|
|
| (33 intermediate revisions by 2 users not shown) |
| Line 1: |
Line 1: |
| − | [[Image:Rome-Italy-Temple-2019.jpg|225px|thumb|<center><span style="color:#0000FF">Rome Italy Temple</span></center>|right]] | + | [[Image:Washington-DC-Temple-2022.jpg|300px|thumb|<div align="center"><span style="color:#0000FF">Washington D.C. Temple</span></div>|right]] |
| | | | |
| − | On Saturday, 4 October 2008, during the opening session of the 178th Semiannual [[General Conference]], [[Thomas S. Monson]], then President of [[The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]], announced the building of a temple in Rome, Italy.
| + | The Washington D.C. Temple was announced on 15 November 1968. It is the 16th operating temple of [[The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]] and the first temple of the Church to be built on the East Coast of the United States. Elder [[Hugh B. Brown]] presided at the groundbreaking and site dedication ceremony, which was held on 7 December 1968. The temple was completed in 1974 and serves Church members in Washington, D.C., Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, West Virginia, and New Jersey. |
| | | | |
| − | There are more than 30,000 members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Italy, with seven [[Stake|stakes]] and two [[Mission|missions]]. The [[Rome Italy Mormon Temple|Rome Italy Temple]] will be the first LDS temple constructed in Italy and the 12th temple in Europe. When completed, the Rome Italy Temple will serve members who, according to local Rome [[Stake President]], Massimo De Feo, currently travel to the [[Bern Switzerland Temple]] if they wish to do temple work. He also said that the Church has seen a significant increase in requests for baptisms for the living and the dead, and for [http://www.ldschurchtemples.com/mormon/marriage/ celestial marriage ceremonies and family sealing ceremonies] which officially bind couples or families together for eternity. He also believes that many Italian members who moved away because of inadequate ways to practice their faith will return to Italy once the temple is complete.
| + | At 160,000 square feet, the Washington D.C. Temple is the third largest Latter-day Saint temple in the world. It has the tallest tower of any of the Church's temples, at 280 feet. The [[Angel Moroni|angel Moroni]] that sits on top of this tower is eighteen feet tall and weighs two tons. The temple was designed to be similar in style and form to the [[Salt Lake Temple]] so that it would be easily recognized as an LDS temple. |
| | | | |
| − | ==Latter-day Saint Population Throughout Italy==
| + | The Washington D.C. Temple Visitors' Center hosts numerous interactive exhibits, a breathtaking reproduction of the [[Christus Statue|Christus statue]], and regular lectures and concerts throughout the year. Admission is free. And at Christmastime, the grounds are set aglow during the Festival of Lights, which offers nightly concerts, a live nativity scene, and international nativity sets. A free temple shuttle, funded by donations, is offered to patrons and visitors traveling between the Metro and the Washington D.C. Temple. |
| | | | |
| − | The [http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/09/28/a-mormon-st-peter-s-in-rome.html Daily Beast.com] reports, "Italy has 103 Latter-day Saints congregations under 10 stakes, divided into missions based in Milan and Rome, with the highest concentration in the north of Italy, where 53 percent of Mormons live, compared to 29 percent in southern Italy and 18 percent in the central regions. Sicily alone has 3,052 members of the Church; the region around Rome has 2,117, according to the LDS Italy archives. There are more female Mormons (53 percent) than men (47 percent) in the country." | + | The Washington D.C. Temple closed in March 2018 for extensive renovations, including an upgrade of the mechanical systems and the refreshing of the finish and furnishings. |
| | | | |
| − | ==Early Missionary Work in Italy==
| + | On Monday, 15 June 2020, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced that, because of concern for the effects of COVID-19, the open house, youth devotional, and re-dedication of the Washington D.C. Temple were being postponed until large public gatherings are deemed safe. |
| | | | |
| − | Just three years after the Saints arrived in the Salt Lake Valley, the first missionaries arrived in Genoa, Italy, on 25 June 1850, including Elder [[Lorenzo Snow]], who would become the fifth president of the Church. Over the next three years, 221 people were baptized and organized into three [[Branch|branches]]. But most proselytizing in Italy stopped in the early 1860s in the face of local opposition and because of a request from Church leaders for Italian members to migrate to Utah. An attempt to reopen missionary work in Italy in 1900 was refused by the government. The Church was finally reestablished in Italy in 1951, following the conversion of Vincenzo di Francesca, who happened to discover a charred copy of the [[Book of Mormon]] in a garbage bin. The cover and title page was missing, and it took him years to find out the identity of the book and achieve baptism into the Church. Italians who had joined the Church in other countries began to return to Italy during this period. They attended Church with LDS serviceman stationed in Italy in various branches. By the end of 1964, Church records showed 229 members in Italy. That same year, Elder [[Ezra Taft Benson]], an apostle who would become the 13th president of the Church, petitioned the government for permission to resume missionary work. Permission was granted, the mission was re-opened, and missionaries began to proselyte on 27 January 1965.
| + | Finally, the open house was scheduled for April of 2022 and was extended because so many people wanted to visit and tour the temple. The open house was attended by government officials and members of the press. Press photographers commented upon the fact that there are no shadows at all in the various rooms, which are flooded with an ethereal light. |
| | | | |
| − | ==Rome Italy Temple Site and Design==
| + | The rededication of the Washington D.C. Temple was set for Sunday, August 14, 2022, in three sessions, with the temple being rededicated by Prophet Russell M. Nelson and First Presidency members Dallin H. Oaks and Henry B. Eyring. |
| | | | |
| − | The two-spired, three-story, 140-foot Rome Italy Temple is located in northeast Rome near the Grande Raccordo Anulare, the circular road (beltway) that surrounds the city, at Via di Settebagni, 376, just 11 miles from Saint Peter’s Basilica, near the village of La Cinquina Bufalotta. Its architecture was inspired by ancient Rome. Architect [https://www.ldsdaily.com/church-lds/first-photos-of-rome-italy-temple-released/ Neils Valentiner said], "This had to be one that when you walked onto this site, every person should feel like they were on an Italian site. They would recognize it because of the materials, because of the design, and because of the surrounding." He also stated that the temple’s design was inspired by San Carlino, a Roman Catholic church in Rome. He said, "The curved ceilings, the curved walls, the expression of the colonnades and columns. And that started this very early concept of a curved church, a curved temple, and temple building both on the exterior as well as on the interior."
| + | <span><div align="center"><embedvideo service="youtube" urlargs="rel=0" dimensions="450x275" alignment="inline">https://youtu.be/hKyu9KkX37c&rel=0</embedvideo></div></span> |
| − | | |
| − | The temple sits on 15 acres and will feature lush gardens, and a 40,000-square-foot temple with floor and ceiling designs to mimic Michelangelo’s Capitoline Hill plaza overlooking the Roman forum. It is part of a religious and cultural center that includes a multifunctional meetinghouse, a visitors’ center, a family history center and housing for visitors. Marble from Italy, Spain, Turkey, and Brazil is being used to decorate the interior and exterior spaces. The exterior finish will be made of Sardo Bianco granite quarried and fabricated in Italy. A charming Italian Villetta, which stood at the highest point of the temple site, was razed to make way for the Rome Italy Temple. The Villetta served for a time as an apartment for the full-time [[Missionaries|missionaries]].
| |
| − | | |
| − | The construction plans for the Rome Italy Temple site also includes a [[Stake Center]] meeting house (a stake being roughly similar to a Catholic diocese), a [[Visitors' Centers|Visitors' Center]] that will house [http://www.deseretnews.com/article/765613988/LDS-visitors-center-in-Rome-to-feature-recreated-Christus-statue.html digitally reproduced marble replicas of Bertel Thorvaldsen’s renown sculptures] of Christus and the Twelve Apostles, a [[Family History Library|Family History Center]], and patron housing.
| |
| − | | |
| − | ==Rome Italy Temple Groundbreaking Ceremony==
| |
| − | | |
| − | President [[Thomas S. Monson]] dedicated the temple site on Saturday, 23 October 2010. He was accompanied by Church officials, including Elder [[William R. Walker]], Executive Director of the Temple Department; [[Erich W. Kopischke]], President of the Europe Area and his two counselors, Elder [[Gerald Causse|Gérald Caussé]] and Elder [[José A. Teixeira]]; Elder Alfredo L. Gessati, Area [[Seventy]]; President [[Massimo De Feo]], Rome Italy [[Stake President]]; and President Raimondo Castellani, Bern Switzerland [[Temple President]]. Numerous government officials were also in attendance including Mr. Giuseppe Ciardi, vice mayor of Rome, and Senator Lucio Malan.
| |
| − | | |
| − | During his remarks to the 500 guests at the groundbreaking ceremony, [http://www.mormonnewsroom.org.uk/article/the-rome-italy-temple-construction-site-progresses he said], "My heart is filled with gratitude. Members throughout Italy and the entire Mediterranean area will be able to come here." Senator Lucio Malan commented that it was "A ceremony that profoundly touched me for the sincere and heartfelt appreciation of those attending. A positive day for Italy because those who profess to obey the laws of the state and the laws of God make the country in which they live a better place."
| |
| − | | |
| − | Shortly after ground was broken for the temple, Rome Mayor, Gianni Alemanno, visited the temple site with Elder José Teixeira of the [[Quorum of the Seventy]]. According to a report on the [http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/mormons-around-world-country-newsroom-websites-may-2 Mormon Newsroom] website, Mayor Alemanno, an environmental engineer, "was impressed with the Church’s high construction standards and materials, including the systems employed to manage water consumption, electrical production and the low environmental impact of the temple complex." The full story is available on the [http://www.media-mormoni.it/articolo/visita-del-sindaco-di-roma-al-sito-del-tempio Italy Mormon Newsroom] website.
| |
| − | | |
| − | During a visit to Europe in the summer of 2014, President [[Dieter F. Uchtdorf]], [[Second Counselor]] in the [[First Presidency]], spent some time at the site of the Rome Italy Temple. [https://www.deseretnews.com/article/865620671/LDS-Church-releases-statement-on-construction-of-Rome-Italy-Temple.html He commented], "The Rome temple is significant for the Church in Italy, not only for its physical presence but also as a monument to the growth of the Church. For centuries, Rome has been the Christian hub throughout the world."
| |
| − | | |
| − | ==Church Announces Open House and Dedication Dates==
| |
| − | | |
| − | The Rome Italy Temple opened to the public for a free public tour on Monday, 28 January 2019. The open house will run through Saturday, 16 February 2019, excluding Sundays.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [[The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]] announced that the Rome Italy Temple will be dedicated on Sunday, 10 March 2019, through Tuesday, 12 March 2019.
| |
| − | | |
| − | Speaking about the temple, President [[Russell M. Nelson]] [http://www.ldsliving.com/Church-Announces-Dedication-Dates-for-the-Rome-Italy-Temple/s/88087 said], "The sacred ordinances performed in this holy temple will unite families for eternity. God loves all His children equally and has provided a way for them to be linked in love, generation to generation. We are thrilled to be able to dedicate a temple in this city replete with historical importance throughout the ages." Of the Rome Italy Temple, the 162nd operating temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the world, Elder [[David A. Bednar]] of the [[Quorum of the Twelve Apostles]] and chairman of the Temple and Family History Department said, "It is beautiful. The craftsmanship is expert and perfect."
| |
| − | | |
| − | | |
| − | <center><embedvideo service="youtube" urlargs="rel=0" dimensions="400x225" alignment="inline">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eEwbYzI-pyk&rel=0</embedvideo></center>
| |
| − | | |
| − | | |
| − | <noinclude>[[category:Templates]]</noinclude>
| |
The Washington D.C. Temple was announced on 15 November 1968. It is the 16th operating temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the first temple of the Church to be built on the East Coast of the United States. Elder Hugh B. Brown presided at the groundbreaking and site dedication ceremony, which was held on 7 December 1968. The temple was completed in 1974 and serves Church members in Washington, D.C., Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, West Virginia, and New Jersey.
At 160,000 square feet, the Washington D.C. Temple is the third largest Latter-day Saint temple in the world. It has the tallest tower of any of the Church's temples, at 280 feet. The angel Moroni that sits on top of this tower is eighteen feet tall and weighs two tons. The temple was designed to be similar in style and form to the Salt Lake Temple so that it would be easily recognized as an LDS temple.
The Washington D.C. Temple Visitors' Center hosts numerous interactive exhibits, a breathtaking reproduction of the Christus statue, and regular lectures and concerts throughout the year. Admission is free. And at Christmastime, the grounds are set aglow during the Festival of Lights, which offers nightly concerts, a live nativity scene, and international nativity sets. A free temple shuttle, funded by donations, is offered to patrons and visitors traveling between the Metro and the Washington D.C. Temple.
The Washington D.C. Temple closed in March 2018 for extensive renovations, including an upgrade of the mechanical systems and the refreshing of the finish and furnishings.
On Monday, 15 June 2020, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced that, because of concern for the effects of COVID-19, the open house, youth devotional, and re-dedication of the Washington D.C. Temple were being postponed until large public gatherings are deemed safe.
Finally, the open house was scheduled for April of 2022 and was extended because so many people wanted to visit and tour the temple. The open house was attended by government officials and members of the press. Press photographers commented upon the fact that there are no shadows at all in the various rooms, which are flooded with an ethereal light.
The rededication of the Washington D.C. Temple was set for Sunday, August 14, 2022, in three sessions, with the temple being rededicated by Prophet Russell M. Nelson and First Presidency members Dallin H. Oaks and Henry B. Eyring.
