A Roma!

Home of the

Vatican, Parthenon, Colosseum, Sistine Chapel,

Michelangelo's Madonna,Circus Maximas, Trevi Fountain,

The Carthage of Paul the Apostle, the ancient Forum,

and soon to be LDS TEMPLE!

Today during conference Pres. Monson announced a temple will be built in Rome. For those of you who know me, know I served in the Rome Italy mission. I am so happy I want to tell the whole world about it...so I blog.

A brief history:

Christianity begins with the Apostle Paul traveling to Rome after the death of Jesus Christ. He preached to the people and wrote many of the epistles found in the New Testament. Paul taught the Pagans of Rome and was incarcerated and died in the Carthage of Paul (Which still stands in the Forum at Rome). For hundreds of years Christians are persecuted in Rome and it is illegal to be a Christian. Christians practiced their religion in secret using codes and underground systems of worship and burial (called the catacombs). The Christians were a poor people that quickly began to grow in numbers. Around 300 AD the Emperor Constantine, because the growing number of Christian and the political power he would gain with their approval, legalized Christianity. All that they needed next was to set up a religious precedent, make up a few new "christian" rules, and establish a church in Rome. Now we have the Catholic church and the Vatican that is considered the center of Christian religion worldwide.

Here are a few interesting questions I liked to badger the Italians with:

Where in the Bible does it say "Catholic"? Hmmm? Where did that name come from then? Why if you are Christian is it not called Christ's church?

Who established your church? Where does your priesthood power come from? Constantine an elected official? Paul had the priesthood given him by Christ, who then gave it to the Pope?

The Vatican was built and established on the pretense that it is there that they found the bones of Peter the Apostle. May I interject here that those of us who recall the account of Joseph Smith seeing Peter, James, and John as resurrected beings, having a perfect flesh, and received from them the Holy priesthood and Priesthood keys, now we know that the bones of Peter are not found on the earth but are resurrected with him in the flesh. Here they built St. Peter's cathedral and Vatican City the home of the Papal, the Pope. The Vatican is it's own country guarded by Swiss guards and not dedicated for LDS church proselyting...much like China. The Vatican library hold a vault of historical and religious books dating back to Christ himself - and likely most of the missing pieces of the Bible.

Enter 1850 Lorenzo Snow dedicates Italy for the preaching of the gospel. He said in his dedicatory prayer, "The veil over Italy has burst! The time has arrived when the gospel must be sounded through the earth and Italy will hear it's announcement...the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, now organized, will increase and multiply, and continue it's existence in Italy...the future of Italy's story will outshine the past, and it's children shall yet be more renowned than in ages of old".

Having a temple in Rome is so profound. Unlike the vatican, it will be the first time in Rome's history that The House of the Lord will truly exsist on Roman soil. While I served in Italy we prayed constantly for the blessing of a Stake in Rome and evetually a temple. We were asked specifically by our mission President to teach men who could become worthy priesthood holders. When I heard the news that there will be a temple in Rome I was so excited for the Members in Italy, the families I taught, and my Italian ancestors who will be blessed by temple work being done in Italy.

So there you have it.....I know most of you were thinking of me when you heard the news. Thanks for your phone calls and texts. Now that you've read about the miracle in Rome pass this info on. I know the Lord lives and answers prayers, and even yet he bestows these tender mercies that bless my life everyday.