Raleigh North Carolina Temple
The Raleigh North Carolina Temple is the 68th operating temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
For over 150 years the Mormon Church has had a presence in North Carolina. It began with a lone missionary, Jedediah M. Grant, preaching the message of the restored gospel and truthfulness of the Book of Mormon in 1838. Today there are more than 40,000 Latter-day Saints living in North Carolina, and the Raleigh North Carolina Temple will serve about 27,000 of these Saints.
Groundbreaking services for the Raleigh North Carolina temple were held on 6 February 1999. After the temple was completed about 31,000 people toured the temple during the open house. Visitors were surprised to see the many pictures of Jesus Christ. Wake County Commissioner Yevonne Brannon commenting on the pictures of the Savior said, "The artwork was simply stunning. I felt drawn to each painting and found myself wanting to linger in front of every scene so I could contemplate the meaning of what was being portrayed. But how could I selfishly do that with so many people behind me?" [1]
Before the first session Elder M. Russell Ballard, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, talked to a group of reporters. He described "how the Church shares goals with other religions, such as safeguarding 'values, family, fidelity, and the responsibility of parents for their children, teaching them correct principles, guiding, loving, and showing the way, not letting them get gobbled up by the ravages of the world.'" [1] It is because of this belief in families that the Mormon Church builds temples.
During the dedicatory prayer of the temple on the 18th of December 1999, President Gordon B. Hinckley said, "We pray for all who enter Thy house that they may be pure and clean in heart and hand. May they here 'feel thy power, and feel constrained to acknowledge that thou hast sanctified it and that it is thy house, a place of thy holiness.'" [2]
The temple features art glass windows and white marble exterior. The classic modern design features a lone spire topped with a gold statue of the Angel Moroni. The Raleigh North Carolina Temple has a total of 10,700 square feet, two ordinance rooms, and two sealing rooms.
Contents
Raleigh North Carolina Temple to Close for Renovations
The First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has announced the closure of the Raleigh North Carolina Temple for renovations beginning January 2018. The temple will be rededicated sometime in 2019.
Open House and Rededication Dates Announced
The First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has announced that an open house for the newly renovated Raleigh North Carolina Temple will take place from 21 September through 28 September 2019, except for Sunday, 22 September 2019. President M. Russell Ballard, acting president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, will preside at the rededication session on Sunday, 13 October 2019. There will only be one rededication session and there will not be a youth devotional and broadcast prior to the rededication. The temple will open for patrons on Tuesday, 22 October 2019.
Notes
- Church News, 25 December 1999.
- News of the Church,” Ensign, Mar. 2000, 74
See also
External links
- Raleigh North Carolina Temple page
- Mormon Temple Ordinances - ReligionFacts
- Mormon Temples - Lightplanet
- Mormon Temples - Wikipedia
