September 30, 2019: Westminster Abbey

As the Hymn says, "The Time is Far Spent" and our time serving in the London Temple is almost at a close. 

Westminster Abbey

On our final Monday P-Day, we took the train into London to visit Westminster Abbey.  

Westminster Abbey is formally known as the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster just to the west of the Palace of Westminster which is where the two houses of Parliament meet.  The Abbey is the traditional place of coronation and burial for English and, later, British monarchs. The building, completed in 1245 AD, was originally a Benedictine monastic church until the monastery was dissolved in 1539 by Henry VIII. Today rather than being an abbey or a cathedral, it is, in vernacular of the Church of England, a "Royal Peculiar"—a church responsible directly to the king or queen.

Since the coronation of William the Conqueror in 1066, all coronations of English and British monarchs have been in Westminster Abbey.  There have been 16 royal weddings at the abbey since 1100 including Prince William and Duchess Kate. It is the burial site of more than 3,300 persons, usually of prominence in British history (including at least sixteen monarchs, eight Prime Ministers, poets laureate, actors, scientists, and military leaders, and the Unknown Warrior).

Sister Burkinshaw on our last Southern Train ride into London Victoria Station from Lingfield.

Elder and Sister Burkinshaw in front of Westminster Abbey.

Sister Burkinshaw in front of the "rose" window of the north transept at Westminster Abbey.

Sister Burkinshaw on a cool but mostly sunny day in London at Westminster Abbey.

A diagram of Westminster Abbey.

The rose window of the north transept of Westminster Abbey which depicts Jesus and the Twelve Apostles.  It was created in 1722 by Sir James Thornhill.

The rose window of the south transept of Westminster Abbey which depicts Christ surrounded by 16 symbolic figures of the virtues and orders of angels.

The nave at Westminster Abbey.  This is where we have attended many Sunday evening organ concerts with family members who have visited us.  Note the screen in the center where, on the left, is a memorial to Sir Isaac Newton.

A closeup of the screen bearing the memorial to Sir Isaac Newton.   The monument is of white and grey marble. Its base bears a Latin inscription (see below) and supports a sarcophagus with large scroll feet and a relief panel. The latter depicts boys using instruments related to Newton's mathematical and optical work (including the telescope and prism) and his activity as Master of the Mint. Above the sarcophagus is a reclining figure of Newton, in classical costume, his right elbow resting on several books representing his great works. They are labelled (on the fore-edges) 'Divinity', 'Chronology', 'Opticks' [1704] and 'Philo. Prin. Math' [Philosophia Naturalis Principia Mathematica, 1686-7)]. With his left hand he points to a scroll with a mathematical design shown on it (the 'converging series'), held by two standing winged boys. 

A close-up of the plaque on Newton's memorial.  It is translated as follows:
"Here is buried Isaac Newton, Knight, who by a strength of mind almost divine, and mathematical principles peculiarly his own, explored the course and figures of the planets, the paths of comets, the tides of the sea, the dissimilarities in rays of light, and, what no other scholar has previously imagined, the properties of the colours thus produced. Diligent, sagacious and faithful, in his expositions of nature, antiquity and the holy Scriptures, he vindicated by his philosophy the majesty of God mighty and good, and expressed the simplicity of the Gospel in his manners. Mortals rejoice that there has existed such and so great an ornament of the human race! He was born on 25th December 1642, and died on 20th March 1726."  The original epitaph written by the poet Alexander Pope was "Nature and Nature's laws lay hid in night: God said, Let Newton be! and all was light" but this was not allowed.

Charles Robert Darwin, naturalist, is buried in the north aisle of the nave of Westminster Abbey, not far from Sir Isaac Newton.  He studied at Edinburgh University but disliked the idea of following in his father's footsteps as a doctor. At Cambridge University he became very much interested in natural history and sailed on the ship HMS Beagle in 1831 to South America and the Galapagos islands. In 1839 he to live at Downe, a small village in Kent. His famous work "The Origin of Species by natural selection" was published in 1859 and he continued working although his health was often poor. He died 19th April 1882.

Stephen Hawking, physicist, mathematician and author was cremated and his ashes are interred between the graves of Sir Isaac Newton and Charles Darwin in the nave.  His epitaph is an English translation of a Latin phrase which appears on Newton's gravestone.  The stone depicts a series of rings, surrounding a darker central ellipse. The ten characters of Hawking's equation express his idea that black holes in the universe are not entirely black but emit a glow, that would become known as Hawking radiation. In this equation the T stands for temperature; the h for Planck's constant which is used to understand parts of quantum mechanics; c stands for the speed of light; 8Pi helps us to grasp its spherical nature; G is Newton's constant to understand gravity; M stands for the mass of the black hole and k stand for Boltzmann's constant, which is the energy of gas particles.  Apparently there are no atheists in foxholes nor in Westminster Abbey. ;-)

This is the quire of Westminster Abbey where music has resounded every day for more than a thousand years. The choir sings daily from their stalls continuing a tradition dating back to the plainsong chanted by the monks of the 10th-century monastic foundation.

A photograph of the wedding of Prince William and Duchess Kate which took place in the Quire of Westminster Abbey.

The "High Altar" and the beautiful gothic ceiling at the front of the quire in Westminster Abbey.  It is here that every king and queen has been crowned since William the Conqueror in 1066 AD.

This is the Coronation Chair, which is kept in St George's chapel but which is moved to the High Altar for coronations of new royalty.  The "Stone of Destiny" (an oblong block of red sandstone) which we saw with the Scottish Crown Jewels at Ediburgh Castle is also used for coronations.

A close-up of the Cosmati Pavement which makes up the floor of the High Altar at Westminster Abbey.  It was laid down by workmen from Rome in 1268 by order of Henry III who had started re-building Edward the Confessor's Abbey in the new Gothic style in 1245.  The pavement belongs to a type of inlaid stone decoration known as Cosmati work, after one of the families of craftsmen who specialized in it and the technique is called opus sectile, 'cut work'. This differs from ancient Roman and earlier medieval mosaic work which consists of square stones of equal size. It is also abstract in design. 

Henry VII lavished huge sums on a new Lady Chapel, which was begun in 1503 but not completed until 1516, nearly six years after his death. Since 1725, it has been used for installations of Knights of the Order of the Bath, and their colourful heraldic banners hang here. The Sovereign and the Great Master of the Order (currently Prince Charles) continues to install new knights in the chapel, usually every four years. A Lady Chapel is dedicated to the Virgin Mary and is common to most cathedrals and large churches. 

Henry VII’s imposing tomb at the east end of the chapel has magnificent gilt bronze effigies of the king and his wife, Elizabeth of York made by the brilliant Florentine Renaissance sculptor, Pietro Torrigiano. 

The floor (from the ceiling) in the Poet's Corner at Westminster Abbey.  Poets’ Corner is a place of pilgrimage for literature lovers. Here, over 100 poets and writers are buried or have memorials.

Wall memorial to writers such as William Shakespeare (center sculpture) and Jane Austen (lower left plaque) at Westminster Abbey.  

Jane Austen is buried in Winchester Cathedral in Hampshire but a small tablet was unveiled to her memory in Poets' Corner, Westminster Abbey, on 17th December 1967 by The Jane Austen Society.

William Shakespeare is buried in Trinity Church, Stratford upon Avon, but there is a larger than life-size sculpture of him in the Poet's Corner at Westminster Abbey.

World famous authors Charles Dickens and Rudyard Kipling have memorial stones in the Poet's Corner at Westminster Abbey.

Clive Staples Lewis was born in Belfast on 29th November 1898 a son of Albert and Florence. He was educated in England with his brother Warren. During the Great War he was wounded at the battle of Arras. He was a Fellow and Tutor of English Literature at Oxford university and later Chair of Medieval and Renaissance literature at Cambridge. Today he is perhaps best known for his seven Chronicles of Narnia. He also wrote science fiction and was a friend of J.R.R. Tolkien. During the Second World War he gave many radio broadcasts, later published as "Mere Christianity," together with other books based on his talks. In 1956 he married Mrs Joy Gresham, who died a few years later. The drama 'Shadowlands' portrayed this part of his life.

Sister Burkinshaw inside the beautiful gothic cloisters surrounding the courtyard of Westminster Abbey.

The courtyard of of Westminster Abbey from the east cloister.

Westminster Abbey and courtyard from the south cloister.

Sister Burkinshaw at Green Park near Buckingham Palace enjoying a lemon tart from Paul, a wonderful French pastry shop in London.

We close with Sister Burkinshaw's thought from a recent Temple Preparation Meeting.

In his talk "Preparing for the Lord's Return" (GC April 2019) Elder Christofferson says:

“President Nelson has repeatedly emphasized that the “gathering [of Israel] is the most important thing taking place on earth today. Nothing else compares in magnitude, nothing else compares in importance, nothing else compares in majesty. And if you choose to, … you can be a big part of it.” (Russell M. Nelson, “Hope of Israel”, Worldwide youth devotional, June 3, 2018) 

About six years ago President Eyring reminded us that accepting and magnifying every calling offered in the Church was “one of the great keys to family happiness.” (Eyring, Oct. 2013 “To My Grandchildren”)

That is because our choice to “be a part” of “Preparing for the Lord’s Return” allows us to have experiences where we and others are led to the Savior. The Patron Experience from the Prayer Circle training yesterday was a touching example of such an experience. A Brother accepted the assignment to offer the prayer in the prayer circle, but after doing it a few times he felt very inadequate and was ready to ask for another assignment. Another ordinance worker who had been on a session in which he had offered the prayer shared how the words he had spoken had touched him. He was reminded that despite his limitations another had been reminded that the power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ was real and would bless their family.

Elder Christofferson said, “While we strive to be diligent in building up Zion, including our part in the gathering of the Lord’s elect and the redemption of the dead, we should pause to remember that it is the Lord’s work and He is doing it. He is the Lord of the vineyard, and we are His servants. He bids us labor in the vineyard with our might this “last time,” and He labors with us. It would probably be more accurate to say He permits us to labor with Him. As Paul said, 'I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.' It is He who is hastening His work in its time. Employing our admittedly imperfect efforts—our 'small means'—the Lord brings about great things."


I pray we will look for, remember and record those experiences in which the Lord allows us to see what He does with our “small means”. 

Elder and Sister Burkinshaw

September 12-16 2019: Temple Cleaning, Barbeque and Arundel Castle 

With the last of our visitors gone (all seven of our children and their spouses plus four of our brothers and sisters have come to visit us) we spent the last week of the London Temple closure cleaning the temple and preparing for it to reopen on the 17th of September.

Temple Cleaning

During this six-week shutdown, the celestial room was painted, new curtains and carpet was installed in all of the endowment ordinance rooms and the wall coverings in the initiatory areas were replaced.  The primary purpose for the long shutdown was to replace the limestone steps at the main entrance and the east entrance with granite.  The restoration company that was employed for this work signed a contract to have it done in six weeks but English law does not allow for a penalty to be assessed for late work if there is no financial loss and thus, the work wasn't even close to being completed.  However, they had generated a lot of dust so we did a lot of dusting and cleaning.  On our final day, we cleaned all 752 glass crystals (about 2" in diameter and from 18" to 42" long) using a "bucket brigade" method with about 30 temple workers, it took about 3 hours.  It was a memorable experience!

Temple Barbeque

Following the cleaning, we had a nice barbeque on the south lawn of the Temple grounds with freshly grilled hamburgers and hotdogs.  Here's a few pictures of the event.

Brother Warwick Fortune (New Zealand) and Brother Kelsey Ruse (Lindon, UT) at the grill with President Chris Freeman (Woking) and Brother Fitzner (Alberta Canada).

All the fixin's for the grilled hamburgers and hotdogs!

Visiting while waiting for the dinner are Ron and Brenda Linford (Casper, WY), Sister Fitzner (Alberta Canada), Sister and Brother Littlefield (North Carolina) with Sister and Brother Davenport (Gilbert, AZ).

Brother and Sister Davenport (Gilbert, AZ), Sister Burkinshaw and Sister Whitehouse and Sister Docherty.

Lynn Turner (Blackfoot, ID), President Mike Otterson (Centerville, UT) and President Christ Freeman (Woking).

President Peel, Sister Douoghty, Brother Whitehouse, Brother Doughty, Brother Mueller and Sister Turner.

Arundel Castle

Our final castle visit was to Arundel Castle which was halfway between Brighton and Portsmouth, about an hour southwest of the London Temple.  Arundel Castle is a restored and remodelled medieval castle which was originally established in AD 1067 under a charter granted by William the Conqueror.  The castle was damaged in the English Civil War and was then restored in the 18th and 19th centuries.  It is the principal seat of the Howard family, whose heads have been first Earls of Arundel and then Dukes of Norfolk.

Sister Burkinshaw in front of Arundel Castle.

Sister Burkinshaw in front of Arundel Castle.

Sister Burkinshaw in front of the rose garden with Arundel Castle in the background.

A side-view of Arundel Castle.

The gatehouse to Arundel Castle the oldest remaining building on the premises which was built in 1070 AD.

Chapel of Arundel Castle. The flowers in the courtyard were all white, very beautiful!

Sister Burkinshaw inside the chapel of Arundel Castle.

The chapel stained-glass with the Gothic wood ceiling.

A tapestry with the Howard Family coat of arms.  The phrase "Sola Virtus Invicta" translates to "Bravery Alone is Invincible."

The beautiful garden with pool and waterfall fountain at Arundel Castle.

The Arundel Castle rose garden with the Roman Catholic Cathedral of Our Lady and St Phillip Howard.  Interestingly the Howard Family which owns Arundel Castle are Catholic. During the English Civil Ward in 1643, the Howard Family also supported King Charles and the Royalists but in 1644 a large force of Parliamentarians, who supported Oliver Cromwell, laid siege on Arundel Castle and defeated the Royalist forces.  In 1664, Roman Catholic worship was suppressed in England and all churches and cathedrals in England were transferred to the Church of England. It was not until 1829, that Roman Catholicism became lawful once again and in 1868 the Howard Family sponsored the design and construction of this cathedral.  In 1970 Pope Paul VI cannonized Phillip Howard as a saint and the Cathedral became The Cathedal of Our Lady and St Phillip Howard.   

Sister Burkinshaw in front of the Arundel Castle garden thatched roof "roundhouse."

Sister Burkinshaw with the Cornish slate watersphere, made from hundreds of shaped pieces of slate fixed together to form a uniform sphere.  The enduring sphere creates a relaxing and tranquil area.

Sister Burkinshaw in the entry stairway to Arundel Castle.  Similar to Highclere Castle (better known as Downton Abbey) part of the castle is used to generate tourism funds to support the owners ability to live in the rest of the castle.

Sister Burkinshaw in the "Civil War" room of Arundel Castle with mannequins dressed as Royalists (supporters of King Charles) during the English Civil War.  Eventually it was the Parliamentarians, led by Oliver Cromwell.

This is the courtyard where members of the Howard Family live today. 

A part of the village of Arundel as seen from the Castle.

The beautiful rolling hills surrounding Arundel Castle.

The chapel inside of Arundel Castle.

Elder Burkinshaw with one of several sets of medieval armor at Arundel Castle.

Sister Burkinshaw in the Baron's Hall of Arundel Castle.  This great hall was built in 1815 to commemorate the 600th anniversary of the signing of the Magna Carta (1215) and dedicated to "Liberty asserted by the Barons in the reign of John."  

One of several lion pelt rugs in the Great Baron Hall of Arundel Castle.  While biologists believe that lions were common 40,000 years ago in Great Britain, it is sure that these lion pelt rugs came from Africa.

The hammerbeam roof of oak which was grown on the estate of Arundel Castle.  

The Baron's Hall in Arundel Castle from another side.

Sister Burkinshaw adding to the beauty of the warmly furnished Drawing Room of Arundel Castle.

Sister Burkinshaw in the bedroom that was specifically built for the visit of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert in 1846.  

The fireplace in the Queen Victoria room with a portrait of Queen Victoria above the desk.

Sister Bukinshaw in the stunning library at Arundel Castle. The library is as large of the Great Hall, but has been divided into smaller reading areas. The wood in the library has been beautifully maintained and there is an impressive collections of books.

One of the "reading nooks" with fireplace in Arundel Castle.

We close with a thought given by Elder Burkinshaw at a recent Temple preparation meeting:

Elder D Todd Christofferson (“Preparing for the Lord’s Return” GC April 2019) taught:
“…it is supremely important to prepare the world for the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. …Poverty and suffering will not only decline; they will vanish…let us devote ourselves more diligently to the preparations needed for the day when pain and evil are ended altogether…”

“What can we do to prepare now for that day? We can prepare ourselves as a people; we can gather the Lord’s covenant people; and we can help redeem the promise of salvation 'made to the fathers'..."

“First, and crucial for the Lord’s return, is the presence on the earth of a people prepared to receive Him at His coming. … in the last days a new Zion will receive the Lord at His return. Zion is the pure in heart, a people of one heart and one mind, dwelling in righteousness with no poor among them.  We build up Zion in our homes, wards, branches, and stakes through unity, godliness, and charity.”

But, as Elder Christofferson says, “We must acknowledge that the building up of Zion occurs in tumultuous times – ‘a day of wrath, a day of burning, a day of desolation, of weeping, of mourning, and of lamentation; and as a whirlwind it shall come upon all the face of the earth, saith the Lord.’  Thus, the gathering into stakes becomes ‘for a defense, and for a refuge from the storm, and from wrath when it shall be poured out without mixture upon the whole earth.’”   

We need to overcome the natural man in all of us.  We dearly need the Savior’s atonement to become people prepared to receive Him.  

Elder Bruce D. Hafen shared this great insight.  “A friend once asked me, ‘If Christ is at the center of the gospel and the temple, why doesn’t the temple endowment teach the story of Christ’s life? What’s all this about Adam and Eve?’  I have come to feel that the life of Christ is the story of giving the Atonement. The story of Adam and Eve is the story of receiving the Atonement, amid the sometimes-formidable oppositions of mortality.” (“The Temple and the Natural Order of Marriage,” Ensign, September 2015)

Temple worship teaches us how we can also receive the Savior's atonement.   By submission to the covenants of 1) Obedience, 2) Sacrifice, 3) The Gospel, 4) Chastity and 5) Consecration, we may be prepared for the Lord’s glorious return.  The symbolic tokens and signs provide palpable reminders of how He is our Savior. 

Thus, the first and continuing redemption that takes place in the Temple is for the living – for those who are striving to be prepared to receive the Lord Jesus Christ at his Second Coming.


May we always remember that Temple worship is a critical part of our personal preparation for the Lord’s Second Coming and may our ministering to others be likewise focused on the Temple.  In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen. 

Elder and Sister Burkinshaw