Kansas City Missouri Temple

Kansas City Missouri Temple

Temple in June of 2012

Number

137

Dedication

6 May 2012 by
Thomas S. Monson

Site

8.07 acres (3.3 hectares)

Floor area

32,000 sq ft (3,000 m²)

Preceded by

Quetzaltenango Guatemala Temple

Followed by

Manaus Brazil Temple

Official website• News & images

Additional information
Announcement	4 October 2008
Groundbreaking	8 May 2010 by Ronald A. Rasband
Open House	7–28 April 2012^[1]^[2]
Current President	John White Hardy
Location	7001 Searcy Creek Parkway Kansas City, Clay County, Missouri
Notes	Announced at the 178th Semiannual General Conference.^[3] Ground was broken 8 May 2010 by Ronald A. Rasband during an invitation-only ceremony.^[4] An open house was held from 7 April to 21 April 2012, with the dedication held on 6 May 2012.

Coordinates: 39°13′12.96″N 94°30′3.15″W / 39.2202667°N 94.5008750°W / 39.2202667; -94.5008750

The Kansas City Missouri Temple is the 137th operating temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). It is the first to be built in the Greater Kansas City area. Previous attempts at building an LDS temple in the area failed in Independence in 1833 and Far West in 1838, after church founder Joseph Smith had selected and dedicated locations for their construction. A temple was completed in Independence in 1994 by the Community of Christ, which is not affiliated with the LDS Church.

Announcement and construction

The announcement of the new temple was made on October 4, 2008, during the church's 178th Semiannual general conference by LDS Church president Thomas S. Monson. When the announcement was made, Monson did not specify whether the temple would be constructed in Kansas or Missouri.^[5] However, a later press release confirmed that the temple would be built in the Shoal Creek development in Clay County, Missouri.^[6] This was the second temple of the LDS Church built in Missouri, after the St. Louis Missouri Temple.

The Kansas City Missouri Temple was announced concurrently with the Philadelphia Pennsylvania, Calgary Alberta, Córdoba Argentina and Rome Italy temples.

On October 22, 2009, the Kansas City Council approved The Meadows at Searcy Creek First Plat, the subdivision of the Shoal Creek development where the temple is located. The plat includes the lot for a church meetinghouse as well as the temple.^[7] Site work in the development, including acquiring property for the future temple, commenced in late October. The official groundbreaking for the temple took place on May 8, 2010; attendance was by invitation only.^[8]

Open house and dedication

The temple was opened to the public for an open house between April 7–28, 2012.^[9] Among the visitors were Missouri governor Jay Nixon and Kansas governor Sam Brownback, who were given a private tour on April 5, 2012. Both governors presented proclamations to the LDS Church congratulating them on the completion of the temple.^[10] Over 92,000 people toured the temple. People from 47 states and 11 countries attended the open house.

On May 5, 2012, church members between the ages of 12 and 18 who resided in the new temple district staged a cultural performance at the Kansas City Municipal Auditorium in celebration of the completion of the temple. The following day, May 6, 2012, the temple was dedicated by Thomas S. Monson.^[11]