley Wyoming
Star Valley Wyoming
Star Valley Wyoming
Star Valley Wyoming
Tijuana Mexico
Tijuana Mexico
Tijuana Mexico
With Dad at the Tijuana Mexico Temple
Tijuana Mexico
Tokyo Japan

"I would advise all the Saints to go to with their might and gather together all their living relatives to this place, that they may be sealed and saved, that they may be prepared against the day that the destroying angel goes forth." - Joseph Smith

Toronto Canada

Toronto Canada
Trujillo Peru with Miguel and Clara Barragan, and Doug Coombs.
Trujillo Peru
Trujillo Peru
Tucson Arizona with Dad
Tucson Arizona
Twin Falls Idaho
Twin Falls Idaho
Vancouver Canada
Vancouver Canada
Vancouver Canada
Vernal Utah with Jon Groneman
Vernal Utah

"Finally it may be said that the temple endowment is not secret. All who meet the requirements for entrance to the temple may enjoy it." - John A. Widtsoe

Washington D.C.
Washington D.C.
Washington D.C.
Washington D.C.
May 2022: with Clayton, Kate, and Sam at the open house of the recently-renovated Washington D.C. Temple, almost 50 years after the first open house. Kate is Sam's sister. Clayton is Kate's husband.
Washington D.C.

"There exists a righteous unity between the temple and the home. Understanding the eternal nature of the temple will draw you to your family; understanding the eternal nature of the family will draw you to the temple." - Gary E. Stevenson

Winter Quarters Nebraska
Winter Quarters Nebraska

"Let us truly be a temple-attending and a temple-loving people. Let us make the temple, with temple worship and temple covenants and temple marriage, our ultimate earthly goal and the supreme mortal experience." - Howard W. Hunter


1 comment:

  1. Daniel, this is beyond amazing! Look what this friendly competition with your Dad led too. We were so blessed as the Area Medical Advisor and Assistant to the Central America Area from Mar 2005 to Feb 2007, to be able to work with President D. Kelly Ogden y Hermana Marcia Ogden, who were over the Guatemala Missionary Training Center (your Dad and Mom). They are an outstanding couple who have a wonderful family, including you and Sam. Carry on with your temple work. It inspires us all to be better temple attenders! Love from Hermana Petersen. (Today, Sunday, August 21. 2022 is the two-year remembrance of when Walt graduated to heaven.) Some day I hope you and Sam will be able to do some temple work in the San Salvador El Salvador Temple where we were blessed to serve as Temple President and Matron from July 2011 to Oct. 2014. It was dedicated on Aug 21, 2011. I just realized typing this that is 11 years ago today~! Now you can start on your next 100 temples. I imagine you are the only one in the world who has attained this goal! Love, Eileen Petersen

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