Temple Missionary excursion to Philadelphia Pennsylvania Temple 8-22-16

Another wonderful P-Day spent on a Temple Missionary Outing--this time to Philly!! Again planned and carried out by our super "Activities Planner Couple" the Rogers. We are not sure where they get all the ideas for these outings (their own creativity plus others input is what I think). At any rate--shepherding 30 people ( all Adults!!) cannot be easy--but they have things so well-planned and organized (down to departure times and when we need to be here or there, etc) that they make it look easy!! Many times they have made a "dry run" just so they do know how much time to allow for travel--and which mode of transport to take. This Senior Missionary trip to Philadelphia Temple was all "lined out" for us--down to the purchase if the train tickets and our Temple Open House reservations. We left from our Apartment building Lobby at 7:00 am and traveled by subway to Penn Station (34th Street) and caught the 7:53 am New Jersey Transit--to Trenton, NJ--where we changed to SEPTA (another train line) to Philadelphia. We arrived at the Suburban Station in Philly at a little before 11:00 am and walked the .04 miles to Logan Square in downtown Philly to where this beautiful temple "rises up in the heart of Philadelphia"!! It is such a beautiful building!!

This was from an article published in the Deseret News about the Philadelphia Temple--interesting information regarding the LDS Church and the Catholics.

"No other temple built  by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints combines a rare downtown location next to a major Catholic basilica, strong historic meaning to both the founding of the faith and a nation, fitting architectural majesty and a church-owned high-rise commercial project.  Add the fact that high-ranking church leaders and rank-and-file members recall the days when Pennsylvania and New Jersey had so few Mormons that the idea of a temple here was preposterous, and the joy and pride felt and expressed when the temple's cornice lights went on last week was understandable.

"This is a magnificent structure," Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the church's Quorum of the Twelve Apostles told the Deseret News last week after he toured the temple site while he was in Philadelphia for the World Meeting of Families.

"It is unique," he said. "It's true to the sense of history and the architecture of Philadelphia. It really reflects that history. I think in time it really will become a landmark in this city, because it is so uniquely suited to what Philadelphia is and has been in the history of the United States over the years."

“Good friends On one side of the temple is a freeway, and just beyond that is a major Catholic landmark, the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul, where Pope Francis celebrated a Mass during his visit last week. The gold-plated Moroni atop one of the temple's two towers will stop inches below the top of the basilica spire. “We’re going to be good friends," said Linley Baker, a Latter-day Saint who moved from Paris to Wilmington, Delaware, three years ago. Leaders of both faiths say the closeness of the two holy structures mirrors their own feelings. "It is in a way symbolic," Elder Christofferson  said. "It's nice to have these two buildings, those key symbols of our faith, the basilica and the temple, side by side almost. I think they complement each other well." The archbishop of Philadelphia, Charles Chaput, spoke at BYU last year, and last week, during Elder Christofferson's presentation at the World Meeting of Families, said Catholics can learn from Mormons about strengthening families. "Archbishop Chaput has his offices in the building next to the basilica and also overlooks the temple," Elder Christofferson said. "He's said to me a couple of times, 'You know, I'm keeping an eye on it for you. I'm watching the construction, I'm making sure everybody's well-behaved down there. They're not swearing and they're doing the job right.' He's a good friend."

Pictures of our group in various "points" of our "Temple outing"

Our Missionary Group waiting at Penn Station (34th St) for train to Philly

"All Aboard!"

2nd "leg" if our journey to Philly--waiting in Trenton for the SEPTA train to arrive

E and S Mumford inside the little Visitor's Center at the Philadelphia Temple Open House

Waiting outside the Philadelphia Temple 

Inside the room at the Chapel where the Open House begins with a film 

A different view of the Philadelphia Temple 

Below are some actual rooms in the Philadelphia Pennsylvania Temple that can be found on Church websites:

Notice the painting found in this area of the entrance to the Temple in Philadelphia. It was specifically painted for this location--it is of the signing of the U S  Constitution 

The entrance and the Recommend Desk 

The Bride's Room 

The Celestial Room-- the chandelier is absolutely stunning!! 

The Baptismal Font-- so beautiful and functional with the 2 stairways--one for the women/girls and one for the men/boys 

We so enjoyed our trip to this Temple Open House and both of us commented about it being the BEST Temple Open House we have ever attended due to the tours and the personal touches that were added to the information that each person presented in the rooms we went in. 

This Temple will become the Temple some of our Workers and Patrons from Manhattan Temple will now be assigned to attend and we will miss them so much!!