The following is taken from:
Grover, Mark L. Oral History
Interview of Leonel de Sá Maia, BYU Library - Special Collections, L. Tom Perry
Special Collections, Mark L. Grover oral History interviews with Latter-day
Saints in Brazil, MSS 6799, May 17, 1982 (click
here for the record on the BHR Website)
[Leonel de] Sá Maia: It really
spread. That's how I found out. Now in the temple, at the temple dedication, we
attended several sessions. President Kimball and President Tanner of the first
Presidency were present. I remember Elder Gordon B. Hinckley, Boyd K. Packer,
Elder Bangerter, Elder Wells, an Elder there from Argentina. So there were
these people there and they did sessions daily, I think even several a day.
Just one a day. In the last one we had the opportunity to watch and have a very
touching experience. Elder Gordon B. Hinckley, who was an Apostle, gave a
speech and relayed an experience. He said that the day before he had reminded
himself of the revelation, of the doctrine, of the revelation, that the blacks
could receive the Priesthood, and he had noted black members present in those
dedication meetings and that normally they could not be at other times,-and
that at the time of President Kimball's prayer, in the prayer of dedication, he
thought of those black people, when President Kimball finished the prayer, he
Elder Hinckley lifted his eyes, he was crying and he also saw those black
people were crying. Then he cited an experience of his in Brazil, many years
ago in a small city in the countryside, which he visited, as an apostle. There
was a family in that small branch, a very involved and participating family. He
had a family that was not black, but had lineage and could not receive the
Priesthood. They were active, they were involved and that really hurt his
heart. To see the situation of that family participating in the church without
the Priesthood. And he that night prayed fervently inquiring of the Lord about
the reason for that, if anything could be done and he received an answer that
said there would be a necessity for a greater test. That people needed a
greater test. Him seeing that occasion, in which the revelation had already
been given, that people in there, part of that people in there, then he saw
their situation during the whole period of construction of the temple, the
whole church having to contribute, the members, no matter who it was, who
contributed to the building of the temple, the church having to contribute,
members being invited, no matter who it was, who contributed to the building of
the temple, who gave of their goods to the building of the temple and that
people then, and that people then offering and participating in the building of
the temple without their going to make use of them. Something they could never
enjoy. But then the revelation came and so that had been the greater test these
people would have to pass through and he understood it that way. That those
people had already passed through that greater test and that he represented it
like this. That was so touching, that testimony, he cried during the testimony,
Hinckley, and right after that President Kimball spoke and there President
Kimball cited the highlights of his experience and how he received the
revelation. He said that he had already come many times praying to the room
there in the temple, there in the special room where he goes, and then he
explained to the Lord that that there had been a doctrine that he had defended,
that he was willing to defend, that he understood, comprehended well, always
supported, all the leaders were willing to support, but he would then ask the
Lord if there was some possible thing then in terms of changing the destiny of
these people. And it was one of those then, he explained, he received the
revelation.
Grover: Did he explain how he got it?
Sá Maia: I don't remember any other detail, but the
revelation had been given. But how it was transmitted to the Twelve, at least I
don't remember, if he spoke I don't remember. How did he pass it on to others,
how it was passed on. But it was such a beautiful part.
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