In August of 1990, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints gathered on the grounds of the newly built Toronto Ontario Temple to hear President Gordon B. Hinckley offer the dedicatory prayer. Our closest temple had been 13 hours away in Washington, D.C. Now, we would have our own temple. We were thrilled as we heard his words:
“We thank Thee, Father, for this good land, where stands thy house—this great nation of Canada whose people enjoy the blessings of liberty and peace, with full freedom to worship thee according to thy revealed pattern.
“This nation has become a gathering place for people from scores of other lands. In their veins flows the blood of Israel. Many have hearkened to the testimony of thy servants and have been favoured with a knowledge of the principles and ordinances of thine everlasting gospel. May their numbers increase and may thy holy work grow in strength here and across the world” (Toronto Ontario Temple > Dedicatory Prayer).
A Prophet’s words come to pass
We had no idea how President Hinckley’s words would be fulfilled in the years to come. In the past year alone, people from countless countries around the world have come to Canada and been baptized. In one ward adjacent to the temple, there have been 58 baptisms in the past twelve months, and most of them have come from other lands.
All who come are welcome. President Nelson said, “Whatever your concerns, whatever your challenges, there is a place for you in this, the Lord’s Church” (Church News, Jan. 16, 2018).
Their stories inspire us:
The Okoh family had just arrived from Nigeria with their three children and were shopping at a nearby mall. They were approached by two missionaries who welcomed them to Canada and invited them to Church. They came, felt the Spirit, studied with the missionaries and were baptized. It is a joy to see their family of five sitting together in Church every week.
Mark Kusnierz was born in Poland. After many years of inactivity from any church, he decided he needed a church to attend. He visited several in the area wearing sunglasses and an orange headdress but never felt welcomed. It was a different story when he attended the Brampton Ward. He felt part of the family. He told the congregation who gathered to welcome him at his baptism that before he found the Church, “I was unhappy, and now I’m happy again.”
The Lawrence family were Christians and lived in Pakistan. They came to Canada with their two young sons, seeking a place where they felt safe and welcomed. They found the Church on social media. The mother, Nabila, says that when they came to church, they found members who love God and love people, and they feel that love.
Shadrach Amoakoh came from Ghana. When he arrived in Canada, he felt something was missing in his life and started visiting different churches. He was looking for a place where he felt he belonged. A friend invited him to come to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He came and immediately felt at home, studied with the missionaries, and was baptized. He bears testimony of the transformational power of the Book of Mormon in his life.
One of the local ward mission leaders tells of a young man who came to Ontario from Mexico as a migrant summer worker. He joined the Church and returned to his remote village in Mexico. Missionaries were sent to his village, and many of his family and their neighbours joined the Church.
Some new members told us they saw the chapel in the area and walked in to see what it was like. They were welcomed, felt loved, studied the gospel of Jesus Christ, and joined the Church.
Many of our leaders have gathered here from afar
Hearing the conversion stories of these new members is an inspiration. Equally inspiring are the members who have gathered here from other countries. Here are a few of them: Our temple president and his wife come from Hong Kong. Our stake president is a native of Uruguay. One of his counsellors was born in Russia. Many have come from the Philippines.
Namal Jayaweera joined the Church in Sri Lanka, where Namal had been a leader in another Christian church. At their first meeting with the missionaries, Namal and his wife were given a copy of the Book of Mormon and urged to read it and ask Heavenly Father if it were true. Namal started reading it and prayed about it before falling asleep. In the night, he was awakened hearing his name being called: “Namal... Namal.” He checked to see who was calling, but his family was asleep. He tried to go back to sleep, but he heard his name being called again: “Namal! Namal!”
His favourite story in the Bible had always been that of Samuel, who heard his name being called in the night. Like Samuel, he realized the Lord was calling him with an answer to his prayer. The next Sunday, he and his family went to Church. It was Fast Sunday, and they heard members bearing their testimonies in the name of Jesus Christ. That convinced them that this was the true Church of Jesus Christ. The family studied with the missionaries, were baptized, and became leaders of the Church in Columbo. Namal translated the Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants into Sinhalese. Now, in Brampton, they are blessing the lives of the members here.
The Spirit touches the youth
One of the youth Sunday School classes includes members from Spain, Nigeria, Pakistan, and the Philippines. Recently, the class stood up and read together “The Standard of Truth” (Joseph Smith, History of the Church, 4:540). The room was filled with the Spirit as they read, “the truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and independent, till it has penetrated every continent, visited every clime, swept every country, and sounded in every ear, till the purposes of God shall be accomplished and the Great Jehovah shall say the work is done.”
When copies of the document were distributed, one fourteen-year-old young man said, “I’m going to read this every morning until I memorize it.”
At a recent conference in the Brampton Ontario Stake, Elder David B. Kinard, the visiting Area Seventy, looked at the congregation of people from around the world and said, “What a blessing it is to be in this stake. This is what heaven must be like.”
As President Nelson said, “The gathering of Israel is evidence that God loves all of His children everywhere.” (Liahona, May 2024, 121)
It is a blessing to see the words of the Lord being fulfilled and to reach out with love to all who have chosen to join the great gathering of Israel in the last days.