Winter Quarters Nebraska Temple

Winter Quarters Nebraska Temple
Number 104
Dedication 22 April 2001 (22 April 2001) by
Gordon B. Hinckley
Site 1.92 acres (0.8 hectares)
Floor area 16,000 sq ft (1,500 m2)
Height 86 ft (26 m)
Preceded by Montevideo Uruguay Temple
Followed by Guadalajara Mexico Temple
Official website • News & images

Coordinates: 41°20′2.669999″N 95°57′58.28399″W / 41.33407499972°N 95.9661899972°W / 41.33407499972; -95.9661899972

The Winter Quarters Nebraska Temple is the 104th operating temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). It is located in Florence, now a neighborhood of Omaha, Nebraska, USA, and formerly an independent city.

About

Winter Quarters is considered hallowed ground for the members of the LDS Church. It was the site where early church members settled after they were driven out of Nauvoo, Illinois. It was also where many Latter-day Saints, including many who came from Europe, camped before crossing the plains to the Salt Lake Valley. The area has many graves of Mormon pioneers who died on their journey. More than 2,000 church members died at Winter Quarters because of heavy storms, scurvy, malaria and inadequate food and shelter.

The new temple was built next to the Mormon Pioneer Cemetery and visitors' center. During the groundbreaking ceremony, conducted by Truman F. Clawson on November 28, 1999, he said, "Now today on this end of the hill, we will take shovels in our hands to dig not a grave but the foundation of a special building, a temple."[1]

In preparation for the open house, members of the church and the community of Florence worked together creating handcrafted flowers for storefronts and decorating historic sites and markers with balloons. Over 61,000 visitors toured the Winter Quarters Temple during its open house.

Members all over the United States and Canada watched via satellite broadcast as LDS Church president Gordon B. Hinckley dedicated the Winter Quarters Nebraska Temple on April 22, 2001. During the dedicatory prayer, Hinckley recognized the sacrifice of the Saints and the great spiritual and historical significance of having a temple at Winter Quarters.

The Winter Quarters Nebraska Temple has a total area of 16,000 square feet (1,500 m²), two ordinance rooms, and two sealing rooms.

At one time, the church intended to name the temple Winter Quarters Temple in contradiction to the standard naming convention for church temples.[2]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Lloyd, R. Scott (Dec 4, 1999), "New temple to stand on sanctified soil", Church News
  2. ↑ "Temples renamed to uniform guidelines". Church News. October 16, 1999.
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