A group of members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from Northern Territory, Australia travelled to Sydney to worship in the temple earlier this year. Some had been waiting 40 years for the opportunity.
Northern Territory Saints at the Sydney Australia Temple. May 2024.
Northern Territory members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the Sydney Australia Temple. May 2024.© 2024 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.It was a special opportunity for the Bill family from Elliott, the Bird family from Mulga Bore, and other Church members from Alice Springs to come together. They hail from different indigenous Australian tribes and have different customs, but they all have the Church of Jesus Christ in common.
Sarah Bill and her sister Sharon are daughters of Beetaloo and Biddy Bill, who joined the Church in Elliott, Northern Territory in 1981.
The two sisters are artists. In some Northern Territory communities, traditional dot paintings (including some painted by Sarah and Sharon) are used to teach about Jesus Christ and the scriptures, and to help individuals from various tribes connect to gospel principles.
In preparation for a recent trip to the Sydney Australia Temple, friends worked with the Bill family to gather ancestry information through FamilySearch.org.
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Alice Nola Lauder Bill.© 2024 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.Some family history information was gathered during conversations, tapping into memories. They also accessed information from the Barkley Regional Council Death Registry.
According to those who participated in the process of mapping out family trees, many miracles occurred that led to finding vital historical information for the Bill family.
Latter-day Saints believe that baptism is an essential ordinance and that Church members can participate in vicarious ordinances in temples. This service by family members offers the gift of baptism to those who have passed away.
Finding this information enabled the group of Northern Territory saints to perform proxy ordinances for their ancestors. The group participated in 227 ordinances, including baptisms, confirmations, and sealings, which Latter-day Saints believe unite families for eternity.
When the travel day came (29 April 2024), senior missionary couple Elder Scott Gamble and Sister Diane Gamble (who helped with logistics for the temple trip) drove for seven hours from Elliott to Alice Springs to pick up those who were travelling to the temple. The group then caught a plane to Sydney.
The travelers were joined at the Sydney Australia Temple by three returned missionaries who served in Elliott in the 1980s: Matthew Tarawa and Tane Kaka, both from New Zealand; and Vernice (Howe) Petty, who comes from New Zealand but now lives in Melbourne.
Members of the Church at the Sydney Australia Temple. May 2024.
Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the Sydney Australia Temple. May 2024.© 2024 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.Elder Tarawa, as he was known as a full-time missionary, was one of the first two missionaries to serve in Elliott in 1981. He baptized Beetaloo and Biddy Bill.
Also supporting the group were four recently returned missionaries who served in the Australia Adelaide Mission, which includes the Northern Territory: Zachary Lekias; Will Carroll; Benjamin Jian; and Anamalia Tupou.
Matthew Tarawa said of the experience, “My huni [sweetheart] and I are grateful and blessed to be a part of this life moment.”
A member of the group who visited the temple, Tim McNamara, an artist from Alice Springs, was grateful to worship in the house of the Lord.
Last year, Tim painted a picture of “The Last Supper” for Elder D. Todd Christofferson, an Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ who visited Alice Springs in 2023.
Elder Taniela Wakolo of the Pacific Area Presidency met Tim on a recent visit to Alice Springs and told him that if he went to the temple, his family would be blessed.
Sister Gamble recalls, “As Tim was being sealed to his parents, we noticed a tear rolling down his cheek. The promise made by Elder Wakolo has been fulfilled. We believe Tim is the welding link between his ancestors and his posterity and that his family will continue to be blessed.”
Keenan Bird—a school music teacher and an original member of Mulga Bore Hard Rock Band—had a particularly meaningful baptism experience in the temple as he participated in the baptism ordinance for his sister who recently passed away. He said, “I’m so happy I had a chance to go to the temple.”
NT Saints Sydney Australia Temple. May 2024.
Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints visit the Sydney Australia Temple. May 2024.© 2024 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.Sister Gamble said, “On Wednesday, we did sessions where we learned about the Plan of Salvation and the meaning of the Atonement of Jesus Christ in our lives.”
After the group’s temple sessions Sarah Bill said, “Now I know what it’s like in the temple. It is so quiet and peaceful."
She added, "I felt the Spirit and I know my mum and dad were there watching me and my sister Sharon, what we did. We know our Heavenly Father loves us and is happy with what we have done. The temple brings families together forever. I love my family.”