It Is My Will That a House Should Be Built
When Lehi and Nephi arrived in the promised land, they built a temple:
"And I did teach my people to build buildings, and to work in all manner of wood, and of iron, and of copper, and of brass, and of steel, and of gold, and of silver, and of precious ores, which were in great abundance. And I, Nephi, did build a temple; and I did construct it after the manner of the temple of Solomon save it were not built of so many precious things; for they were not to be found upon the land, wherefore, it could not be built like unto Solomon’s temple. But the manner of the construction was like unto the temple of Solomon; and the workmanship thereof was exceedingly fine." (2 Nephi 5:15-16)
Just as the Lord had commanded the saints through Moses anciently, even so He commanded the saints in Kirtland, Ohio, through his prophet, Joseph Smith, to build a temple unto the Lord:
"Verily I say unto you, that it is my will that a house should be built unto me in the land of Zion, like unto the pattern which I have given you. Yea, let it be built speedily, by the tithing of my people. Behold, this is the tithing and the sacrifice which I, the Lord, require at their hands, that there may be a house built unto me for the salvation of Zion— For a place of thanksgiving for all saints, and for a place of instruction for all those who are called to the work of the ministry in all their several callings and offices; That they may be perfected in the understanding of their ministry, in theory, in principle, and in doctrine, in all things pertaining to the kingdom of God on the earth, the keys of which kingdom have been conferred upon you. And inasmuch as my people build a house unto me in the name of the Lord, and do not suffer any unclean thing to come into it, that it be not defiled, my glory shall rest upon it; Yea, and my presence shall be there, for I will come into it..." (Doctrine and Covenants 97:10-16)
When the Saints moved to Missouri, the Lord also commanded them to make preparations to build a temple there:
"Behold, the place which is now called Independence is the center place; and a spot for the temple is lying westward, upon a lot which is not far from the courthouse. Wherefore, it is wisdom that the land should be purchased by the saints..." (Doctrine and Covenants 57:3-4)
"Therefore, I command you to build a house unto me, for the gathering together of my saints, that they may worship me. And let there be a beginning of this work, and a foundation, and a preparatory work... And let the beginning be made ...and from that time forth let my people labor diligently to build a house unto my name; And... let them re-commence laying the foundation of my house. Thus let them from that time forth labor diligently until it shall be finished, from the cornerstone thereof unto the top thereof, until there shall not anything remain that is not finished." (Doctrine and Covenants 115:8-12)
The Lord also referred to a city that was to be built for the gathering of the saints - a city that should include a temple:
"...[a] city shall be built, beginning at the temple lot, which is appointed by the finger of the Lord, in the western boundaries of the State of Missouri, and dedicated by the hand of Joseph Smith, Jun., and others with whom the Lord was well pleased. Verily this is the word of the Lord, that the city New Jerusalem shall be built by the gathering of the saints, beginning at this place, even the place of the temple, which temple shall be reared in this generation. For verily this generation shall not all pass away until an house shall be built unto the Lord, and a cloud shall rest upon it, which cloud shall be even the glory of the Lord, which shall fill the house." (Doctrine and Covenants 84:3-5)
While the temples at Kirtland and again at Independence were in building, the Lord repeatedly urged the saints, saying:
"Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing; and establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God." (Doctrine and Covenants 88:119, see also 109:8)
The Lord Gives Specific Instructions, Design and Features
During the early days at Kirtland, the saints were struggling to build a new city, and as a result, they allowed getting started on the temple to slip too low on the priority list. The Lord chastised them for it:
"...ye have sinned against me a very grievous sin, in that ye have not considered the great commandment in all things, that I have given unto you concerning the building of mine house...Verily I say unto you, it is my will that you should build a house. If you keep my commandments you shall have power to build it." (Doctrine and Covenants 95:3,11)
However, in that same revelation, in reminding the saints of His love for them, the Lord also gave them the design parameters for the Kirtland Temple:
"Now here is wisdom, and the mind of the Lord—let the house be built, not after the manner of the world, for I give not unto you that ye shall live after the manner of the world; Therefore, let it be built after the manner which I shall show unto three of you, whom ye shall appoint and ordain unto this power." (Doctrine and Covenants 95:13-14)
The Kirtland Temple - Designed to Receive the Restoration of Temple Ordinances
The Nauvoo Temple - For the Restoration of the Fulness of the Priesthood
When the Saints moved to Illinois, they built a city and called it "Nauvoo". The Lord again gave a commandment that a temple should be built:
"Let my servant[s] build a house unto my name, such a one as my servant Joseph shall show unto them, upon the place which he shall show unto them also. And it shall be for a house for boarding, a house that strangers may come from afar to lodge therein; therefore let it be a good house, worthy of all acceptation, that the weary traveler may find health and safety while he shall contemplate the word of the Lord; and the cornerstone I have appointed for Zion. This house shall be a healthful habitation if it be built unto my name, and if the governor which shall be appointed unto it shall not suffer any pollution to come upon it. It shall be holy, or the Lord your God will not dwell therein. And again, verily I say unto you, let all my saints come from afar. And send ye swift messengers, yea, chosen messengers, and say unto them: Come ye, with all your gold, and your silver, and your precious stones, and with all your antiquities; and with all who have knowledge of antiquities, that will come, may come, and bring the box tree, and the fir tree, and the pine tree, together with all the precious trees of the earth; And with iron, with copper, and with brass, and with zinc, and with all your precious things of the earth; and build a house to my name, for the Most High to dwell therein. For there is not a place found on earth that he may come to and restore again that which was lost unto you, or which he hath taken away, even the fulness of the priesthood. For a baptismal font there is not upon the earth, that they, my saints, may be baptized for those who are dead— For this ordinance belongeth to my house... I command you, all ye my saints, to build a house unto me; and I grant unto you a sufficient time to build a house unto me; (Doctrine and Covenants 124:22-31)
Miracles Attend the Building of Temples
One pattern that has emerged in the building of temples is that small miracles are always a part of the process. I remember when the temple where I live - the Mt. Timpanogos Temple - was built. On one occasion, a member who lived several blocks from the temple site felt a prompting that he should drive his forklift down to where the temple was being built. When he arrived, he found that the forklift on the site had broken down. He had arrived in time to keep the work moving forward despite the breakdown. Many other such miracles occurred during the building of this temple that involved overcoming hurdles in ways that are small, yet amazing. Such miracles occur during the building of all temples.
Temples in the Latter-Days
Today, Latter-Day Saints all over the world anticipate the day when the Church will announce the building of a temple in their country, in their state, in their city.
While I was serving as a missionary, I remember the great desire the members in Venezuela had to see the day when a temple would be built in their country. Every time an apostle or seventy visited South America, it was enough to start the rumors flying. It always raised the members' hope once again that the time had come for a temple in Venezuela. But it was not to be.
It was some years after my mission that I was listening to the worldwide General Conference broadcast and heard, to my great astonishment, the announcement for a temple to be built at Caracas, the capital city. I called members of the Church whom I had known during my mission, and for a few brief minutes, we shared in the great joy and excitement of what to us was no small miracle - a temple in Venezuela!
The same pattern continues in operation today, in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints: the Lord gives a command for a new temple to be built, along with features and design (see the article about the Hong Kong Temple, dedicated in 1997, for an example), the prophets and apostles prayerfully consult with designers, dutifully break ground, carefully build and dedicate, and the people of the Church and of the world come to see yet another "mountain of the Lord's house" and are touched by the experience.
Also of Interest
David A. Bednar, Apostle - Honorably Hold a Name and a Standing
Why Latter-Day Saints Build Temples: A Commandment From God
Temple Photo Gallery
Mormon Newsroom: The Temple-Building Process
An article about miracles in the LDS Church
How the Hong Kong Temple Came to Be
The Story of the Vernal Temple
Temple Dedicated in Anchorage Alaska (and groundbreaking in Venezuela)
November 2000 Ensign: A Milestone in Church History - 100 Temples (and dedication in Venezuela)
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| Mt. Timpanogos Temple, American Fork, Utah |
When Lehi and Nephi arrived in the promised land, they built a temple:
"And I did teach my people to build buildings, and to work in all manner of wood, and of iron, and of copper, and of brass, and of steel, and of gold, and of silver, and of precious ores, which were in great abundance. And I, Nephi, did build a temple; and I did construct it after the manner of the temple of Solomon save it were not built of so many precious things; for they were not to be found upon the land, wherefore, it could not be built like unto Solomon’s temple. But the manner of the construction was like unto the temple of Solomon; and the workmanship thereof was exceedingly fine." (2 Nephi 5:15-16)
Just as the Lord had commanded the saints through Moses anciently, even so He commanded the saints in Kirtland, Ohio, through his prophet, Joseph Smith, to build a temple unto the Lord:
"Verily I say unto you, that it is my will that a house should be built unto me in the land of Zion, like unto the pattern which I have given you. Yea, let it be built speedily, by the tithing of my people. Behold, this is the tithing and the sacrifice which I, the Lord, require at their hands, that there may be a house built unto me for the salvation of Zion— For a place of thanksgiving for all saints, and for a place of instruction for all those who are called to the work of the ministry in all their several callings and offices; That they may be perfected in the understanding of their ministry, in theory, in principle, and in doctrine, in all things pertaining to the kingdom of God on the earth, the keys of which kingdom have been conferred upon you. And inasmuch as my people build a house unto me in the name of the Lord, and do not suffer any unclean thing to come into it, that it be not defiled, my glory shall rest upon it; Yea, and my presence shall be there, for I will come into it..." (Doctrine and Covenants 97:10-16)
When the Saints moved to Missouri, the Lord also commanded them to make preparations to build a temple there:
"Behold, the place which is now called Independence is the center place; and a spot for the temple is lying westward, upon a lot which is not far from the courthouse. Wherefore, it is wisdom that the land should be purchased by the saints..." (Doctrine and Covenants 57:3-4)
"Therefore, I command you to build a house unto me, for the gathering together of my saints, that they may worship me. And let there be a beginning of this work, and a foundation, and a preparatory work... And let the beginning be made ...and from that time forth let my people labor diligently to build a house unto my name; And... let them re-commence laying the foundation of my house. Thus let them from that time forth labor diligently until it shall be finished, from the cornerstone thereof unto the top thereof, until there shall not anything remain that is not finished." (Doctrine and Covenants 115:8-12)
The Lord also referred to a city that was to be built for the gathering of the saints - a city that should include a temple:
"...[a] city shall be built, beginning at the temple lot, which is appointed by the finger of the Lord, in the western boundaries of the State of Missouri, and dedicated by the hand of Joseph Smith, Jun., and others with whom the Lord was well pleased. Verily this is the word of the Lord, that the city New Jerusalem shall be built by the gathering of the saints, beginning at this place, even the place of the temple, which temple shall be reared in this generation. For verily this generation shall not all pass away until an house shall be built unto the Lord, and a cloud shall rest upon it, which cloud shall be even the glory of the Lord, which shall fill the house." (Doctrine and Covenants 84:3-5)
While the temples at Kirtland and again at Independence were in building, the Lord repeatedly urged the saints, saying:
"Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing; and establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God." (Doctrine and Covenants 88:119, see also 109:8)
The Lord Gives Specific Instructions, Design and Features
During the early days at Kirtland, the saints were struggling to build a new city, and as a result, they allowed getting started on the temple to slip too low on the priority list. The Lord chastised them for it:
"...ye have sinned against me a very grievous sin, in that ye have not considered the great commandment in all things, that I have given unto you concerning the building of mine house...Verily I say unto you, it is my will that you should build a house. If you keep my commandments you shall have power to build it." (Doctrine and Covenants 95:3,11)
However, in that same revelation, in reminding the saints of His love for them, the Lord also gave them the design parameters for the Kirtland Temple:
"Now here is wisdom, and the mind of the Lord—let the house be built, not after the manner of the world, for I give not unto you that ye shall live after the manner of the world; Therefore, let it be built after the manner which I shall show unto three of you, whom ye shall appoint and ordain unto this power." (Doctrine and Covenants 95:13-14)
The Kirtland Temple - Designed to Receive the Restoration of Temple Ordinances
- the size thereof shall be fifty and five feet in width
- let it be sixty-five feet in length, in the inner court thereof.
- And let the lower part of the inner court be dedicated unto me for
- your sacrament offering,
- for your preaching,
- and your fasting,
- and your praying,
- and the offering up of your most holy desires unto me, saith your Lord.
- And let the higher part of the inner court be dedicated unto me for
- the school of mine apostles
- It should have two pulpits, symbols of the priesthoods
- Melchizedek
- Aaronic
- seats for worship services that make it possible for participants to face either opposing pulpit
- 110 feet tall from the ground to the dome
The Nauvoo Temple - For the Restoration of the Fulness of the Priesthood
When the Saints moved to Illinois, they built a city and called it "Nauvoo". The Lord again gave a commandment that a temple should be built:
"Let my servant[s] build a house unto my name, such a one as my servant Joseph shall show unto them, upon the place which he shall show unto them also. And it shall be for a house for boarding, a house that strangers may come from afar to lodge therein; therefore let it be a good house, worthy of all acceptation, that the weary traveler may find health and safety while he shall contemplate the word of the Lord; and the cornerstone I have appointed for Zion. This house shall be a healthful habitation if it be built unto my name, and if the governor which shall be appointed unto it shall not suffer any pollution to come upon it. It shall be holy, or the Lord your God will not dwell therein. And again, verily I say unto you, let all my saints come from afar. And send ye swift messengers, yea, chosen messengers, and say unto them: Come ye, with all your gold, and your silver, and your precious stones, and with all your antiquities; and with all who have knowledge of antiquities, that will come, may come, and bring the box tree, and the fir tree, and the pine tree, together with all the precious trees of the earth; And with iron, with copper, and with brass, and with zinc, and with all your precious things of the earth; and build a house to my name, for the Most High to dwell therein. For there is not a place found on earth that he may come to and restore again that which was lost unto you, or which he hath taken away, even the fulness of the priesthood. For a baptismal font there is not upon the earth, that they, my saints, may be baptized for those who are dead— For this ordinance belongeth to my house... I command you, all ye my saints, to build a house unto me; and I grant unto you a sufficient time to build a house unto me; (Doctrine and Covenants 124:22-31)
Miracles Attend the Building of Temples
One pattern that has emerged in the building of temples is that small miracles are always a part of the process. I remember when the temple where I live - the Mt. Timpanogos Temple - was built. On one occasion, a member who lived several blocks from the temple site felt a prompting that he should drive his forklift down to where the temple was being built. When he arrived, he found that the forklift on the site had broken down. He had arrived in time to keep the work moving forward despite the breakdown. Many other such miracles occurred during the building of this temple that involved overcoming hurdles in ways that are small, yet amazing. Such miracles occur during the building of all temples.
Temples in the Latter-Days
Today, Latter-Day Saints all over the world anticipate the day when the Church will announce the building of a temple in their country, in their state, in their city.
While I was serving as a missionary, I remember the great desire the members in Venezuela had to see the day when a temple would be built in their country. Every time an apostle or seventy visited South America, it was enough to start the rumors flying. It always raised the members' hope once again that the time had come for a temple in Venezuela. But it was not to be.
It was some years after my mission that I was listening to the worldwide General Conference broadcast and heard, to my great astonishment, the announcement for a temple to be built at Caracas, the capital city. I called members of the Church whom I had known during my mission, and for a few brief minutes, we shared in the great joy and excitement of what to us was no small miracle - a temple in Venezuela!
The same pattern continues in operation today, in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints: the Lord gives a command for a new temple to be built, along with features and design (see the article about the Hong Kong Temple, dedicated in 1997, for an example), the prophets and apostles prayerfully consult with designers, dutifully break ground, carefully build and dedicate, and the people of the Church and of the world come to see yet another "mountain of the Lord's house" and are touched by the experience.
Also of Interest
David A. Bednar, Apostle - Honorably Hold a Name and a Standing
Why Latter-Day Saints Build Temples: A Commandment From God
Temple Photo Gallery
Mormon Newsroom: The Temple-Building Process
An article about miracles in the LDS Church
How the Hong Kong Temple Came to Be
The Story of the Vernal Temple
Temple Dedicated in Anchorage Alaska (and groundbreaking in Venezuela)
November 2000 Ensign: A Milestone in Church History - 100 Temples (and dedication in Venezuela)
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