Portland Oregon Temple
The Portland Oregon Temple is the 42nd operating temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the first temple in Oregon. Two others have followed: the Medford Oregon Temple, dedicated in 2000, and the Willamette Valley Oregon Temple, construction expected to be completed in 2026.
The Portland Oregon temple sits on seven acres of lush green land in Lake Oswego, Oregon. The temple has six white spires and a white marble exterior accented with green marble trim and topped with a green slate roof. The three east spires on the temple represent the Melchizedek Priesthood and the three west spires represent the Aaronic Priesthood.
The land for the Portland Oregon Temple was purchased in the 1960s with the purpose of building a Junior College. However, when it came time to build a temple in Oregon, the temple committee realized that the property was the place for the temple. Getting approval for the temple's construction, however, was not without opposition though. The process of getting the property approved for the Portland Temple included at least twenty-seven public hearings, eight lawsuits, and four petition drives which were intended to stop the development. Elder Bean who was the Temple Committee Chairman said, "The Saints are tested; it is almost as though the Lord wants the members to know how much they want a temple." [1]
When the temple was completed the attitudes of those in the community changed and almost 300,000 people attended the open house. On August 19, 1989, the Portland Oregon Temple was dedicated by President Gordon B. Hinckley who was an apostle at the time. He pronounced that the temple is, "a place of peace and holiness, a refuge from [the] storms of life." [2]
The Portland Oregon Temple has a total of 79,220 square feet, four ordinance rooms, and fourteen sealing rooms.
Visitors' Center
On February 25, 2012, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints opened a new visitors' center adjacent to the Portland Oregon Temple. The visitors' center is the new version of a building near the Portland Oregon Temple formerly used as a Church Distribution Center. The key messages of the new visitors' center pertain to Jesus Christ, blessings of the restored gospel and temples and eternal families.
The new visitors' center contains a copy of Danish sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen's Christus Statue, copies of which are at Temple Square and other Church visitors' centers. There is also a mural of a sunrise over the local landscape, an exhibit explaining the history of the Portland Oregon Temple, an exhibit explaining temples and how they bless families, and an exhibit featuring Latter-day Saints bearing witness of Christ.
A new interactive exhibit introduces visitors to the Book of Mormon and its teachings. There is also an exhibit on Jesus Christ as the Savior of the world. It features a biblical setting where visitors can learn about who Jesus is, where He walked, and what He taught. Another exhibit includes the testimonies of the First Presidency and members of the Quorum of the Twelve. Also included are teachings from recent general conference addresses. There is also a theater that offers a presentation titled "God's Plan and His Family" along with other favorite films shown at other Church visitors' centers.
Videos
Notes
- "Saints to the Columbia", by Kullberg, 113
- "Temple Dedicated", by Avant, 3
