Titanic Grave Site and Halifax House of the Lord

 

Yesterday I took a break from work to visit Halifax, Nova Scotia.

This was what spurred my visit. Two weeks ago my marvelous mother-in-law, Margaret, provided me with some names of deceased ancestors to take to the temple. As you can see in this photo, Arthur Davis Morris was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia. So, I decided to look into the feasibility of taking a trip up north to perform Arthur's initiatory work at the Halifax Temple. It was feasible. 😁

For those of you who want to know why I go to temples:

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Latter-day Saints are a temple-building and temple-loving people. It has been so from the earliest days of the Church. Through the Prophet Joseph Smith, the Lord declared that "my people are always commanded to build [temples] unto my holy name" (D&C 124:39-40).

Temples are different than the thousands of Church meetinghouses located around the world. Meetinghouses are where Sunday worship services, youth gatherings, service projects, and other community events take place. All are welcome to join in these activities.

Temples have a more specific purpose. They are places specially set apart for sacred service and ceremonies. They are designated by the Lord and dedicated to His purposes. Temples are the only places where some priesthood ordinances are authorized to be performed. These sacred ceremonies lift and inspire participants as they make commitments to follow the teachings and example of Jesus Christ.

Making and keeping covenants refines individuals and unites families together for eternity. Our relationships with those we love can last forever when we honor our commitments to God. In temples, these ordinances are also performed by members of the Church on behalf of those who have died without the opportunity to hear and accept the gospel of Jesus Christ. Such service extends the saving grace of Jesus Christ to all people. After a temple is dedicated, entrance is reserved for members of the Church who are prepared to participate in these ordinances.

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/temples/why-latter-day-saints-build-temples?lang=eng#

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When I arrived at the Halifax Airport I proceeded to passport control where I was subjected to an unusual number of questions. Abdulaziz, the passport control officer, simply could not understand why someone would come to Halifax for half a day. 

Chechen-looking male wants to enter Canada for half a day, for religious reasons. Suspicious. 😎

I explained a little about temples and my goal to visit as many temples as I could. Apparently, he wasn't convinced. He was polite, but he put a big red X on my entry paper and told me to go talk to an immigration official. Because his name is Abdulaziz, I thought of asking about his background and busting out some Arabic with him. But I quickly discarded that thought because . . . 

Chechen-looking Arabic-speaking male wants to enter Canada for half a day, for religious reasons. 

More suspicious. 😎😎

I walked over to the immigration official where I received additional questioning. Honestly, it didn't bother me much. I only regret not asking them if they would like a visit from the missionaries to learn more about our religion.

After surviving my brief interrogation, I went to the car rental area to pick up my car. I like the Nissan Rogue, and I like the Nova Scotia license plates.

I drove a few minutes to the Holiday Inn Express near the airport to drop off my things before heading into the city. See the sole name under Diamond, IHG's highest status? I spend half my life at IHG hotels.

This is the only other place I wanted to visit in Halifax. I wasn't sure if I should put a big smile on my face for a photo at the Titanic Grave Site, so my face ended up like that 👆😁. There's a neat spirit at that little section of the Fairview Lawn Cemetery.

Sorry about the shadows. The sun was at my back for some of these photos.

The headstones are lined up in the shape of a ship.

As you may have read in the information above, the number on each gravestone is the number assigned when the body was found.

In case you cannot read the inscription on the bottom half of this headstone:

I’VE ANCHORED MY SOUL

IN THE HAVEN OF REST

TO SAIL THE WIDE SEAS NO MORE

THE TEMPEST MAY SWEEP

O’ER THE WIDE STORMY DEEP

IN JESUS I’M SAFE EVERMORE

Bottom half:

OUT IN THAT BITTER WASTE

ALONE WITH THEE

THOU DIDST EACH HERO SAINT

FROM SORROW FREE

NO HUMAN HELP AROUND I SEE

NEARER TO THEE

SEE ANGEL FACES BECKON ME

NEARER TO THEE

IN THE MIDST OF LIFE WE ARE IN DEATH

Without the half-smile man in the photo. 😐

Following my visit to the Titanic Grave Site, I drove over to the Halifax Temple to perform the initiatory work for Arthur Morris and a few other deceased ancestors. I thoroughly enjoyed my time in that little House of the Lord with a few good saints of Nova Scotia.

Here's a short story about the Halifax Temple:

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A mechanical problem with the plane to be used by President Gordon B. Hinckley to travel to the Halifax Nova Scotia Temple dedication resulted in a historic first: the dedication of two temples on the same day. The Regina Saskatchewan Temple, scheduled to be dedicated by President Hinckley the next day, was instead dedicated by Elder Boyd K. Packer, acting president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, while President Hinckley presided over the postponed dedicatory sessions for the Halifax temple. Richard Moses, second counselor in the Dartmouth Nova Scotia Stake presidency and chairman of the local temple committee, noted, "When the dedication was postponed, members showed no irritation, but inquired what they could do, like opening their homes to help offset the expense of those who would need to stay an extra night to attend the dedication." He added, "It is impossible—there are not words—to adequately express our gratitude for this temple. No longer do we just look at a picture of a temple. Now, when my daughters look out their bedroom window, they see the softly lighted figure of the Angel Moroni standing as a beacon over the area."

To attend the dedication, members in the Bay Roberts, Grand Falls and Corner Brook branches drove six to eight hours to a sea port where they ferried to Nova Scotia during the night, then drove four more hours to the temple. Members from Maine drove eight hours to attend. Members in New Brunswick and on Prince Edward Island also drove many hours. "These are faithful people who don't consider attending the temple to be a sacrifice," President Moses said.

https://churchofjesuschristtemples.org/halifax-nova-scotia-temple/

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After being spiritually nourished at the Halifax Temple, I drove to a nearby Wendy's to be physically nourished.

I could have walked in the other door to eat at a real Canadian restaurant, but I love Wendy's.

Now I'm back in the United States.

Trip details:

Total time away: 30 hours

Flights: 4

Airports: 3

Total Cost: approximately $100 (I used miles/points for everything except the airport fees, a $3 bottle of water after my empty bottle disappeared going through the airport security machine, Wendy's, a $1 toll fee on a bridge in Halifax, and a small amount of fuel for the car.)

I leave you with the following counsel from Joseph Smith, which I need to remember as I journey through life. Thank you, Dad, for bringing this quote to my attention.

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George A. Smith, who served as a counselor to President Brigham Young, received the following counsel from the Prophet Joseph Smith at a time of great difficulty: “He told me I should never get discouraged, whatever difficulties might surround me. If I was sunk in the lowest pit of Nova Scotia and all the Rocky Mountains piled on top of me, I ought not to be discouraged but hang on, exercise faith, and keep up good courage and I should come out on the top of the heap at last.”

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/teachings-joseph-smith/chapter-19?lang=eng#title1

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