The Door to Heaven

Some years ago we took a trip to England and visited Wales. We had read in our family history that Jane Butler Stucki had come from St. Brides and that there was a castle there that originally belonged to the family. 

I wrote to the city clerk of St. Brides and he referred me to Stanley Bevan, the town historian. His address was Avoca, St. Brides, Wales. 

When we arrived there we found that the houses had no numbers as we have in America or Germany. They name their houses there in the village.  The village was so small that every one knew where Avoca was.

When we bought our home in North Salt Lake I wanted to dedicate the house like they dedicated the meetinghouses and temples in the church. I also wanted to give it a name like they do in St. Brides. 

We held a dedicatory service and I offered the dedicatory prayer and gave the house a name. 

The first area that I labored in on my mission was Himmelstür in the city of Hildesheim. That translates to the door to heaven in English. 

I thought that this was an appropriate name because the home is really the door to heaven if the inhabitants therein keep the commandments of God and love each other.  They will then be worthy to enter the House of the Lord and receive the covenants that will enable them to enter into the presence of the Lord. 

I had a small sign made to place in a conspicuous place in front of our home; 263 Himmelstür. This was to remind me that when I enter our home it truly should be the door to heaven.