Reconsidering Temple Cafeterias?

Further to the Déjà Vu II post of January 13, 2023, “Eating Together” — A Divine Paradigm?¹ I am inviting participation in an appeal to the Temple Department to re-open / construct temple cafeterias. I realize that probably most kitchens have already been dismantled (in fact, in what seemed considerable haste) and that I should have sent this appeal months ago when first drafted in February, but I held off until now — until the inner pressure returned when I became aware that patrons (no matter how many sessions they might wish to attend during a day) are excluded from eating areas they once freely used. Patrons have no place now to eat even a sack lunch. Many of these daily patrons are elderly, often with health conditions like diabetes or compromised mobility and whose daily sense of purpose and worth is, in part, fulfilled in lengthy temple service. That patrons should be excluded from eating areas (tables / chairs) used by workers seems inexplicable and insensitive to their needs. Insensitive, also, to the considerable inconvenience related to clothing, inclement weather, parking, etc., when they must exit to find sustenance and then return. The option to leave and return is sometimes not available if they have been dropped off with pickup arranged for much later. Surely, we can find room and heart to reciprocate service for service.

Thus, if others wish to join in this appeal, I include below a pdf that can be used, adapted, or re-invented to send to members of the Temple and Family History Executive Council and to the Executive Director of the Temple Department, as far as I can ascertain them and their addresses.² Their webpage https://www.familysearch.org/en/fieldops/apac-executive-leadership does not seem current when compared with these two webpages:

• https://news-ph.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/how-to-prepare-for-the-2023-temple-and-family-history-leadership-broadcast
• https://www.thechurchnews.com/leaders/2023/3/2/23618528/2023-temple-and-family-history-leadership-instruction-council-application

(all 3 accessed Dec. 2, 2023), so I am directing this appeal also to Camille N. Johnson, Relief Society General President; thus, being eight in total, mailed December 4, 2023.



If you know of other relevant parties, please copy them; perhaps even your local leaders: bishop, stake president, temple presidency, and area authority, if you feel so inclined. Is this not a matter to seek the  voice and feelings of the people — especially the voice of those who work and serve there?

We shouldn’t be afraid to speak up about things that we observe that appear unjust. Remember Zelophehad’s daughters and their appeal to Moses³? Remember too, a subsequent appeal to Moses by their uncles and cousins⁴?

I think God cares about this issue as do many workers and patrons. With the technology we have, ascertaining the voice and consent of the people (workers, patrons, and potential ones) should not be that difficult, if only we would speak up about things that seem insensitive or unjust. At the least, let patrons access eating areas as their needs dictate.

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1. https://dejavu-timestwo.blogspot.com/2023/01/eating-together-divine-paradigm.html
2. Names and addresses of members of the Temple and Family History Executive Council as far as I could ascertain them. Email communication does not appear to be available.

Elder David A. Bednar
Temple and Family History Executive Council
50 E North Temple Street
Salt Lake City, Utah 84150
USA

Elder Gerrit W. Gong
Temple and Family History Executive Council
50 E North Temple Street
Salt Lake City, Utah 84150
USA

Elder W. Christopher Waddell
Presiding Bishopric - 1st Counselor
Temple and Family History Executive Council
50 E North Temple Street
Salt Lake City, Utah 84150
USA

Elder Kevin R. Duncan
Executive Director: Temple Department
Temple and Family History Executive Council
c/o 50 E North Temple Street
Salt Lake City, Utah 84150
USA

Elder Kevin S. Hamilton
Temple and Family History Executive Council
c/o 50 E North Temple Street
Salt Lake City, Utah 84150
USA

President Camille N. Johnson (RS)
Temple and Family History Executive Council
76 Main Street
Salt Lake City, Utah 84150
USA

Sister Kristin M. Yee (RS 2nd C.)
Temple and Family History Executive Council
76 Main Street
Salt Lake City, Utah 84150
USA

President Susan H. Porter (Primary)
Temple and Family History Executive Council
76 Main Street
Salt Lake City, Utah 84150
USA

3. Old Testament | Numbers 26:33-34; 27:1-11
   33 ¶ And Zelophehad the son of Hepher had no sons, but daughters: and the names of the daughters of Zelophehad were Mahlah, and Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.
   34 These are the families of Manasseh, and those that were numbered of them, fifty and two thousand and seven hundred.
   1 THEN came the daughters of Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, of the families of Manasseh the son of Joseph: and these are the names of his daughters; Mahlah, Noah, and Hoglah, and Milcah, and Tirzah.
   2 And they stood before Moses, and before Eleazar the priest, and before the princes and all the congregation, by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, saying,
   3 Our father died in the wilderness, and he was not in the company of them that gathered themselves together against the LORD in the company of Korah; but died in his own sin, and had no sons.
   4 Why should the name of our father be done away from among his family, because he hath no son? Give unto us therefore a possession among the brethren of our father.
   5 And Moses brought their cause before the LORD.
   6 ¶ And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
   7 The daughters of Zelophehad speak right: thou shalt surely give them a possession of an inheritance among their father's brethren; and thou shalt cause the inheritance of their father to pass unto them.
   8 And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a man die, and have no son, then ye shall cause his inheritance to pass unto his daughter.
   9 And if he have no daughter, then ye shall give his inheritance unto his brethren.
   10 And if he have no brethren, then ye shall give his inheritance unto his father's brethren.
   11 And if his father have no brethren, then ye shall give his inheritance unto his kinsman that is next to him of his family, and he shall possess it: and it shall be unto the children of Israel a statute of judgment, as the LORD commanded Moses.
4. Old Testament | Numbers 36:1-12
   1 AND the chief fathers of the families of the children of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, of the families of the sons of Joseph, came near, and spake before Moses, and before the princes, the chief fathers of the children of Israel:
   2 And they said, The LORD commanded my lord to give the land for an inheritance by lot to the children of Israel: and my lord was commanded by the LORD to give the inheritance of Zelophehad our brother unto his daughters.
   3 And if they be married to any of the sons of the other tribes of the children of Israel, then shall their inheritance be taken from the inheritance of our fathers, and shall be put to the inheritance of the tribe whereunto they are received: so shall it be taken from the lot of our inheritance.
   4 And when the jubile of the children of Israel shall be, then shall their inheritance be put unto the inheritance of the tribe whereunto they are received: so shall their inheritance be taken away from the inheritance of the tribe of our fathers.
   5 And Moses commanded the children of Israel according to the word of the LORD, saying, The tribe of the sons of Joseph hath said well.
   6 This is the thing which the LORD doth command concerning the daughters of Zelophehad, saying, Let them marry to whom they think best; only to the family of the tribe of their father shall they marry.
   7 So shall not the inheritance of the children of Israel remove from tribe to tribe: for every one of the children of Israel shall keep himself to the inheritance of the tribe of his fathers.
   8 And every daughter, that possesseth an inheritance in any tribe of the children of Israel, shall be wife unto one of the family of the tribe of her father, that the children of Israel may enjoy every man the inheritance of his fathers.
   9 Neither shall the inheritance remove from one tribe to another tribe; but every one of the tribes of the children of Israel shall keep himself to his own inheritance.
   10 Even as the LORD commanded Moses, so did the daughters of Zelophehad:
   11 For Mahlah, Tirzah, and Hoglah, and Milcah, and Noah, the daughters of Zelophehad, were married unto their father's brothers' sons:
   12 And they were married into the families of the sons of Manasseh the son of Joseph, and their inheritance remained in the tribe of the family of their father.