Melbourne Australia Temple
Encyclopedia
The Melbourne Australia Temple is the 90th operating temple
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.

On 30 October 1998 the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced that a temple would be built in Melbourne, Australia. The Melbourne Australia Temple is one of five temples in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

. Previously, members from the area had traveled twelve hours one-way to visit the Sydney Australia Temple
Sydney Australia Temple
The Sydney Australia Temple is the 30th constructed and 28th operating temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.-Construction and dedication:...

.

Missionary work was slow in Australia until the 1950s when the number of people joining the Church suddenly exploded. In 1955 there were 3,000 members in Australia, just five short years later there were almost 10,000. By 1970 the number of members more than tripled to 32,000. In 1980 it had jumped to 50,000. Today there are more than 100,000 members in Australia, making The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints the fastest growing Christian church in the country.

On 20 March 1999 a groundbreaking ceremony and site dedication was held. The site for the temple is 5.98 acres (24,200.2 m²) and is also the site of a meetinghouse. The temple was open to the public for tours 2-10 June, 2000. Those who toured the 10700 square feet (994.1 m²) temple were able to see the stunning craftsmanship, the Celestial room, two sealing rooms, two ordinance rooms, baptistery, and learn more about Mormon beliefs.

President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 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...

 dedicated the Melbourne Australia Temple on 16 June 2000. Four dedicatory services were held to accommodate all the members that wanted to attend. The Melbourne Temple serves 18,000 members in eight stakes from Victoria, Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...

, and Southern New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...

.

See also


External links

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