A Love for Temples

For several years Artie Leroy Peck and his wife, Vaudis, were ordinance workers at the Jordan River Temple. Having attended many sessions in the Salt Lake, Logan, Provo, Ogden, and Alberta Temples, Brother Peck developed a love for these sacred buildings. In 1994, after 60 years of marriage, Sister Peck passed away. “I sat around for a while feeling crazy,” Brother Peck says, “and then I thought, I’ve got to do something.” A retired federal employee whose experience included carpentry, bricklaying, and locksmithing, he finally decided to build temples on a miniature scale. His first project was a five-by-eight-inch replica of the Kirtland Temple, made out of wood and glue.

Brother Peck has since completed a total of 13 temples. He likes to tell his children, “I guess I will go to my shop in the basement and do some temple work,” and he passes many hours on this activity.

At 89, Brother Peck still attends the temple whenever he is able. He lives in the Draper Second Ward, Sandy Utah Hidden Valley Stake.—Leah Bohling, Sandy, Utah