LDS Freedom Forum

With that spirit of introduction, Sister Busche and I started our work in the temple in Friedrichsdorf. We consider this one of the most memorable times of our lives. It was very edifying and in some ways also very challenging, but the whole experience enlarged our vision of the work of the Restoration beyond our ability to explain. During the open house, many wonderful people came from all parts of Western Europe and beyond. One elderly man especially caught our attention. He was somewhat handicapped and bent and could not stand upright. He had to hold his head up very high in order to have eye contact with the people he met. Despite his handicap, there was always an extraordinary, otherworldly glow in his countenance that was just inspiring to everyone who met him. The very first day after the temple was dedicated, he spent the whole day in it in order not to waste any time. On one occasion, we met in the hallway. As he saw me, his glow seemed to increase. He took my hands and kissed them and said, “Merci, President. Merci, President.” That was all he said. I pulled my hands away as fast as I could because I did not feel comfortable having my hands kissed. I asked the priesthood leader of that group, Brother Scheen, who the man was. He said, “Oh, you mean Joseph Gilbert. Let me tell you about Joseph Gilbert.” He told me that Brother Gilbert had been a life-long clerical custodian for the Catholic Church in one of the cathedrals in Belgium. One of his assignments was to give tours to visitors who came to see the cathedral. Many of the tourists, of course, could not speak French, but many of them spoke English. Brother Gilbert could not speak English but wanted to. One day he saw an ad in the newspaper for free English lessons from American students. He felt that was for him because he needed lessons but did not have much money. He went there and, of course, he found the gospel. He read the Book of Mormon in three weeks and was baptized. He had a testimony immediately. He lost his job and was in dire circumstances. Brother Scheen said that shortly after Brother Gilbert had been a member for a year, he went to the Swiss Temple. On the day that he was in the temple for the first time, he saw in a vision a great gathering of his ancestors who were looking at him and pleading with him, “Please, don’t forget us. It took a great effort to get one of our descendants to embrace the gospel. We have all waited a long time for this.” After that, Brother Gilbert became completely committed to the holy work of the temple. At every opportunity, he went to the temple and did the work for his own ancestors. In the very first week of the opening of the Frankfurt temple, he spent five days in a row there. He was the first one at the temple in the morning and last one in the evening to leave. I never saw him other than in the full bloom of
excitement. One day I asked him, with Brother Scheen as translator, “What is the secret of your unending enthusiasm?” He looked up at me with a sparkling smile and answered, “I worked my whole life in a house of darkness surrounded by death. Finally, when I am old, I can work in a house of light surrounded by life.” His eyes were just glowing as he went off to another assignment. He was so attentive, reverent, grateful, and untiring. Everyone loved him and saw him as a wonderful example of being under the influence of the Spirit of God.