| Temple Square is always beautiful in the springtime. Gardeners work to prepare the ground for General Conference. © 2012 Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved. | 1 / 2 |
There has been a temple in Haiti since 2019. Prior to this, members of Haiti had to go to the temple in Florida or since 2000, Santo Domingo. Attending these temples required a lot of sacrifice due to the cost of travel. Accordingly, the construction of a temple in Haiti has been an invaluable blessing for the members. This divine favor was announced towards the end of 2010, after the earthquake.
According to Elder Jean Baptiste, a member of the Quorum of the Seventy, the temple is the most beautiful building in the land, and from a personal perspective, he can admire the temple from his home and get there in less than 15 minutes. He affirms that the very presence of the temple in the country increases spirituality because one must always be ready to visit it. Not living far from the temple, he can be called at any time to serve in the temple.
During 2019, the temple operated normally like all other temples in the Church. In 2020 temple operations were restricted or suspended due to the COVID-19 health crisis and with the ongoing pandemic and political situation in the country, temple operations are currently suspended.
Even though Church members cannot attend for a period, Elder Jean Baptiste reminds us that while the doors of the building are closed, the temple can remain open in our lives. For him, this means that what happens in the temple depends on our personal preparation at home. Whether the temple is closed or opened physically, it remains open spiritually when we have a valid temple recommend, participate in indexing, and gather family history.
There will always be challenges for us to be able to attend the temple. He remembers a teacher he had in Church while he was a young boy. She knew how to transport them to the temple spiritually while they were in Haiti.
There is hope this temporary closure will be ending soon. Indeed, preparations are being made for the reopening of the temple even while waiting for permission from the temple department. “There is no specific date for the resumption of temple activities, but things are underway”, Elder Jean Baptiste said.
He leaves this final message to the members: "Hold on and keep the faith. If we make the Lord our delight, He will keep us safe. ”The temple is an oasis in the desert. It is a place of refuge in a harmful environment. The temple represents hope and stability. The hand of the Lord is in Haiti. Elder Jean Baptiste has a favorable outlook for Haiti despite its challenges. He invites others to come and see and feel the calm and heavenly peace in the temple.