Before April 1999, did anyone think they'd ever see the Nauvoo Temple standing again?

Prior to that time, rebuilding the temple was just a dream. Most of us figured the closest we'd come would be standing on the temple site and imagining what it looked like. Or checking out one of the remaining sunstones, either in Nauvoo or at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington.

But a near-exact replica of that sacred edifice now stands on the temple lot. Today, it will be dedicated in ceremonies broadcast around the world to LDS stake centers, and then it will be one of more than 100 active temples of the church.

For many people, it is a reminder of the church's early presence in the eastern United States. Others see it as a monument to the sacrifices church members made in the 19th century.

And that is all true. But there is also another important thing this reconstruction represents: A monument to freedom of religion and our struggle as a nation to realize Thomas Jefferson's and James Madison's vision of religious liberty.

Latter-day Saints know better than most Americans that the First Amendment's guarantee of religious freedom was not automatically accepted. Church members endured persecution in New York, Ohio and Missouri, where the state issued an order outlawing the church and ordering the state militia to drive church members out.

So, under those circumstances, Nauvoo was a safe haven. In the beginning, church members were welcomed by their neighbors and allowed to worship God according to their conscience.

The Nauvoo era in church history brought about significant developments in the church, such as temple ordinances and the Relief Society. And the temple, on a hill overlooking the city, was a symbol of their religion that could be seen for miles.

But the good times didn't last. Intolerance grew and the church's founder, Joseph Smith, was murdered at Carthage Jail along with his brother, after being imprisoned on trumped-up treason charges.

Church members were eventually driven from Nauvoo, but not before finishing the temple and receiving ordinances in it.

The temple was eventually destroyed, first by an arsonist's torch and later by a tornado that collapsed the weakened walls.

But in time, relations improved and the church began reacquiring property in Nauvoo, including the temple lot. Then LDS Church President Gordon B. Hinckley announced the temple would be rebuilt.

And today, the temple again stands on the banks of the Mississippi River, showing the world that we are starting to become a country where we respect each other's rights to worship whatever deity we choose.