Hong Kong China Temple
The Hong Kong China Temple is the 48th operating temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The LDS Church in Hong Kong has changed drastically since the first missionaries arrived to preach the Gospel in 1853. In 1960 there were 91 full-time foreign and 12 full-time local LDS missionaries preaching the Gospel in Hong Kong. [1]
In 1995 President Gordon B. Hinckley, President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1995 to 2008, announced that there would be an LDS temple in Hong Kong. However, finding a place on which to build proved difficult. Church leaders considered numerous temple sites but were unsatisfied with all. One obstacle was the high cost of real estate. Finally, the inspiration came to have the temple built on the site of the mission home and chapel.
Because of the situation of Hong Kong city, the temple had to be 'built up' instead of 'spreading out' to build. It was the scarcity of space in that crowded land that contributes to the unique design of the Hong Kong Temple. The six-story building is designed to house, not only the temple, but also a chapel, mission offices, and living quarters for the temple president and several missionaries. [2]
The temple design came to President Hinckley during a visit to the area in 1991. He and two General Authorities, Elders Monte J. Brough and John K. Carmack of the Seventy reviewed potential sites but could not settle on one. After an exhausting day, they retired to bed for the night. Early the next morning President Hinckley called the leaders together to show a non-traditional temple structure. This is the temple that was ultimately built and dedicated by President Hinckley. You can read the story behind the temple from Elders Monte J. Brough and John K. Carmack of the Seventy.
The dedication of the Hong Kong China Temple took place on 26 May 1996. Many who attended the temple open house were impressed that amid the traffic and confusion of such a busy city there is such peace and tranquility found so easily inside the temple.
The Hong Kong China Temple serves Latter-day Saints from parts of India, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Mongolia, Guam, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Cambodia, Micronesia, Majuro, and Indonesia. It has a total of 21,744 square feet, two ordinance rooms, and two sealing rooms.
Contents
The Hong Kong Temple to Close for Renovations
The First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has announced the closure of the Hong Kong China Temple for extensive renovation effective 8 July 2019. While the temple is being renovated, members are encouraged to attend other temples as their circumstances allow.
Videos of the Hong Kong Temple
Notes
- "A Dream Come True in Hong Kong", by Kellene Ricks Adams, Ensign, June 1996
- "The First 100 Temples", by Chad Hawkins, 2001, 132-133
