In 1998, Edward Sovik, an architect with whom he had previously worked, contacted Jacobson. Sovik designed St. James Lutheran Church in Lake Forest, IL. Church members approached Sovik and requested a memorial be constructed to honor a young congregant who had died in an automobile accident. The memorial would take the form of doors to replace the church's original main doors. Jacobson was commissioned to create the memorial. He proposed a low-relief sculptural form using etched copper panels and cast bronze medallions arranged in a design corresponding with the church's stained glass windows.

With each door projected to weigh 650 pounds, early construction figures confirmed the need for engineering a heavy-duty door construction and supporting frame. The custom-made, all nonferrous brass-sheathed doors were created by St. Paul Fabricating and Decorating Co., and the frame was made by Bredemus Hardware Co. (both of St. Paul, MN).