Deciding to make it from wood was a link not only to my background in the wood industry but to the trade followed by the Saviour. Which species of wood to use was governed by memories of the Conference Centre pulpit. This was produced from a Black Walnut tree situated in President Hinckley’s Garden and which will be a constant reminder of his vision for how the Church can be more easily projected through the world. So Black Walnut it was. For a lighter timber, we looked at Beech and other timbers that were beautiful to look at as well as producing a finely finished product but we finally decided on Maple. The decision was a tribute to Canada, a country where our third sonand his family live, where we see the first missionaries to preach out of the United States, the first Stake outside of the United States and the first Temple to be built out of the United States