Boston Massachusetts Temple

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Boston Massachusetts Temple
Number 100 edit data
Announcement 1995-09-30
Groundbreaking 1997-06-13 by
Richard G. Scott
Open House 29 August - 23 September 2000
Dedication 2000-10-01 by
Gordon B. Hinckley
Location 86 Frontage Road
Belmont, Massachusetts
United States
Phone number 617-993-9993
Site 8 acres (3.2 hectares)
Total floor area 69,600 sq ft (6,470 m²)
Exterior finish Olympia white granite
Temple design Classic modern, single-spire design
Ordinance rooms 4
Sealing rooms 4
Clothing rental Yes
Cafeteria Full services
Visitors'  center No
Preceded by Santo Domingo Dominican Republic Temple
Followed by Recife Brazil Temple
Official website • News & Images

The Boston Massachusetts Temple is the 100th operating temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The Boston Massachusetts Temple is located in Belmont, Massachusetts and was dedicated for use on 1 October 2000. When LDS Church President Gordon B. Hinckley announced the building of small temples in April 1998, he also spoke of a goal to have 100 temples built by the end of 2000. The Boston Massachusetts Temple marked the completion of that goal.

Richard G. Scott, of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, presided over the groundbreaking on 13 June 1997, and the building was completed three years later. About 82,600 visitors toured the temple during an open-house prior to its dedication. A local radio station and newspaper working together produced the first on-line tours of a temple. It included narration accompanied by photographs of the temple's interior.

Because of a lawsuit filed by neighbors of the temple site, the Boston Massachusetts Temple was dedicated without the planned steeple. President Hinckley remained optimistic and said the temple work would commence with or without a steeple. His optimism was rewarded when the Supreme Court of Massachusetts ruled in favor of the Church the following May. Previously, a judge had ruled that the building's steeple was not a "necessary element of the Mormon religion." Therefore, under the law the building height limit could be enforced. But the Supreme Court overruled the earlier ruling saying, "A rose window at Notre Dame Cathedral, a balcony at St. Peter's Basilica, are judges to decide whether these architectural elements are 'necessary' to the faith served by those buildings?" The judges concluded that, "It is not for judges to determine whether the inclusion of a particular architectural feature is 'necessary' for a particular religion." [2] On September 21, 2001 the steeple with the famous angel Moroni was set in place, completing the temple.

The Boston Massachusetts Temple is large relative to most other LDS temples with a total of 69,600 square feet, four ordinance rooms, and four sealing rooms. The exterior is finished with olympia white granite.

[edit] Notes

  1. Larsen, Kent. "Boston Temple Steeple Oked. News about Mormons, Mormonism, and the LDS Church." 16 May 01

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

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Latter-day Saint temples in the Eastern United States

Birmingham Alabama Temple · Washington D.C. Temple · Orlando Florida Temple · Atlanta Georgia Temple · Chicago Illinois Temple · Nauvoo Illinois Temple · Louisville Kentucky Temple · Baton Rouge Louisiana Temple · Boston Massachusetts Temple · Detroit Michigan Temple · St. Paul Minnesota Temple · Independence Temple (owned by Community of Christ) · St. Louis Missouri Temple · Winter Quarters Nebraska Temple · Manhattan New York Temple · Palmyra New York Temple · Raleigh North Carolina Temple · Bismarck North Dakota Temple · Columbus Ohio Temple · Kirtland Temple (owned by the Community of Christ) · Oklahoma City Oklahoma Temple · Columbia South Carolina Temple · Memphis Tennessee Temple · Nashville Tennessee Temple


Announced but unbuilt: City of Zion Temple (owned by Church of Christ (Temple Lot) · Far West Temple · Adam-ondi-Ahman Temple