Redlands California Temple
The Redlands California Temple is the 116th operating temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The announcement of a temple in Redlands, California, on April 21, 2001, was greatly welcomed by the many members of the area. Redlands is in the San Bernardino California area, an area which since 1851, has had a large population of Latter-day Saints, some of whom are descendants of colonists that first established the community.
The early Church prophet Brigham Young wanted to establish way stations between Salt Lake City, Utah, and Long Beach, California. He sent two Apostles, Amasa M. Lyman and Charles C. Rich, to California to purchase land. Over four hundred colonists went with them. The two apostles purchased 35,000 acres. The site where the Redlands California Temple now stands was a part of that originally purchased land.
The group of Mormon pioneers was quite diverse. Some were veterans of the Mormon Battalion, others were recently freed slaves, and others were new converts from the Southern United States. Despite their differences, their faith united them and they established a thriving, though short-lived, community. In 1857 the federal army threatened to invade Utah and Brigham Young requested colonists sent to other areas to return to Utah. Although the Latter-day Saint colony was short-lived, the colonists contributed greatly to the settlement of Southern California and its development into an economic center.
The site for the Redlands California Temple was dedicated in December 2001 and construction began soon after. Church members helped in the construction by donating rocks for its building, some of these rocks were from the area where the original colonists of 1851 camped. Young children also donated their pennies to buy the palm trees that are now planted around the temple. The temple sits on 4.6 acres and is 17,300 square feet. It houses two ordinance rooms and three sealing rooms.
From August 9 through September 6, 2003 an open house was held for the Redlands temple. About 11,000 people volunteered to help with the open house and more than 140,000 people were able to tour the temple and learn more about the purpose of Latter-day Saint temples. The temple was built on a lot that originally was home to an orange grove; during the open house visitors were served orange juice made from the trees that once stood there.
Church President Gordon B. Hinckley dedicated the Redlands California Temple on September 14, 2003. Thousands of members attended the four dedication services. In the dedicatory prayer President Hinckley stated, "This beautiful structure has come of the consecrations of Thy Saints in all the world. Bless them for their faith and faithfulness. Open the windows of heaven, as Thou hast promised through the prophet Malachi, and pour down blessings upon them that there shall not be room enough to receive them.” [1]
The Redlands California Temple was the fifth temple built in California. It serves approximately 70,000 Latter-day Saint members in the area.
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Notes
- Cray Carlson, “News of the Church,” Ensign, Nov. 2003, 122
Temples in California
- Bakersfield California Temple
- Feather River California Temple
- Fresno California Temple
- Los Angeles California Temple
- Modesto California Temple
- Newport Beach California Temple
- Oakland California Temple
- Redlands California Temple
- Sacramento California Temple
- San Diego California Temple
- San Jose California Temple
- Yorba Linda California Temple
