The Sailing Room

CEBU, Philippines - I have long been amazed at how Mormons put a premium on cleanliness and orderliness. So when The Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-Day Saints had an open house of their Cebu City Philippines Temple in Lahug prior to its scheduled Day of Dedication, I was one among many curious visitors who checked on the imposing edifice with its manicured lawns and superb architectural workmanship.

Among those that nudged my interest are the baptismal font which took its design from what was prescribed in the Old Testament; two landscape paintings by Filipino visual artist Adler Llagas at the stairway leading to the Instruction/Endowment Rooms and Celestial Rooms upstairs; and the Sealing Room where the bride and the groom ties the knot not only for this lifetime but for eternal companionship as well.

It is a basic belief of the members of The Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-Day Saints that because families are ordained by God, they are the most important social unit both “in time and in eternity.” This belief is all the more strengthened when, in the same room, offspring get “sealed” to their parents (Matthew 16:19) to mark the creation of lasting relationships. In the temple, families are united in the most sacred of all human relationships – as husband and wife, and as children and parents – in a way that time cannot limit and death cannot end.

Through a video presentation and exhibit prior to the guided tour inside the temple, it was learned from the church’s elders that God has established families to bring happiness to His children, allow them to learn correct principles in a loving atmosphere, and prepare them to return to Him after they die.

In the Book of Genesis (Chapter 2, Verse 18), marriage and family (Gen. 1:28) are central focal points in God’s plan for the eternal destiny of His children. “Your Heavenly Father wants you to do all you can during your time on Earth to prepare yourself to live in an eternal family,” an online link indicated on the open house brochure read.

Further, Mormons believe that successful marriages and families are established and maintained on sound principles, like those that Jesus Christ taught.  These principles include faith in Jesus Christ, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities. “A home established on Gospel principles is a place of refuge and safety, where the Spirit of the Lord can abide, blessing family members with peace, joy, and happiness,” this was emphasized.

However, since no marriage or family is perfect, it is taught that when dealing with challenging relationships, it may help to remember that each person on Earth is a beloved son or daughter of God and has a divine nature and destiny. “Learning to love and serve your family members, as Christ taught, will help you become more like your Heavenly Father and will help you prepare to live with Him again in an eternal family,” this was further stressed.

As for the baptismal font, it was designed after what was ordered in 1 Kings 7:23-25 wherein the tank rested on the backs of twelve bulls that faced outward, three facing in each direction, symbolizing the twelve tribes of Israel.

With regards to the paintings, I bet you’re already familiar with Adler Llagas’ fascination for mountains and greeneries, an aftermath of his penchant for nature. His works were featured in the recent Mugna-Lambigit (A Creative Linkage) exhibit at the Cathedral Museum of Cebu. Two of his works (realism-impressionism) find a place at the said temple along with the masterpieces of foreign realists Harry Anderson (John the Baptist Baptizing Jesus), Carl Heinrich Bloch (Christ Healing the Sick at Bethesda), and John Steel (The Leper Who Said “Thank You”). Let it be noted that Llagas is the only Filipino who made it to the list because of the “aura of internal and perpetual peace” that his artworks render.

Overall, I got green with envy at the respect they have for their temple being the most sacred place on Earth, as it testifies the Divinity and Atonement of Jesus Christ.

Reverence for hallowed grounds, nowadays, might be a big thing to ask. However, with God, anything is possible and so can He touch a heart for a dose of awakening - that heart which seeks to go back to God leads to the only path in reinforcing change in our perspective of life and a lifestyle of worship. ?