Semester Abroad and the Holy Lands — 1974
From August to December of 1974, I had the glorious opportunity to participate in a Semester Abroad program sponsored by Brigham Young University. Our semester was centered in Madrid, Spain. My high school classmate and friend, Scott Turner, also participated, which made the experience even more fun and rewarding. We spent the first five weeks touring throughout Europe, visiting beautiful, historic, and memorable places. We saw Rome with its St. Peter’s Cathedral, the Forum, the Colosseum, the Sistine Chapel, and the Spanish Steps; Pisa with its remarkable leaning tower; Florence with its Uffizi Gallery, Baptistry Gates, and the “David” by Michelangelo; Vienna with its myriad canals; Salzburg with its dazzling marionette theater and “Sound Of Music” mansion; Munich with Herrenchiemsee, Dachau, and Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest; Paris with the Eiffel Tower, Latin Quarters, and Notre Dame; Chartres with its remarkable cathedral; the resplendence of Versailles and Fountainbleau; Switzerland with its majestic Alps, Zurich, and Pont du Gard Roman bridge; London with the Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, and the Thames.
We spent the remainder of our semester in Spain, and visited almost the entire country with 3 and 4-day excursions out of Madrid. How we enjoyed being immersed in the culture, history, and ambience of these beautiful places. Many of the glorious places we visited and the experiences we had there remain vivid, inspiring memories which I have reflected upon many times during my life.
As magnificent and memorable as Europe was, the highlight of the trip was our week-long excursion to the Holy Lands. We were met in Tel Aviv by David Galbraith, a BYU faculty member doing research in Israel. He shared many interesting facts and stories about the Holy Lands as we drove from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. As Jerusalem came into sight, he played “The Holy City” on a tape recorder. It was inspiring. The First Presidency had authorized the Saints in Jerusalem to hold their weekly services on Saturday, and we participated in their meetings. They were very special. For the Sacrament song, we sang “There Is A Green Hill Near At Hand”. After the meeting, we took a walking tour of Old Jerusalem. Our first stop was at the Garden tomb and Golgotha where I had a wonderful spiritual experience. We saw the outline of the skull on Golgotha. We went to the tomb where Jesus’ body probably laid and from which He was resurrected. Tears flowed from my eyes and the spirit filled my heart as we read the sacred accounts from the New Testament describing these transcendent events. It was remarkable to see the track in which the huge stone rolled and the stop used to secure it. Next we walked over to the Garden of Gethsemane which is located at the base of the Mount of Olives. We saw the gnarled trees which Elder Hinckley described in a classic talk, pointing out that these trees seem to bear witness of the agony endured by the Savior in this Garden. We held a glorious testimony meeting on the summit of the Mount of Olives, all the while gazing at Jerusalem in the distance. We next visited Bethany and the assumed sight of the Tomb of Lazarus.
The next day we went to Mount Zion, David’s tomb, and the Last Supper Room. We read the scriptural account of the Last Supper and then sang 2 or 3 hymns. It was very moving and interesting. On our way to Bethlehem, we saw Rachel’s Tomb. Bethlehem itself was remarkable. We stopped our bus in one of the shepherd’s fields and read of the angel appearing to the shepherds and other scriptures relating to the birth of Jesus. We played the anthem “For Unto Us A Child Is Born” and others. We went to Manger Square and into the Church of the Nativity. We went right down into the cave where Jesus was supposedly born. We sang Christmas carols and had a spiritual feast.
We spent a lot of time in Old Jerusalem. We walked along the city wall and saw the Damascus Gate and St. Stephen’ gate, where we read the scriptural account of Stephen’s stoning. We went to the Antonio Fortress and the Courtyard of Pontius Pilate where Christ was condemned to death. We saw the original flagstones of the courtyard and it was just a marvelous experience. We saw the Great Dome of the Rock on Mount Moriah, the mount on which Abraham was sent to sacrifice Isaac. The mosque was unbelievably beautiful and we had to take our shoes off as we entered. The rock occupied the entire middle section of the mosque. We saw the Wailing Wall, where several bar-mitzvahs were underway. People were throwing candy, women were emitting shrill yells, and huge Torahs were being read. The wall itself was fascinating, with its many cracks filled with written prayers. Scott and I then went on our own to see Solomon’s Quarries and the Orthodox section of town. We also saw the Pool of Siloam, Gihon Spring, and Hezekiah’s Tunnel.
The next day we visited Hebron and the Cave of Machpelah where the great prophets and their wives are buried. We drove on to Masada, the rock fortress where 960 Jews committed suicide rather that subject themselves to Roman rule. We climbed up the big earthen ramp that the Romans built to get into the fortress. This spot was rally a sobering and moving one. We drove along the shore of the Dead Sea and saw the Qumran caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found. We saw the spring in Jericho which Elisha healed.
We then traveled north to the Galilee area. On the way we saw Gibeon, Bethel, Jacob’s well, Samaria, Armageddon, and Mount Tabor. We stayed in a youth hostel right on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. We went down to the shore as the sun was setting and read the accounts of the Savior’s miracles that occurred in this hallowed area. It was lovely and peaceful. We toured Nazareth, Capernaum, and held a beautiful meeting on the hill where the Sermon on the Mount was probably given. We saw a Bedouin shepherd who had every one of his sheep named. He could call any one of the sheep to his side, simply by calling their appropriate name. We saw how the sheep followed him as he left, rather than being driven by dogs or whips. What a beautiful reminder this experience was, symbolizing how our Great Shepherd knows each of us by name, and leads us by kindness, example, and gentleness, never by force or fear of punishment.
What a glorious opportunity it was to walk the paths of the Savior and feel His presence and spirit in this remarkable corner of the world.
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