Kansas City Missouri Temple
On 4 October 2008 The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced that it would build a temple in Kansas City, Missouri. The Kansas City Missouri Temple is located southwest of the intersection of I-435 and Shoal Creek Parkway, in a beautiful mixed development owned by the Church in northeast Kansas City, just west of the Liberty Jail Historic Site. The address of the Kansas City Missouri Temple is 7001 Searcy Creek Parkway, Kansas City, Missouri, United States. The temple is similar in design to the Twin Falls Idaho Temple.
In the early days of the Church, Latter-day Saints attempted to build two temples in Missouri— one in Independence, Missouri, and one farther north in Far West. Both attempts failed due to persecution against the Mormons. Currently, there is one other functioning temple in Missouri: the St. Louis Missouri Temple. Church members are now found in every major city in the Midwest. Kansas City's first stake was established in 1956. Today there are over 115,000 members in Missouri and Kansas organized into 25 stakes [1] [2]. A temple is being built in Wichita, Kansas.
Contents
Groundbreaking, Open House, and Dedication
The groundbreaking and site dedication for the Kansas City Missouri Temple were held on 8 May 2010 and conducted by Ronald A. Rasband, a General Authority of the Church.
The public was invited to visit the temple during an open house held from Saturday, 7 April 2012, until Saturday, 21 April 2012, excluding Sundays.
In conjunction with the dedication of the temple, a cultural celebration featuring music and dance was scheduled for Saturday, 5 May 2012, and held at the Municipal Auditorium in downtown Kansas City, Missouri.
The temple was dedicated on Sunday, 6 May 2012, by President Thomas S. Monson in three sessions. The dedicatory sessions were broadcast to congregations of the Church within the temple district. Those in the temple district who witnessed the dedicatory sessions via closed circuit television did so in selected meetinghouses, and following an interview with their bishop or one of his counselors to determine their worthiness and to obtain a conditional recommend to do so.
A Time of Healing Mormon History
Guests at the open house of the Kansas City Temple included Missouri Governor Jay Nixon and his wife, Georganne, Kansas Governor Sam Brownback, Supreme Court justices, and government officials from both states, religious, education, civic, business, and entertainment leaders and members of local, regional, and national media.
- At the conclusion of the tour, Governor Nixon stood, extended his hand to Elder Walker and very warmly said, “On behalf of the six million people of the state of Missouri, I’d like to express our appreciation at your church’s commitment to building a place of such physical and inspirational significance. We are pleased and honored that you have done so. It’s a truly historic moment.” The Governor continued, “The people of Missouri have not always treated your people as they should have. This is not only a tremendous accomplishment for you, but is a time of healing for us.” He expressed his wish that Elder Walker convey to Church leadership in Salt Lake City and also Church congregations that Missouri extends congratulations and a heartfelt welcome. [3]
The governors of both Missouri and Kansas presented official proclamations to Elder William R. Walker of the Seventy of the Church of Jesus Christ, who guided them on their temple tour.
- The Kansas Proclamation spoke of the early history and accomplishments of Latter-day Saints in Kansas, including the story of the Mormon Battalion. The proclamation ended with this statement: “I, Sam Brownback, Governor of the State of Kansas, do hereby acknowledge and warmly commend the members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for the construction of this magnificent temple, for their dedication to religious liberty, for their deep spiritual conviction, all of which provide a valuable contribution to the people and families of the great state of Kansas.” The Missouri proclamation was also complimentary towards the Church and expressed appreciation for the contributions members have made to Missouri throughout the years. [4]
The location of the temple is in northwest Missouri, near Liberty, where Prophet Joseph Smith and other leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ were incarcerated during the winter of 1838-39. (See Liberty Jail.) An extermination order had been issued by then Governor Lilburn Boggs against the Mormons, and they were violently driven out of Missouri during a bitter winter, seeking solace wherever it was granted, especially in Quincy, Illinois. The Church did not officially establish a presence in Kansas and Missouri again until the turn of the century.
- To read the official proclamations, click here.
- An Episcopal Priest attended the Kansas City Missouri Temple open house. Read her impressions here.
External Links
- Official Kansas City Missouri Temple page
- Kansas City Missouri Temple page
- Kansas City Missouri Temple dedicatory prayer
- What is the Purpose of the Temple
- What Are Temples?
Temple Videos
Additional Resources
