Columbus Ohio Temple
Ohio was the site of the first Mormon temple built by the Mormon Church.
Under the direction of the prophet Joseph Smith the Kirtland temple was
dedicated in 1836. It served as the site where the keys to bind in
heaven and on earth were restored by the prophets Moses, Elias, and
Elijah.
This was in direct fulfillment of the prophecy found in Malachi,
"Behold I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the
great and dreadful day of the Lord: And he shall turn the heart of the
fathers to the children, and the heart of the child to their fathers,
lest I come and smite the earth with a curse."1
In the Kirtland temple, Elijah returned and restored the sealing key,
which is the power to bind families together for eternity, to the
prophet Joseph Smith.
Mormons also believe that when Elijah turned the hearts of the
fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their
fathers the desire to do family history work was instilled in people
everywhere. This is apparent since family history has become one of the
most searched items online. It is not only Mormons that seek out their
ancestors, although the Mormons have the largest ancestral database,
but people all over the world.
After the sealing keys were restored the persecution of the early
Saints grew too severe and the Mormons were forced to abandon their
temple in Kirtland, which is no longer owned by the LDS Church, and
leave the state.
For years there were few Mormons in the state of Ohio but after
World War II many LDS soldiers and their families went to Ohio for
school and stayed. Since then the Mormon Church has grown steadily,
with about 46,000 members in the year 2000.
Now a new Mormon temple
is located about 150 miles southwest of Kirtland in Columbus, Ohio. The
Saints of Ohio are once again blessed to have a temple within their
midst, where those sealing ordinances, which were restored over 150
years ago, can be performed, binding families together. President
Hinckley said, "Our people are more accepted now. It is a new day of
opportunity. The struggles of Kirtland are past.” 2
Teri McGlaughlin, a member since she was a child said, “I never
thought that in my lifetime we would have a temple so close by. I grew
up thinking temples were only in Utah and you went there to get
married.” 3 Now Ohio Saints can receive the blessings of a Mormon temple
marriage in Ohio. Smaller temples, like the Columbus Ohio temple with
its marble exterior and art glass windows, are being built all over the
world. It is part of President Gordon B. Hinckley's plan to bring the
temples to the people.
President Hinckley dedicated the Columbus Ohio temple on September
4, 1999. About 11,000 members attended the six dedicatory sessions.
About 30,000 people attended the open house prior to the dedications.
In his dedicatory prayer, President Hinckley quoted verses from
Joseph Smith's dedicatory prayer of the Kirtland temple, “ ‘that thy
church may come forth out of the wilderness of darkness, and shine
forth fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with
banners; and be adorned as a bride for that day when thou shalt unveil
the heavens.’ ” 4
President Hinckley also said: “We pray for Thy cause in all the
earth. Bless the faithful tithe payers throughout the Church whose
consecrated offerings have made this structure possible. Shower
blessings upon them, and increase their faith as they give of their
means to the building of Thy kingdom.” 5
For more information about Mormon temples visit the sites below:
LDS (Mormon) Temple resources
Teachings About Mormon Temples
USATODAY.com - Mormons open temple doors to share beliefs
Temple (Mormonism) - Wikipedia, the free
encyclopedia
BBC - Religion & Ethics - Mormon Temples
Manhattan Mormon Temple New York City.com : Arts & Attractions ...
Mormanity: Mormon Temples and "Secrecy"
History of Mormon Temples
(1) Malachi 4:5-6
(2) “News of the Church,” Ensign, Nov. 1999, 109
(3) “News of the Church,” Ensign, Nov. 1998, 110
(4) D&C 109:73-74
(5) “News of the Church,” Ensign, Nov. 1999, 109
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