Manhattan New York Temple
The Manhattan New York Temple is the 119th operating temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is currently closed for renovations.
On August 28, 2023, the First Presidency of the Church announced that the Manhattan New York Temple would close on March 2, 2024, for extensive renovations, which will be completed in approximately three years. The meetinghouse on the third floor of the temple will also be upgraded. Local congregations will be relocated to other meetinghouse spaces in the area during the renovation period. During the temple’s renovation, Latter-day Saints in the Manhattan New York Temple district are encouraged to attend the Philadelphia Pennsylvania Temple or the Hartford Connecticut Temple.
Dates for the public open house and dedication following the three-year renovation will be announced closer to the completion date.[1]
History of the Manhattan New York Temple
The opening of a temple in Manhattan, New York was announced on August 7, 2002. A few months before on March 24, 2002, at a special regional conference in New York City, Church President Gordon B. Hinckley told those in attendance that he expected a temple to be built in the area in the next two years. The Church-wide announcement made on August 7th fulfilled this expectation. The need for a temple in the Manhattan area became apparent during the last decade when membership in the Church in the area tripled to more than 42,000 members.
A groundbreaking ceremony and site dedication were held on September 23, 2002, with construction beginning soon after. The Church had decided to adapt an existing multipurpose stake center owned by the Church, which stands diagonally across from the Lincoln Center and a block west of New York City’s Central Park, into the temple. This was done because costs for land in the area were extremely high and the leaders of the Church did not feel it was practical to buy land to build another structure. This was not the first time that this decision had been reached. A similar situation existed in Hong Kong where the Church opted to build the temple within an existing building. The original Manhattan building was constructed in 1976 and the building still houses a family history center and public affairs office. The temple is located on the first (baptistry), and top three floors of the building. The insides of these floors were completely renovated. The walls were made to be sound proof so that the noise of the traffic outside would not interrupt the spiritual reverence in the temple. The total floor area for the temple part of the building is 20,630 square feet and the temple houses two ordinance rooms and two sealing rooms, along with a baptistry. Inside the temple, beehives are carved into the molding and door handles shaped like the Statue of Liberty torch are found throughout. There are also beautiful paintings on the walls of many of the rooms that depict beautiful scenes in nature. From the lobby, there is a separate door to enter the temple inscribed with "Holiness to the Lord."
A temple open house was held on May 8-June 5, 2004 allowing Church members and non-members alike to see the inside of the temple. More than 53,000 people took the forty-minute tour through the temple, and many others experienced the temple through worldwide media coverage. Latter-day Saint missionaries in the area as well as Latter-day Saints, who had volunteered to help, gave the tours. President Gordon B. Hinckley also took a tour through the temple and said "As I walked through this magnificent building created within an old building, I said to myself, 'This is Zion in Babylon.' This is such a place of beauty. A miracle, I think, has occurred here." [1]
On June 12, 2004 a cultural celebration was held at the Radio City Music Hall entitled "A Standard to the Nations." It was a two-hour performance including more than 2,400 Latter-day Saint youth from the area. President Hinckley officially dedicated the Manhattan New York Temple for use on June 13, 2004. After the dedication a special ceremony was held and a time capsule was put in the cornerstone with memorabilia from New York such as a copy of the New York Times and memorabilia from the Church of Jesus Christ such as a set of scriptures, a handkerchief used during the dedication ceremony, and sheet music. Just before the temple dedication it was announced that a steeple and statue of the angel Moroni would be added to the building in the fall. On October 9, 2004, thousands of people came to watch the ten-foot statue be placed on top of the steeple.
Videos
Notes
- "Mormon president calls new temple in New York 'Zion in Babylon'". Associated Press, USA. June 19, 2004.
See also
External Links
- Official Manhattan New York Temple page
- Manhattan New York Temple page
- Manhattan New York Temple dedicatory prayer
- Mormons Open Manhattan Temple Doors to Share Beliefs - USAToday
- Mormon Temples - Lightplanet
