Returning to the Temple

“In the temple you get the feeling that you are close to Heavenly Father,” says Cardinal Malimela of Durban, South Africa. “We go back often to keep up and remember.”

He and his wife, Teressa, were baptized in June 1991, and their two sons, Bright and Knowledge, are growing up in the gospel. The son of an Anglican priest, Brother Malimela serves as president of the Umlazi Branch, Durban South Africa Stake, and supervises the stake’s Church Educational System programs. Teressa serves as a counselor in the Durban stake Young Women presidency.

An insurance broker, Brother Malimela sometimes has the opportunity to talk with people about gospel principles and offer them Church literature. “Most people are looking for initial coverage while they are still on this earth,” he says. “What is more important is the everlasting policy of the gospel of Jesus Christ.”

Since his baptism, he has kept a daily journal to record his progress and blessings. In June 1992 the family was sealed in the Johannesburg South Africa Temple, and every three months he and his wife make the six-hour drive to return to the temple. They often invite other members who may be struggling financially to accompany them on temple trips.

“However far away the temple is,” Brother Malimela says, “if you set a goal and have faith, our Heavenly Father will help you.”

He identifies two important reasons for the Church’s growth in Africa: the work for redemption of the dead and the strong family emphasis. “In our culture our ancestors and families are very important to us, so we get a very positive response to gospel teachings,” he says.—Allison Bundy, Bismarck, North Dakota