A Glass of Milk

Sunday, 15 June 2003

I was a member of the Australian Brisbane Temple Committee. My assignment was hospitality and accommodation. I was the only female on the committee of twelve. Our responsibility was to prepare for and conduct a successful Temple Open  House and Day of Dedication. It was in our hands to make sure that every problem was solved ahead of time. The Open House must run smoothly and the Day of Dedication to be without mistake or flaw. Each did everything possible to make sure that this challenge would be realized. 

I went about my assignment in a prayerful and methodical way. I prayed that nothing would be overlooked. I felt honoured and very happy to have been asked to do this. I chose two sisters to be my assistants. We shared the many responsibilities between us and set forth with vigour and enthusiasm. I rang the sisters who were in charge of the same assignment as I, in Perth and Melbourne, where they had recently completed  and dedicated temples.  I made notes of their suggestions. 

My team and I met many times. We left no stone unturned. We thought of every detail possible and put forth our very best effort. 

We had an excellent menu for the week of VIP's and three weeks of public and members visiting the Open House. This ran for four weeks. It was a great success.

The day of dedication attracted our very best effort. We had five stations in the temple to serve four times. There would be about thirty five people requiring refreshments, commencing at 7.30am and then at intervals, concluding at 4.30pm. This included President and Sister Hinckley and their daughter in the temple president's office and Elder and Sister L. Tom Perry in the matron's office. In the completing of this task, we were not to be seen or heard, but everything had to be done perfectly!

I chose another assistant for that day, so that two could work together serving and clearing on one side of the temple each. 

Elder Blake Rosenvall was the brother from the headquarters of the church in Salt Lake City, assigned all temple openings. He travelled the world overseeing that this project was done well and correctly. He kept in touch with me, checking my details and making sure that nothing was overlooked. (I had altar cloths and special needs for the prophet and his assistants to attend to plus the securing of their accommodation)

My eldest son Melvin pointed out to me that at the Nauvoo temple dedication, President Hinckley had sat at a window, looking out and reflecting on the pioneers and their magnificent effort in building the original temple. The article pointed out that he sipped on a glass of milk with Oreo biscuits. The thought rang in his mind, never leaving him, 'Should we not prepare the same for President Hinckley on our day of dedication?'

I added this to my list of things to buy and prepare for. 

The day before the day of dedication, I bought a carton of our best quality fresh milk. I bought a packet of Oreo's and I washed and shined a lovely glass jug I had bought but but hardly used, this was perfect for the occasion.  I wrapped the jug in a tea towel, put it in a little box with the Oreos and put a note on the outside of the fridge ready for early next morning, 'Don't forget the Prophet's milk!'

The day of dedication dawned. My little team and I were filled with the joy of anticipation for this special day and the small but important role we had to play. 

We were housed in the Utility room, up one end of the hallway, sharing it with a technical person with much gear who was beaming the program by satellite to the authorities in Salt Lake City. We could just turn around. We had no sink or running water. But we were ready and rearing to go!!

Brother Paul E. Koelliker had come from the headquarters of the church in Salt Lake to be in total charge of the day of dedication, making sure that everything went correctly and according to plan. He was a day of dedication expert. He had only a little to say to us, every now and then. 

The first sitting was 7.30am. That went smoothly. 

The next sitting was 9.00am. That went fine. 

There was a little knock on our door at 10.00am. 

We opened the door to a small, elderly brother, with a friendly smile on his face, " Did we have the prophet's milk please?" 

"Yes, we do. Please come in." 

We all smiled so happily as we handed him the jug of milk and Oreos.  Neither Brother Rosenvall or Brother Koelliker had ever mentioned it. 

The Lord has his eye on his prophet and takes care of him, even to a glass of cold milk. 

What an extraordinary blessing that day was. The whole experience was a special blessing to my assistants, Janice Green, Colleen Lawton, Kathryn Dodd and myself. 

We four shared the magic of the moment, " Did we have the prophet's milk?"

With love and best wishes, 

By Gretta Holzworth

(In thinking about this experience again, Gretta wrote the following and wondered if it might serve as a postscript to her article.)

'I have never forgotten how we had all of those visits from the expert and the one responsible for the dedicating of temples, and then on the day of- but that would have been too late- another expert, and neither mentioned the prophets love and need of a simple glass of milk and Oreo.

I marvelled at the time and still do, how it was that we were ready with the refreshment, when it was needed.

Melvin was impressed, shared it with me, and I acted on it. That simple. What if Mel had ignored the prompting, and what if I had ignored his suggestion? We would have been embarrassed and sad when that knock came on our door.

That was the most marvellous, exciting, demanding assignment. Remember we were in a small area with no kitchen facilities, no tap, frig, etc, yet we managed and I think, did it well. I will always remember how we felt, as we hugged and hugged each other at the end of that day, it was over, we had done it, It was finished. Three years of planning and testing was over after we had to patiently wait for permission for the temple to commence being built.

All of our meetings, food tasting, discovering where the best sources were for what we were going to need was over. The four weeks of Open House preceding the Day of Dedication with all the associated challenges and opportunities was over. The task of serving thirty five plus people in the temple at five stations, attending to the special needs of President and Sister Hinckley and Elder and Sister L. Tom Perry during three dedicatory sessions, was completed.

We had not been seen or heard either, as requested!!

At 6.00pm, Mel arrived at the door of our little area, as we were busily packing, and called out "Mum, I have a string of young adults ready to carry everything downstairs to the car park and your cars for you!!".

And they did! Up and down they went as we packed and packed and completely cleared all of our gear, they carried it all to our cars! What a marvellous blessing!!

I still smile to myself and a wave of gratitude passes over me for the special experience it was and for the faithful and wonderful assistants I had.

On that Day of Dedication few members would have known or guessed that a busy work was going on in the temple behind the scenes.

All I can say is, 'Hurrah for Israel!!!'

With love, Gretta H. 

Kangaroo Point Chapel was on the site previous to the building of the Brisbane Temple.