Boston Massachusetts Temple

Boston Massachusetts Temple
Number	100
Dedication	1 October 2000 (1 October 2000) by Gordon B. Hinckley
Site	8 acres (3.2 hectares)
Floor area	69,600 sq ft (6,470 m2)
Height	139 ft (42 m)
Preceded by	Santo Domingo Dominican Republic Temple
Followed by	Recife Brazil Temple
Official website • News & images
Additional information Announcement 30 September 1995 Groundbreaking 13 June 1997 by Richard G. Scott Open House 29 August – 23 September 2000 Current President Kenneth G. Hutchins (2006) Designed by Tsoi/Kobus & Associates and Church A&E Services Location 86 Frontage Road Belmont, Massachusetts United States Exterior finish Olympia white granite Temple design Classic modern, single-spire design Ordinance rooms 4 with Movie, two-stage progressive sessions Sealing rooms 4 Clothing rental Yes Cafeteria Full services Visitors'  center No

Coordinates: 42°24′43.20720″N 71°11′17.1276″W / 42.4120020000°N 71.188091000°W / 42.4120020000; -71.188091000 </pre> The Boston Massachusetts Temple is the 100th operating temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church).

The Boston Massachusetts Temple is located in the Boston suburb of Belmont, Massachusetts and was dedicated for use on 1 October 2000. When LDS Church president Gordon B. Hinckley announced the building of small temples in April 1998, he also spoke of a goal to have 100 temples built by the end of 2000. The Boston Massachusetts Temple marked the completion of that goal.

Richard G. Scott, of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, presided over the groundbreaking on 13 June 1997, and the building was completed three years later. About 82,600 visitors toured the temple during an open-house prior to its dedication. A local radio station and newspaper working together produced the first on-line tours of a temple. It included narration accompanied by photographs of the temple's interior.

Because of a lawsuit filed by neighbors of the temple site, the Boston Massachusetts Temple was dedicated without the planned steeple. Hinckley remained optimistic and said the temple work would commence with or without a steeple. His optimism was rewarded when the Supreme Court of Massachusetts ruled in favor of the church the following May. Previously, a judge had ruled that the building's steeple was not a "necessary element of the Mormon religion." Therefore, under the law the building height limit could be enforced. But the Supreme Court overruled the earlier ruling saying, "A rose window at Notre Dame Cathedral, a balcony at St. Peter's Basilica, are judges to decide whether these architectural elements are 'necessary' to the faith served by those buildings?" The judges concluded that, "It is not for judges to determine whether the inclusion of a particular architectural feature is 'necessary' for a particular religion."^[1] On September 21, 2001 the steeple with the famous angel Moroni was set in place, completing the temple.

The Boston Massachusetts Temple is large relative to most other LDS temples with a total of 69,600 square feet (6,470 m²), four ordinance rooms, and four sealing rooms. The exterior is finished with olympia white granite.

See also

• Comparison of temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
• Dover Amendment
• Temple Architecture (Latter-day Saints)
• List of temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
• List of temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by geographic region

Notes

References

External links

• Official LDS Boston Massachusetts Temple page
• Boston Massachusetts Temple page
• G Brown Design, Inc., Site and Landscape Architectural firm for this temple
• Suburban Bostonians try to halt completion of Mormon temple - The Associated Press
• Links to many news stories about the controversies dealing with the construction of this temple
• Text of Martin v. The Corporation of the Presiding Bishop of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, 434 Mass. 141 (2001) is available from:  Findlaw 

v t e Latter-day Saint temples in the Eastern United States See also : Temples in other geographic regions Connecticut Hartford Connecticut Temple (under construction) • Atlanta • </pre> Birmingham • </pre> Boston • Columbia • Columbus • Detroit • Fort Lauderdale • Hartford • Indianapolis • Kirtland • Louisville • Manhattan • Memphis • Nashville • Orlando • Palmyra • Philadelphia • Raleigh • Washington • Harrison •= Operating •= Construction •= Announced  •= Closed, operated by others, or efforts suspended. District of Columbia Washington D.C. Temple Florida Fort Lauderdale Florida Temple (announced) Orlando Florida Temple Georgia Atlanta Georgia Temple Indiana Indianapolis Indiana Temple Kentucky Louisville Kentucky Temple Massachusetts Boston Massachusetts Temple Michigan Detroit Michigan Temple New York Manhattan New York Temple Palmyra New York Temple North Carolina Raleigh North Carolina Temple Ohio Columbus Ohio Temple Kirtland Temple (owned by the Community of Christ) Pennsylvania Philadelphia Pennsylvania Temple (under construction) South Carolina Columbia South Carolina Temple Tennessee Memphis Tennessee Temple Nashville Tennessee Temple