Welcoming Catholic Friends to Brisbane Temple Grounds and Nearby Meetinghouse

On Sunday, 20 March, 15 members of the St Stephen’s Catholic congregation in Brisbane were welcomed to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ Brisbane chapel and Brisbane Australia Temple site.

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The event was filled with socialising, tours of the temple grounds and opportunities to share some of the basic beliefs of The Church of Jesus Christ.

Peter Harlow, a Brisbane Latter-day Saint, spoke first to the Catholic group about the full and correct name of the Church and the importance of the name of Jesus Christ. He also spoke about the centrality of family to Latter-day Saints, and other basic beliefs, as outlined in the Church’s Articles of Faith.

The day then consisted of four workshops explaining some basic principles and doctrines of the Church, including:

• The restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and Joseph Smith;
• The Sacrament in modern times and its purpose;
• A showcase of the baptismal font and the importance of baptism by immersion; and
• The importance of the temple and a tour of the grounds.

The Church’s Newsroom states that “Temples are not regular places of Sunday worship for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They are quite different from the thousands of regular chapels or meetinghouses all over the world that are used for Sunday services… Latter-day Saint temples are considered houses of God, a place of holiness and peace separate from the preoccupations of the world. They provide a place where Church members make formal promises and commitments to God. They are also the place where the highest sacraments of the faith occur — the marriage of couples and the ‘sealing’ of families for eternity.”

There were many questions answered during the event and the socialising afterwards gave members from both faiths the opportunity to build relationships with community members of other faiths.

Janice, from the Catholic group, was grateful for the event and invited the Latter-day Saints to St Stephen’s Cathedral for a reciprocal meeting.