From the smallest details to the entire structure, miracles abound as temples are prepared for open houses and dedications. Workers report being protected physically and spiritually as they labor on the sacred buildings. Members from Camaroon to Brazil to Peru share their stories and experiences as they travel long distances by bus or boat to attend the temple.

In this companion volume to Holy Places, bestselling author-artist Chad S. Hawkins brings together more than forty compelling true stories along with inspiring illustrations of temples from around the world. From Aba, Nigeria, to Helsinki, Finland, to Edmonton, Alberta, these faith-promoting stories encourage and uplift us as they focus our thoughts and desires on doing the Lord's work in his holy temples.

Based on in-depth research and personal interviews, the stories in this beautiful volume convey a sense of God's hand in the important work of temples and the faith of Church members as they seek to perform this work.

"For us to make progress and develop spiritually, we need to be utilizing our access to the temple," writes the author. "It is a testimony to me that the temple is truly a special and eternal edifice. Those who choose to make the temple a focus in their lives will be blessed daily by having an enriched perspective of our Savior's divine purpose."

Johannesburg South Africa ­Temple

As new converts to the Church in 1970, Alan and Pauline Hogben began longing to be sealed in the temple. At that time, the nearest temple was 5,600 miles away in London, England. After careful financial planning, the couple did not think they could afford the journey until after two years of adhering to a tight budget. Although their temple dreams seemed to be in the distant future, they worked toward getting their temple recommends as soon as possible. To their surprise, however, they were able to be sealed in the London Temple five months after receiving their temple recommends. Brother Hogben described how the miracle took ­place:

We were told that the only thing the Lord required of us was to make a commitment, and he would open the doors. So we set out with a very stringent budget that kept our household expenses to a bare minimum. . . . There would come a knock on the door, and someone would bring us a little cake. For months, we would find a food parcel in the back seat of our car after church. Years later, we found that it came from a sister who knew she could never afford to go to the temple, but by helping us she felt she could participate vicariously in our temple ­experience.1

They received further financial aid one evening after sacrament meeting when a member gave them R200 (South African rand), a substantial sum of money in those days. The kind member explained that a man once gave his family a gallon of petrol when they had run out of gas. They had tried to pay him but he said, “No, just give someone else a gallon when they need it.” Helping the Hogbens was the way this member felt he could fulfill his obligation to help someone in need. Brother Hogben returned that kindness to others once he returned from the temple. He said, “When we returned from the temple, we gave that R200 to another couple, and they gave it to still another. To this day, we don’t know how far that R200 went.”­2