Kyiv Temple

I'm so excited about this... and so sad I'm not able to be there! I've said this before, but unless you're Ukrainian (or emotionally Ukrainian, like me,) you may not understand how completely amazing it is that an LDS temple is being build in Ukraine, a formerly Communist country. Let me explain a little bit of the background.

This is the first temple anywhere in the former Soviet Union! Since the church was opened in Ukraine in 1991, the members in Ukraine traveled to Germany (three days by bus) to visit the temple. Beginning tomorrow, this temple will serve nine different countries in Europe. Armenia, Belarus, Bulgaria, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Romania, Russia and Ukraine.

On Sept. 12, 1991, Elder Boyd K. Packer offered a blessing on the land of Ukraine. The brief ceremony took place at the base of a statue honoring Prince Vladimir, who declared his realm would be Christian. I loved walking up to this statue and listening to this story when I lived in Kyiv. I'm sure we took the same walk and the story was told to me fifty times by fifty different people, but I loved to hear it every time.

The Kyiv Temple was announced while I was a missionary in Dnepropetrovsk (in a year I'd rather not disclose here!) For some reason, I thought the temple would be done by the time I finished my mission and I'd be able to do a session on my way home. So much time has passed. The members there have been so patient and hopeful during this entire process. This really just seems like a dream come true. It's a miracle.

I've heard about the open house all week and see my friends who are there in Kyiv post their photos on Facebook. I visited a couple of summers ago and saw the temple under construction. It's done and it's beautiful, as evidenced in this video and this video, which show the highlights of the temple. Yesterday, a cultural celebration telling the history of Ukraine was held in a huge concert hall. I wish I could have shared in the music, love, and laughter of the people I love so much. I would have loved to sing the hymns with the members in the meeting. I wish I could have seen the excitement on the faces of the members when President Monson spoke. I wish I was there to hear the Prophet's voice as he spoke about this beautiful building and the importance of the work there.

I always thought I'd be there for this and looked forward to this for years, but the timing just doesn't work for me. I can't miss the first week of school, especially since I'm moving to a new school this year. I'm heartbroken, but at the same time my heart is overflowing with excitement for those who can be there. It's an amazing place to be and an amazing time to be there.


Find more info here: Deseret News, Newsroom and Meridian Magazine