Kirtland Temple

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The Kirtland Temple is the first temple built in this Latter-day Dispensation. The Kirtland temple was announced on 27th of December 1832. The Saints started the building the Kirtland Temple on the 5th of June 1833. The Kirtland Temple was dedicated on March 27, 1836.

The town of Kirtland was very special to the restoration of the gospel and was 'prepared by God to do a great work'. The people of Kirtland were prepared to recognize the truthfulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The Lord poured out His blessings among the people. 'More first person words of Christ have gone to the world from Kirtland than from any other location in history.'(The Savior in Kirtland p.4)

During the Kirtland era Christ taught the Latter-day Saints through visions as well as through the Spirit.

Christ commanded His poverty-stricken Saints to build the Kirtland Temple which is the first temple of Jesus Christ built in two thousand years.

In Kirtland, Christ sent angels, heavenly choirs, and divine messengers with keys and authority to reflect his direction from heaven. The story of Kirtland is the story of Christ, they can never be separated!

The design for the Kirtland Temple was received by detailed revelation to the Prophet Joseph Smith and others. The temple included a lower hall for worship and an upper hall for education. Both featured pulpits on either end with initials representing priesthood offices. The total square footage of the Kirtland Temple is 15,000.

On Easter Sunday, April 3, 1836, during the Jewish Passover, the Lord appeared to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery in the Kirtland Temple, accepting His house. Priesthood keys were then restored through three ancient prophets: Moses, the keys to the gathering of Israel; Elias, the dispensation of the gospel of Abraham; and Elijah, the sealing keys.

The ordinances received in the Kirtland Temple were only a partial endowment. The full endowment would not be received until Nauvoo.

Two years after the dedication of the Kirtland Temple, the Saints had largely abandoned Kirtland, and the temple became the venue of both private worship and public function. The temple was later leased for many years as a public school.

In 1880, the Community of Christ reestablished ownership of the Kirtland Temple, and the building was restored as closely as possible to its original condition. They continued ownership of the building until March 5, 2024, when ownership was transferred to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

References:

"The Savior in Kirtland" by Karl Ricks Anderson p.4

https://churchofjesuschristtemples.org/kirtland-temple/