Stockholm Sweden Temple
The Stockholm Sweden Temple is the 34th operating temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The first Mormon missionary in Sweden was John E. Forsgren from Gavle, who had immigrated to the United States and joined the Mormon Church. He returned to Gavle in 1850 and baptized his brother Peter, the first convert in all of Scandinavia, and his sister Ericka. Word reached the government authorities and John was deported back to the United States. Other missionaries were sent and the authorities continued to oppress and make life difficult for the new members. One of the reasons that the church was persecuted in Sweden, besides the fact that it drew people away from the state-supported Lutheran church, was that in the early days many Mormon members emigrated to the United States, specifically to Utah, so that they could enjoy participating in the temple, being near the prophet of the Church and living in a society who shared their faith. Consequently, the Church did not grow as much if all those members would have stayed in Sweden. Mass emigration continued until the 1950's, when the Switzerland Temple was build and members were encouraged by Church leaders to stay and build up the church in their home countries.
Still in 1910 the proposal to ban Mormon missionaries was brought before the 'riksdag' and King Gustaf V. The proposal was defeated and Mormon missionaries were permitted to preach the Gospel.
By 1927 membership had increased to 1,674; and with various events taking place throughout the next sixty years, the Church increased considerably in membership.
The announcement of the Stockholm Sweden Temple in 1981 received virtually no opposition. There were numerous sites explored for the building of the temple, but the one decided upon by Church leaders was in Vasterhaninge, just south of Stockholm. City officials and merchants welcomed the temple project, and later the city showed further support by changing the name of the street on which the temple is located to Temple Drive. 2
The Temple sits on a six-acre lot with its six spires rising above the pines in the nearby forest and where a cobblestone path leads to its doors.
On July 2, 1985, the temple was dedicated by President Gordon B. Hinckley, Mormon Prophet. The temple serves members of the Mormon Church from the countries of Sweden, Finland, Russia, Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia. Many travel 5-6 days in order to attend and partake of the blessings that only the Temple can offer.
- "The First 100 Temples", by Chad Hawkins, 2001, p95
The Stockholm Sweden Temple has a total of 14,508 square feet, four ordinance rooms, and three sealing rooms.
See also
External links
- Official LDS Stockholm Sweden Temple page
- Stockholm Sweden Temple page
- Stockholm Sweden Temple page
- Mormon Temple Worship - BBC Religion & Ethics
- Mormon Temple Ordinances - ReligionFacts
- Mormon Temples - Lightplanet
- Mormon Temples - Wikipedia
- Temples and Mormon Temples - Answers.com
- Resources about the History and Symbolism of Mormon Temples
- Mormon Temples and Secrecy
- Mormons Open Temple Doors to Share Beliefs - USA Today
- History of Mormon Temples - Lightplanet
