Denver Colorado Temple

The Denver Colorado Temple is the 40th operating temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church).

Denver Colorado Temple
Map
Number40
DedicationOctober 24, 1986, by Ezra Taft Benson
Site7.5 acres (3.0 ha)
Floor area29,177 sq ft (2,710.6 m2)
Height90 ft (27 m)
Official websiteNews & images
Church chronology

Buenos Aires Argentina Temple

Denver Colorado Temple

Frankfurt Germany Temple
Additional information
AnnouncedMarch 31, 1982, by Spencer W. Kimball
GroundbreakingMay 19, 1984, by Gordon B. Hinckley
Open houseSeptember 8-27, 1986
Current presidentThomas Taylor Priday
Designed byChurch A&E Services and Bobby R. Thomas
LocationCentennial, Colorado, United States
Geographic coordinates39°34′7.3″N 104°57′56.8″W / 39.568694°N 104.965778°W / 39.568694; -104.965778
Exterior finishPrecast stone walls and a built-up roof
Temple designModern, single-spire design
Baptistries1
Ordinance rooms4 (stationary)
Sealing rooms6
Clothing rentalYes
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History

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The LDS Church announced 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. The temple is situated on a hilltop in Centennial and was completed in 1986.[1][2] 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.

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 September 8–27, 1986.

LDS Church president Ezra Taft Benson dedicated the temple on October 24, 1986. The Denver Colorado Temple has a total of 29,117 square feet (2,705 m2), four ordinance rooms, and six sealing rooms. In 2016 a second temple in Colorado, the Fort Collins Colorado Temple, was completed.[3] In 1997 the temple was celebrated as part of the 100th-anniversary celebration of the LDS Church in Colorado.[4]

Community reaction

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Prior to the construction of the temple, residents were worried a temple in their area would be too big and overshadow everything else. The church let the residents of the neighborhood surrounding the temple grounds pick the final design of the temple.

In 2020, the Denver Colorado Temple was closed in response to the coronavirus pandemic.[5]

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See also

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  •   = Operating
  •   = Under construction
  •   = Announced
  •   = Temporarily Closed

References

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  1. ^ Garcia, Adrian D. "Here’s how you can visit a Mormon temple in Colorado without being Mormon", Denverite, Colorado, 17 August 2016. Retrieved on 27 January 2020.
  2. ^ Reid, T.R. "Religious Intolerance Greets Mormon Temple's Invitation", The Washington Post, 22 September 1986. Retrieved on 22 March 2020.
  3. ^ "Mormons dedicate their second temple in Colorado", The Salt Lake Tribune, Utah, 4 November 2016. Retrieved on 27 January 2020.
  4. ^ Lloyd, R. Scott. "LDS fill Denver arena to celebrate 100 years of Church's presence", Deseret News, 20 September 1997. Retrieved on 22 March 2020.
  5. ^ Stack, Peggy Fletcher. "All Latter-day Saint temples to close due to coronavirus", The Salt Lake Tribune, 26 March 2020. Retrieved on 28 March 2020.
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