St. Cloud Florida Stake Blog

Nancy Wakefield didn’t hesitate to sign up when she heard that volunteer tour guides were needed for the Central Florida Tabernacle event, sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. That’s because her first experience with the Tabernacle (when it was built seven years ago for a youth event) was unforgettable. “The Spirit was so overwhelmingly strong,” she says, “ I just knew that it was a great experience and that it had the potential of touching many lives—so I knew that I wanted to go, and just kind of live there that week.”

Nancy got her wish. Many hands were welcomed and needed for such a large logistical endeavor, so she had the opportunity to volunteer every day that was needed. She did it all: passed out maps, worked the volunteer desk, helped in the exhibit hall, and interacted with visitors, which was the highlight.

“I would try to ask people what they thought and what their experience was,” Nancy says. “One woman said that she was Catholic and that she absolutely loved going through because it showed to her how much we all have in common, that the different religions all started in the same place and that we have a lot more in common than we have differences.” 

Nancy also met a Muslim couple who were guided through the Tabernacle by a Latter-day Saint youth. “The man was a sheik. He said he was very impressed with the youth and how well behaved they were and how they presented themselves, and that that spoke volumes for their parents and how they’re being raised. And he was just very complimentary of the whole experience.” 

As Nancy worked hard to welcome thousands of visitors through the Tabernacle, she noticed someone else’s hard work—that of Elder Daniel P. Amato, an Area Seventy for the North America Southeast Area of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the ecclesiastical leader in charge of the event. “[It] impressed me that Elder Amato wanted to be a big part of it,” Nancy says. “He could have just gone and walked around and been present. But he acted as a tour guide. He, as the leader over this entire event put himself in a position where he was serving others. I thought that showed he is a great leader.” 

When asked how this event deepened her faith, Nancy spoke in thoughtful and reverent tones. “It helped me to understand the symbolism more and how it pointed to Jesus Christ and how similar the Tabernacle is to the temple,” she reflects. “The constant reminder that they had of Jesus Christ, His protection and wanting to cover them, and His love and how that’s what this is all about, the whole plan of salvation. That He is our Savior and He still wants that same covering and protection [for us]. It’s still there and it doesn’t matter the time period you’re in.”