Early in the history of the restored church the Prophet Joseph Smith advised converts to "gather to Zion." This meant joining with members when the Mormon church was centered in Kirtland, Ohio, later in Independence, Missouri, then Far West, Missouri, Nauvoo, Illinois, and in the Salt Lake valley. The admonition to gather is still in force today but the brethren have advised us that gathering in our day means assembling in the stakes of Zion and building up the kingdom where we live.

Many people suppose that we gather as members of the church because it enables us to support and strengthen as we associate with others who share common values and beliefs. It has also been suggested that gathering allows the Saints to educate and edify one another. These were good reasons to gather. They are good reasons to gather today. But the primary reason we "gather" is to build temples and enter those temples to make sacred, eternal covenants with our Father in heaven.

In Kirtland the Saints, at great sacrifice built a temple, although it did not provide the full complement of ordinances. In Independence ground was dedicated for a temple but persecution drove the Saints out and prevented its construction. Members of the Quorum of the Twelve, their lives in peril, followed the command of the Lord and on their way to England to preach the gospel stopped and dedicated land for a temple in Far West. When the Saints settled in Nauvoo the temple was at the heart of the city. Brigham Young's first resolve after arriving in the Salt Lake Valley was to locate ground for the Temple. Because it took nearly forty years to build, the Saints built the Endowment House for the performance of temple ordinances. Temple worthiness and temple attendance should be the goal of every member of the Church because in these sacred edifices we make eternal covenants with our Father in Heaven.



Kaitapu Tehiva understood the supreme importance of temples. In 1974, Kaitapu, and his wife, Roiti Temanaha, had eight children. Seven more were yet to be born into their family. They lived in Papeete, Tahiti and there was no temple in French Polynesia at that time. Weighing heavily on Kaitapu's mind was his desire to take his family to the New Zealand Temple where they could be sealed as a family for time and all eternity. He and his wife discussed their joint concern and agreed on a course of action.

Kaitapu and Roiti sold their house, their car, their boat -- everything they had -- to fund a trip to the temple and were able to make the trip and see their dream realized. When they returned to Tahiti they had nothing in the way of material goods. They moved in with his sister, Hemaura, in Mahina.

Shortly after their return Kaitapu went to the Lord in prayer, asking for a way to make a living that he might provide for his family. He felt a strong prompting to go out on the water. He took his brother's boat and once he was on the water he asked the Lord what He should do. He had a distinct impression to dive. The ocean floor was far below but he swam down and dug his hands deep into the sand. As he rose to the surface the sand filtered through his fingers and he climbed into the boat with a shell in his hand. He knelt and thanked the Lord for the prompting he received and opened the shell. His eyes rested on an exquisite pearl.

When he was back home he only showed the pearl to his wife. Roiti commented when she saw the size, the beauty and the quality of the pearl, "Don't forget about the Lord." Kaitapu took the pearl to one jeweler who told him the pearl was of little worth. He then went to a friend who guided him to another jeweler who explained that the pearl was extremely valuable and asked what price Kaitapu wanted. They settled on a fair price that allowed Kaitapu to purchase a home, a car and later purchase a pearl farm.

The pearl was subsequently sold for substantially more money, sold again at greater profit, and eventually ended up in England on the crown of the Queen. Kaitapu never fretted that he could have gotten more. He had enough to buy his family a home, establish a pearl farm and earn a comfortable living. He named his next three sons Lehi, Nephi and Jacob. He knew that the real treasures in this life are not found in a shell off the Tahitian shore. Treasures are found in God's holy houses, in his temples.

Can we assume that if we make sacrifices to attend the temple we will see similar temporal miracles in our life? Probably not. But rest assured, we will receive rich spiritual blessings and rewards.

Just as the early Saints comprehended and sacrificed to gather and build temples, just as many Saints sacrifice to attend temples in our day, Kaitapu Tehiva knew that eternal rewards would come to his family as they were sealed in His holy house. He understood the Lord's promise, that every individual who participates in temple ordinances and remains worthy will "be endowed with power from on high."