Denver Colorado Temple
Encyclopedia
The Denver Colorado Temple is the 40th operating temple
of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The LDS Church announced its plans to build a temple in Colorado
on March 31, 1982. Almost two years later, Gordon B. Hinckley
presided over the site dedication and groundbreaking. Hand-carved woodwork adorns the temple interior, along with hand-painted designs on the walls and ceilings. The temple also features more than six hundred square feet of specially designed stained glass
windows. The temple is situated on a hilltop in Centennial
that was once part of a golf course and country club.
Many Latter-day Saints contributed what they could to the building and beautifying of the Denver Colorado Temple. Some made tatted cloths, children earned money and donated it for the building of three 'bride benches,' young men and women made and assembled a dollhouse to be used in the youth center, and more than six hundred volunteers cleaned the temple before the open house held 8–27 September 1986 .
President Ezra Taft Benson
, then President of the Church, dedicated the temple on October 24, 1986. The Denver Colorado Temple has a total of 29117 square feet (2,705 m²), four ordinance rooms, and six sealing rooms.
Temple (LDS Church)
In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , a temple is a building dedicated to be a House of the Lord, and they are considered by Church members to be the most sacred structures on earth. Upon completion, temples are usually open to the public for a short period of time...
of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The LDS Church announced its plans to build a temple in Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
on March 31, 1982. Almost two years later, Gordon B. Hinckley
Gordon B. Hinckley
Gordon Bitner Hinckley was an American religious leader and author who served as the 15th President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from March 12, 1995 until his death...
presided over the site dedication and groundbreaking. Hand-carved woodwork adorns the temple interior, along with hand-painted designs on the walls and ceilings. The temple also features more than six hundred square feet of specially designed stained glass
Stained glass
The term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...
windows. The temple is situated on a hilltop in Centennial
Centennial, Colorado
The city of Centennial is a Home Rule City located in Arapahoe County, Colorado, United States, and part of the Denver-Aurora metropolitan area. The city was to have a total population of 100,377 in 2010 census. Centennial is the tenth-most populous municipality in the state of Colorado and its...
that was once part of a golf course and country club.
Many Latter-day Saints contributed what they could to the building and beautifying of the Denver Colorado Temple. Some made tatted cloths, children earned money and donated it for the building of three 'bride benches,' young men and women made and assembled a dollhouse to be used in the youth center, and more than six hundred volunteers cleaned the temple before the open house held 8–27 September 1986 .
President Ezra Taft Benson
Ezra Taft Benson
Ezra Taft Benson was the thirteenth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1985 until his death and was United States Secretary of Agriculture for both terms of the presidency of Dwight D. Eisenhower.-Biography:Born on a farm in Whitney, Idaho, Benson was the oldest of...
, then President of the Church, dedicated the temple on October 24, 1986. The Denver Colorado Temple has a total of 29117 square feet (2,705 m²), four ordinance rooms, and six sealing rooms.
Community reaction
Prior to the construction of the temple, residents were worried that a temple in their area would be too big and overshadow everything else. The Church then let the residents of the neighborhood surrounding the temple grounds pick the final design of the temple. Out of respect to the community, the Church turned off the lights surrounding the temple at night so the area would not be so bright. The same residents that voted for the temple design asked the Church to leave the lights on permanently at night as they thought the building was beautiful.See also
- Temple (Latter Day Saints)
- List of temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
- List of temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by geographic region
- Comparison of temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day SaintsComparison of temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day SaintsBelow is a chronological list of temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with sortable columns. In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a temple is a building dedicated to be a House of the Lord, and considered by church members to be the most sacred structures on earth...
- Temple architecture (Latter-day Saints)
- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in ColoradoThe Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in ColoradoAs of year-end 2007, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints reported 133,727 members in 30 stakes, 285 Congregations , 3 missions, and 1 temple in Colorado.-History:A brief history can be found at -Membership History:...