Lessons on the Temple
Lesson No. Eighty-Four 

At the Baptistery with President Monson

Greeting the Brethren – Each Thursday morning, during the time we served in the Salt Lake Temple presidency, the First Presidency and the Quorum of Twelve Apostles went to the Salt Lake Temple for their council meetings.  The council meeting of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles usually began at 8:30 am, and the Apostles started arriving shortly after 8 am.  The meeting of the First Presidency and the Twelve was scheduled for 10 am, and the First Presidency usually arrived by 9:50 am.

One of the privileges of our Salt Lake Temple presidency and wives was to greet these Brethren as they entered the temple. Our shifts rotated so we were on Thursday morning every third week. 

Seniority among the Brethren is important.  The councilors in the First Presidency always deferred to the President.   Each of the Apostles receives a number which represents the order to which they were ordained as members of the Quorum of Twelve.  Joseph Smith being number one, and the newest member of the Quorum to be ordained has the last number.  If two of more Brethren walked into the temple together the junior members always deferred to their seniors when they shook hands with us or went through a door. 


Council rooms in the Salt Lake Temple – (I have been told that the fourth floor of the Salt Lake temple will remain basically the same after remodeling)  The council rooms of the senior Brethren are located on the fourth floor of the Salt Lake Temple.  The chairs in council room of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles form a semi-circle, in order of seniority, facing the front of the room.  Portraits of each member, painted when he first came to the Quorum, are on the walls in seniority.

In the council room of the First Presidency and Quorum of Twelve, the apostles sit in a semi-circle, in seniority, facing the three chairs in the front of the room which are for the First Presidency.  The portraits of the Presidents of the Church are on the walls around the room in order beginning with Joseph Smith.

The council room of the seven Presidents of the Seventy is smaller and is not used as regularly.

After their council meeting finished the Brethren joined for lunch in their dining room on the fourth floor.  The President was at the head of the table, and the rest sat in seniority around the table.  This puts the junior member on one side of the President. 


President Monson and the youth at the baptistery – Many local youth knew when President Monson would be at the baptistery and they gathered there at that time because they knew President Monson would speak to them, usually for several minutes.  This delayed the start of the council meeting with the First Presidency and the Twelve. 

One day we received instructions from Church Security that the youth should be moved out of sight so that when President Monson arrived he would not see them.  We did as instructed, and when President Monson arrived he looked for the youth and was clearly disappointed not to see them.  He must have asked what had happened because the next day we got a call to make sure the youth were back at the baptistery when he came in.  The next week they were there, and he took the time he wanted with them.  He always emphasized the importance of the temple to the youth.


Testimony – As the Brethren entered the temple they usually paused long enough to speak to us in a personal way, and we felt of their goodness.  Most important the Holy Spirit confirmed to us that if we give heed to their council and teachings they will lead us to eternal life.