The photo above shows our apartment building in the back, the old Area Office building in the middle, and the Frankfurt Stake Center in front. These buildings are located on Porthstrasse. This has been the heart of the church in central Europe and this is where we live.
Each week different departments are packing up and leaving the Area Offices here to move to the Phoenix Haus. Every week the building becomes more vacant. Soon we’ll all be in our new home. People ask what will become of this building next. We’re not sure. Perhaps the Frankfurt Mission Offices will move here. Maybe others. It will be fun to watch the changes.
This is the back of the Stake Center. Stake Conferences are not held here, however, because there are not enough parking places (only 47). Stake Conferences for the Frankfurt Stake are held in the Darmstadt building. But this building is well-used by members and missionaries. Two wards meet here each week.
We loved seeing this pictorial history of missionaries who have departed from these Frankfurt Wards.
Here’s a better look at the old Area Office building.
This evening after work we drove 15 minutes to Friedrichsdorf to attend the temple. The evening was perfect in every way. It was my first time hearing the instruction in German and I loved being able to understand.
The grounds are so beautiful, nestled in a quiet neighborhood.
Groundbreaking and Site Dedication: 1 July 1985 by Gordon B. Hinckley
Public Open House: 29 July–8 August 1987
Dedication: 28–30 August 1987 by Ezra Taft Benson
Public Open House: 13–28 September 2019
Rededication: 20 October 2019 by Dieter F. Uchtdorf
Site: 5.6 acres | 2.3 hectares
Exterior Finish: Bethel white granite from northern Vermont; copper roof
Architectural Features: Single detached spire with an angel Moroni statue
Ordinance Rooms: Four instruction rooms, four sealing rooms, and one baptistry
Total Floor Area: 32,895 square feet | 3,056 square meters
Elevation: 669.90 feet | 204.18 meters
Temple Locale
Situated several miles north of Frankfurt in the historic city of Friedrichsdorf, the Frankfurt Germany Temple stands on slightly elevated land near a major highway where drivers can glimpse its graceful detached spire. Ancillary buildings are on site including an entrance annex, a residence for the temple president (known as the “villa”), a temple missionary housing facility, a patron housing facility (known as the “hostel”), and a stake center. The immaculate park-like grounds—open to the public—are beautified with colorful shrubs and flowers.
Temple History
The Frankfurt Germany Temple was the fifth temple built in Europe and the second built in the current boundaries of Germany, following the Freiberg Germany Temple (1985).
Construction of the Frankfurt Germany Temple met significant opposition during its early planning phases, but President Gordon B. Hinckley told local officials that they would not regret their decision to permit construction of the temple. It “will be a thing of beauty in this lovely area,” he said. “It will be a source of pride to local residents, who will come to speak of it as ‘our temple.'” Conditions of receiving a building permit including preserving and restoring the 1890s villa, refraining from erecting a fence around the property, and giving some of the land to the city for public parking.
President Gordon B. Hinckley broke ground for the Frankfurt Germany Temple the day after he concluded the dedicatory services for the Freiberg Germany Temple. The next day, he dedicated the Stockholm Sweden Temple.
The Frankfurt Germany Temple and Freiberg Germany Temple originally belonged to separate nations: Frankfurt to the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany) and Freiberg to the German Democratic Republic (East Germany), a socialist state created by the Soviet Union. The two nations reunited in 1990, three years after the dedication of the Frankfurt Germany Temple.
During its week-and-a-half open house period, the Frankfurt Germany Temple was toured by some 70,000 visitors.
As an apostle, Elder Ezra Taft Benson was called to minister in Europe in 1945, following the devastation of World War II, and again in 1963 to serve as president of the European Mission, headquartered in Frankfurt. In August 1987, it was his special treat to return to Frankfurt—now as president of the Church—to dedicate the Frankfurt Germany Temple.
The Frankfurt Germany Temple was dedicated in eleven sessions over three days with approximately 12,570 members attending, largely coming from the nations of Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, and France.
On September 7, 2015, the Frankfurt Germany Temple closed for renovation and enlargement. A few months later, a new stake center was dedicated that had been under construction next to the temple, and the former meetinghouse was demolished to make room for a missionary housing facility. The discovery of foundation issues during the renovation doubled the anticipated construction time from two years to four years. The baptistry was relocated to an underground extension, and a visitors’ center was created in the annex building. Approximately 29,000 guests toured the temple during its public open house.
You’ll see in each of the stained glass windows along the sides of the building a golden rod that leads to the Tree of Life depicted on the back side of the building. The imagery of holding onto the rod, as taught by Nephi in the Book of Mormon reminds us to hold tight to our covenants and the teachings of Jesus Christ. Everything about the temple and what we learn inside points to Jesus Christ.
I think it’s beautiful how this temple is a part of the neighborhood with walking paths and beautiful landscaping.
One of the unique things about the grounds here is that the lawns are mowed by a robot! Adam and Aaron would be all over this for our yards at home! The grass looked perfectly manicured. We learned that a little GPS operated lawnmower does all the work.
Here’s what it looks like:
After our temple session we walked over to a local restaurant for some dinner. It was delicious–real German comfort food. What a wonderful evening it was!
Each week another group of church employees and missionaries move over to the Phoenix Haus. The work teams here are scrambling to stay ahead of those moves, installing desks and workspaces, artwork, and even still painting.
Today many of us got an S. O. S. from Ivonne, the physical facilities director needing help in the kitchen. There were 600 sets of dishes that needed to be washed and put away. Each piece had a sticker on it. So we went to work peeling the stickers and loading the dishwashers again and again.
These good ladies are my new friends. They are the cream of the crop and it’s really fun getting to know them.
In other places in the building, the painters and workers carried on.
Today these beautiful photo installations were put in.
This one looks 3-demensional, as if you could walk right into it!
The room below will be a quiet room for reading and reflection. There will also be a reference library there.
Even the elevators are waiting for a facelift. It’s fun to watch this all unfold.
So today we had 2 trainings by Ralf, the first one was on working with Opinion Leaders (those who endorse, authorize or defend) in ways that help or hinder. We talked about how to prioritize opinion leaders.
The other training was on News Writing. Also interesting and helpful. We talked about the news values of timeliness, continuity, human interest, impact, conflict, prominence, proximity and unexpectedness as reasons for writing a piece. Keep it short and simple, use dynamic verbs, and be straight forward.
Ralf showed us the inverted pyramid of how to construct a story with the first paragraph having all of the important information, followed by more details and maybe a quote, followed by some background info, ending with the boiler plate info about the church.
We are to just report the facts, no superlatives, use British spelling, We are to tell, not sell. Use 3rd person from the journalist’s perspective. Only include verifiable facts, not subjective impressions or judgements, no personal commentary unless it’s in quotations marks as said by someone in the article.
We avoid church jargon, keep things short and simple, prioritize messages (don’t be controlled by events) (first the message, 2nd the story), favor the active voice over the passive voice, tell one story at a time, don’t crowd several stories into one news release, spell out numbers 1-9, use full names the first time you mention someone, and avoid using brackets [ ]. Instead add another sentence. I like this kind of stuff. I like reading books about writing. I brought several with me. I hope I can become better and better at it.
It was my turn to present a spiritual thought in our meetings this week. Here’s what I’ve been thinking about in relation to Communications:
Spiritual Thought by Sis Lewis:
Alma 37: Alma to Helaman about Records and what was written:
1. And now, my son Helaman, I command you that ye take the records which have been entrusted with me;
2. And I also command you that ye keep a record of this people, according as I have done, upon the plates of Nephi, and keep all these things sacred which I have kept, even as I have kept them; for it is for a wise purpose that they are kept.
3. And these plates of brass, which contain these engravings, which have the records of the holy scriptures upon them, which have the genealogy of our forefathers, even from the beginning—
4. Behold, it has been prophesied by our fathers, that they should be kept and handed down from one generation to another, and be kept and preserved by the hand of the Lord until they should go forth unto every nation, kindred, tongue, and people, that they shall know of the mysteries contained thereon.
5. And now behold, if they are kept they must retain their brightness; yea, and they will retain their brightness; yea, and also shall all the plates which do contain that which is holy writ.
6. Now ye may suppose that this is foolishness in me; but behold I say unto you, that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small means [WORDS] in many instances doth confound the wise.
7 And the Lord God doth work by means [WORDS, COOMMUNICATIONS] to bring about his great and eternal purposes; and by very small means the Lord doth confound the wise and bringeth about the salvation of many souls.
8 And now, it has hitherto been wisdom in God that these things should be preserved; for behold, they have enlarged the memory of this people, yea, and convinced many of the error of their ways, and brought them to the knowledge of their God unto the salvation of their souls.
9 Yea, I say unto you, were it not for these things that these records do contain, which are on these plates, Ammon and his brethren could not have convinced so many thousands of the Lamanites of the incorrect tradition of their fathers; yea, these records and their words brought them unto repentance; that is, they brought them to the knowledge of the Lord their God, and to rejoice in Jesus Christ their Redeemer.
Zanna Keithley:
Would you share your words if you knew there’s a person out there who needs to hear exactly what you have to say? Would you display your art if you knew it had the power to heal and speak inspiration in another? Would you choose to be a coach or mentor if you knew that the skills and knowledge you possess could profoundly transform someone’s life for the better? Would you offer your unique gifts if you knew that they could change the world? That they could change just one person’s world? That everything you possess is everything someone else out there is waiting for. Will you be brave for that one person? That one person who needs what you can offer. That one person who is searching for your words, your art, your guidance, your wisdom, that thing that only you have. Can you do it for that one person? That one person who needs to hear your story. Who needs to experience your light. That one person who needs the spark of magic that you carry. Can you trust that who you are and what you possess inside you is more than enough? Are you willing to step forward and offer the thing only you can give?
D&C 84:60-62:
Verily, verily, I say unto you who now hear my words, which are my voice, blessed are ye inasmuch as you receive these things;
61 For I will forgive you of your sins with this commandment—that you remain steadfast in your minds in solemnity and the spirit of prayer, in bearing testimony to all the world of those things which are communicated unto you.
62 Therefore, go ye into all the world; and unto whatsoever place ye cannot go ye shall send, that the testimony may go from you into all the world unto every creature.
Summary:
1. Words, stories, messages are MEANS
2. Our Words can change individual lives
3. Send our words where we cannot go–into all the world, unto every person
When we arrived we got some lengthy and serious instructions about how and what to recycle. Here’s what we learned must be separated and disposed of separately:
Bio = organic food waste
Altpapier = old cardboard or paper, must be clean
Gelber sack = metal, cans and plastic, must be clean
Glass = separate into green, brown and clear, must be clean
Restmühl = everything else, trash
Here’s the view from the window by our front door looking down on the garbage cans:
Each can has instructions on it. DON’T MESS UP!!
The glass must be separated into receptacles like these out in the streets and on corners. Sometimes they actually grind up the glass and spit out some small change in return.
We’re learning the Germans are great about waste and keeping things clean. Paper products like plates and cups are avoided. Instead they’ll take the time to wash some dishes. Grocery stores don’t provide bags. Everyone carries their own so they can be reused. We are happy to do our part and to learn from our friends here.
Our Frankfurt Germany Mission 