Birmingham Alabama Temple
The Birmingham Alabama Temple is the 98th operating temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
"A gift is of no value if it is not unwrapped. We need to unwrap it by coming to the temple, by using the temple, by getting the blessings that flow from it," stated Elder Stephen West at the groundbreaking ceremonies of the Birmingham Alabama Temple. [1]
When the Mormon Church announced the desire to build a temple in Alabama, two sites were considered. The first site considered in Indian Springs was unsuitable, because the earth was too unstable for construction of the necessary size. A second site was located, but again obstacles arose that prevented the project from being built. In April 1999, the Mormon Church decided that the temple would be built in the suburb of Gardendale. The Church had purchased land in the early 1990s to build a meetinghouse with land to spare. With the smaller temples being announced by Presidency Gordon B. Hinckley, this land was quite adequate for the temple. From the groundbreaking to the dedication, construction of the temple took only eleven months.
The suburb of Gardendale is a very conservative community. Residents in the area are pro-active in regard to any negative influences that seek to invade their community. Town leaders welcomed the temple project, believing that the Mormon Church and its values would be assets to their community. The residents showed substantial support of the Mormon Temple construction, and more than twenty-one thousand visitors attended during the week long open house. When a small group of activists demonstrated against the temple's presence, neighbors actually increased their support for the temple. A letter to the editor of another paper written by a Birmingham man, said, "Having lived for some 70 years and having had a number of next-door neighbors, I can truthfully tell you the Mormons are the best of neighbors you can ever expect to find." [2]
President Hinckley dedicated the Birmingham Alabama Temple on September 3, 2000. In his dedicatory prayer, President Hinckley asked: “May the influence of this Thy house be felt throughout this great temple district. May the Church grow and prosper here... May this house ever remain holy and sacred unto all who enter herein. May Thy Spirit dwell here and touch the hearts of those who serve." [3]
The Birmingham Alabama Temple has a total of 10,700 square feet, two ordinance rooms, and two sealing rooms.
Notes
- Church News, October 1999,
- "The First 100 Temples", by Chad Hawkins, 2001, 264
- "Dedicatory prayer: 'May the Church grow and prosper here,'" Church News, 9 Sept. 2000, 25 Jun. 2005
