Post by Seth on Feb 18, 2017 0:19:01 GMT
Years ago, I had a seminary teacher that told our class that the Church at one time had considered converting a ship and an airplane into temples, to reach remote members all around the globe. I found some sources that verified that the temple ship idea was actually considered under President David O. McKay in the late 60s, but could not find anything about a temple airplane.
trevorprice.net/2011/06/24/a-temple-to-sail-the-waters
I think these were interesting ideas, but perhaps difficult and risky to implement. While there remain many parts of the world that are isolated from a temple, and could surely benefit from a traveling temple, it is encouraging that there are temples in many, many more locations than there were in the 60s, when there were only 13 operating temples, five of which were outside the continental United States. Today there are 177 temples in operation, under construction, or in the planning stages, of which 99 are outside the continental U.S. I think having a non-mobile, permanent temple is a source of strength and peace to the local members, as they grow to love "their" temple, and it becomes a fixture in their community. Ships and airplanes eventually wear out and are retired.
Temples will continue to be built throughout the world, but I suppose there will always be isolated places with members, where travel to a temple presents economic or other challenges. To this end, the Church's Temple Patron Fund, as I understand it, helps provide members who haven't had the chance to visit a temple before the means to do so. But it sounds like return visits to do work for their dead isn't covered by the Fund. I wonder if the Church would ever re-consider a traveling temple to meet the needs of isolated members.
Wouldn't the Tabernacle of Moses be considered a traveling temple?