The Founding Fathers of the United States of America appeared twice to Wilford Woodruff in the St. George Utah Temple asking why their temple work had yet not been performed on their behalves. A striking painting depicting this singular event hangs in the temple lobby (That We May be Redeemed by Harold I. Hopkinson).
Three years ago, I explained this in an FR vanity: Lds Temple Haunted? Did Declaration of Independence signers appear as ghosts to leader? [Vanity]
Current Lds "apostle" Boyd K. Packer also elaborated on Woodruff's reportedly seeing the ghostly Founding Fathers by citing Woodruff's Sept. 16, 1877 Salt Lake Tabernacle discourse at length. (see You May Claim the Blessings of the Holy Temple by Packer, Bookcraft, 1980, pp. 193-194).
"Apostle" Packer claims that not only were the Declaration signers present in 1877 in the St. George Utah Temple, but that "the others included nearly every president of the United States." (The Holy Temple, p. 194)
Yes, and no.
It was the first completed Mormon temple where that happened.
And it was the first dedicated Mormon temple where that happened.
But to show you that a Mormon temple doesn't really need an official “dedication” for that to happen, read from an official Mormon Church Doctrines & Covenants Student Manual (1981, 2000):
”The first baptisms for the dead in the uncompleted Nauvoo Temple were initiated Sunday, 21 November 1841 (see History of the Church, 4:454).” (p. 314)
(Btw, the Mormon “scriptural” root for Mormon temple dedications is Doctrine & Covenants 109 when Joseph Smith dedicated the Kirtland, Ohio temple on March 27, 1836...these days, the LDS Church will hold public “open houses” when a new temple is built; but after the open house, the temple is cleaned literally and “spiritually.” In order for Mormons entering “the threhold of the Lord's house” to “feel thy power” (D&C 109:13), all pagan germs are exorcised with a Smith-like dedication prayer:
”And that no unclean thing shall be permitted to come into thy house to pollute it.” (D&C 109:20)
And that is why no non-Mormons and no Mormons without a temple recommend can enter into a Mormon temple after the open house period; Joseph Smith's temple-segretation prayer tradition is carried on to this very day!
Is he the same “Apostle” Packer who may be the next Mormon profit ???
It’s a strange religion, but they do seem very nice and are quite well-behaved in modern times.
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Daily Obsessional, holiday edition.
My father was a Mormon when at age 17 he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps, and was also on the day he was seriously wounded, after 45 days in combat on Okinawa.
He left that church in order to marry my mother, but never displayed the ridiculous, obsessional anti-Mormonism depicted here.