Temples

So it's Saturday night and David's out with the guys watching a UFC fight and I'm at home getting my lesson ready for church tomorrow. I know I'm a procrastinator, but don't judge, I have three babies and work full time. Anyway, my lesson is on Temples and i came across the most beautiful website about LDS (a.k.a. Mormon) Temples. I've been sitting here totally enthralled and completely touched by many of the stories. Check out the website, click here. Temples Here are a few of the stories I loved. For those of you not of my faith here's a beautiful description of what temples are.

“[The temple is] a symbol of strength, a haven of peace, a sanctuary of service, a school of instruction, a place of revelation, … a house of covenants.”

--Gordon B. Hinkley

Las Vegas Nevada Temple

Following the announcement of the Las Vegas Nevada Temple, members of the temple district were asked to contribute toward construction. They enthusiastically answered the call, raising $11 million—428 percent of their assessment.

During the 23-day open house of the Las Vegas Nevada Temple, 297,480 visitors toured the edifice. More than 99,000 visited the missionary pavilion following their tour, and missionaries reported that teaching appointments tripled in the valley as a result of the temple's opening.

Dedicated in 11 sessions just before the Christmas holiday, the Las Vegas Nevada Temple was a fitting gift for the Savior of the World.

Boston Massachusetts Temple

The Boston Massachusetts Temple holds the distinction of being the 100th operating temple of the Church—fulfilling President Gordon B. Hinckley's desire to have 100 temples in operation before the end of the year 2000.

The Boston Massachusetts Temple site was originally purchased for the meetinghouse that adjoins the temple. And although the architect was asked to design the meetinghouse for the center of the property, he could only wrap his mind around a design that placed the building in the lower corner. Despite repeated attempts at the urging of Church leaders, he finally insisted that another architect would have to be hired if they wanted the building elsewhere. The design was accepted. This decision left a large empty parcel at the top of the granite crag—perfect for the temple.

Not long after construction of the Boston Massachusetts Temple began, a few neighbors became alarmed by its size and filed suit with the intention to have the temple torn down. The plaintiffs argued that the state's Dover Amendment, which exempts religious buildings from local zoning, violated the separation of Church and State. The federal judge disagreed and ruled in favor of the Church.

Salt Lake Organizing Committee President Mitt Romney escorted U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy through the Boston Massachusetts Temple during the VIP open house. Just six years earlier, Romney had challenged Kennedy for his veteran seat in the Senate in a heated race many considered too close for comfort.

The Boston Massachusetts Temple was dedicated steepleless due to a second law suit contesting the proposed height of the steeple. The Church eventually won the case on appeal, and the steeple was added about a year after dedication.

Los Angeles California Temple

The 15½-foot figure of the angel Moroni, sculpted by Millard F. Malin, was placed atop the temple in October 1954. During one of his frequent visits to the temple, President David O. McKay noticed that the angel faced southeast as did the temple. He informed architect Edward O. Anderson "that it was not correct in that position…that the angel must face east." The angel had generated much conversation among the neighbors, and one indicated, perhaps tongue in cheek, that she "certainly never would be interested [in learning more about the Church] until the angel faced her home." One morning she awoke to find the statue "was looking directly at her place." Brother Anderson had followed President McKay's instructions to turn the angel.1