Appendix III
Other Temples of the Church
by William James Mortimer
The detailed description of the great temple at Salt Lake City, and lesser descriptions of the other temples in Utah serve to illustrate the common purpose and plan for temples and temple work in these latter-days. The Church will continue to erect new temples as its membership grows and as increased work for the dead merits these important edifices.
Brief descriptions will here be offered of the temples thus far constructed or announced.
Hawaii Temple
The first temple to be built by the Church off the U. S. mainland was at Laie, Oahu, Hawaii. Amid the beauty and tropical grandeur of this island paradise, it is fitting and appropriate that a House of the Lord be found.
President Joseph F. Smith, sixth President of the Church, went to the Hawaiian Islands when he was just a lad of 15 to do missionary work. He developed a lifelong love for the people of the islands, and in 1915 returned as President of the Church to dedicate and set apart a site for a temple in which the people of the South Pacific might participate in the sacred ordinances performed in these holy houses.
On Thanksgiving day, November 27, 1919, members of the Church gathered from the islands of the Pacific and from the body of the Church in the United States, and met in the completed temple to dedicate it to the Lord. President Heber J. Grant who had succeeded President Smith offered the dedicatory prayer.
Alberta Temple
In 1887 members of the Church settled in the Province of Alberta in Western Canada. The town of Cardston was named after the leader of the pioneer group, Charles Ora Card, who later donated to the Church an eight-acre block.
On July 27, 1913, President Joseph F. Smith dedicated this block as a building site for a temple, and on the following November 9, ground was broken for construction of another House of the Lord.
Work was delayed because of the First World War which raged in Europe from 1914 to 1918. Canada, as part of the British Empire, was seriously involved in the war.
The temple was completed for the most part in 1921, but it was not dedicated until August 26, 1923, with President Heber J. Grant offering the dedicatory prayer.
Arizona Temple
Latter-day Saints were among the early settlers of Arizona, and pioneer colonies were established by them in many areas. To serve the needs of Church members in Arizona, and also the Lamanites and Spanish-speaking members of the Church, President Heber J. Grant dedicated the site for a temple on November 28, 1921.
The temple site consists of 20 acres in Mesa, only a few miles from Phoenix. Ground was broken on April 25, 1923. Like the Hawaii and Alberta temples, the building has neither spires nor towers. In general appearance it has a terraced effect.
Beautiful flowers and stately trees, flourishing in the warm Arizona climate, make the temple and its surrounding grounds an attraction for travelers from many parts of the world. It was dedicated by President Heber J. Grant on October 23, 1927.
Idaho Falls Temple
The Idaho Falls Temple occupies a beautiful site along the Snake River. Ground for the temple was broken on December 19, 1939, and the cornerstone was laid on October 19, 1940, by President David O. McKay, then a counselor to President Heber J. Grant.
The building is constructed of reinforced concrete. The outside walls are faced with white cast stone and stand in beautiful contrast to the green of the lawns and shrubbery. Many of the interior walls are faced with marble, much of which was imported from Europe.
The building was dedicated on September 23, 1946 by President George Albert Smith, eighth President of the Church.
Los Angeles Temple
Completion of the Los Angeles Temple marked a significant chapter in the history of the Church. Comparable in size and facilities only to the Salt Lake Temple, this structure stands as a sacred memorial to the faith of the Latter-day Saints.
For many years the saints in Southern California had looked forward to the time when they might have a tem- ple in their midst. Their hopes were brightened on March 6, 1937, when President Heber J. Grant announced the purchase of a 24 acre temple site on Santa Monica Boulevard.
Construction of the temple was delayed by World War II, but following the war, ground was broken in September, 1951, by President David O. McKay, and the cornerstone was laid on December 11, 1953, in impressive ceremonies by President Stephen L Richards of the First Presidency. Dedication of the building came on March 11, 1956, by President David O. McKay.
The building is constructed of reinforced concrete, faced with a light colored cast stone. Surmounting the tower is a statue representing Moroni with a trumpet, announcing to the world the glad tidings of the restored gospel.
Swiss Temple
The first temple on the European continent was truly a dream fulfilled for faithful members of the Church in Europe. The announcement to build the temple near Berne, Switzerland, was made by President David O. McKay in July, 1952, at the completion of his first tour of the European missions. President McKay officiated at the groundbreaking services in August, 1953, and actual construction work began in October of that year. The cornerstone was laid on November 13, 1954, by President Stephen L Richards of the First Presidency.
Dedication of the temple began on Sunday, September 11, 1955, with President David O. McKay officiating. Members of the famed Mormon Tabernacle Choir had been on an extensive tour of Europe, and were then present to participate in the dedicatory services which continued through September 15.
Two dedicatory sessions were held each day to accommodate the large number of saints from throughout the countries of Europe and America who attended the dedication. President McKay repeated the dedicatory prayer at each of the sessions, and then with Sister McKay, and the general authorities who were present, participated in the first ordinance work of the temple on Friday, September 16, 1955.