Kirtland Temple

Fun Fact

The Kirtland Temple was the first dedicated in the restored church.

It is no wonder that as Joseph Smith and the early members of the church studied the bible and the Book of Mormon, they wondered about restoring the temple as the House of the Lord. The first revelations that were received about a temple came during 1831 when Joseph took a group of men to Missouri to find a plot of land to dedicate as the site of the New Jerusalem. God revealed in D&C 57:3, “Behold, the place which is now called Independence is the center place; and a spot for the temple is lying westward, upon a lot which is not far from the courthouse.” Further revelations about the temple in Independence was given in 1832 which can be found in D&C 84. The next several years would reveal that this revelation would not yet be fulfilled, however, another temple in a different place would come about to partially fulfil this prophecy. In a letter to W. W. Phelps, Joseph revealed to him that God commanded that they build a temple in Kirtland, Ohio.

The design and layout of the temple was revealed to Joseph Smith and his counselors, Fredrick G Williams and Sidney Rigdon in a vision (4,5). They saw both the exterior and the interior. Fredrick G Williams recalled that “the building seemed to come right over us.” The layout would include the first floor for the Saints to gather to worship, pray, fast, and partake of the sacrament. The second floor would be used to hold the School of the Prophets. The building of the Kirtland temple was a massive sacrifice for the saints. Every man that was healthy and well-bodied helped work on the temple, including Joseph Smith himself. Construction began in June 1833, but the saints were slow to construct it and were chastised by the Lord, recorded in D&C 95:1-3. The saints quickly began working and the cornerstone was laid on July 23rd of that year (5). It was also a massive financial sacrifice for the saints, as many saints gave almost everything they had to the construction of the temple. Vienna Jacques was of the first to donate, giving much of her material resources. Others sold what they had and donated, such as John Tanner, who sold the land he had in New York and donated it to the church. Even though there were lots of donation and contributions from the members, the saints still had to borrow money in order to finish the construction of the temple. Throughout the entire construction of the temple, Joseph Smith and other leaders were under constant stress and pressure about their financial situation and offered fervent prayers pleading for the funds to be available. The Lord provided in many different ways, and the temple was able to be completed. The women aided in the construction of the temple as well. Under the direction of Emma Smith, the women sewed clothes for the men who worked on the temple. It was recalled that the women were just as busy as the women, sewing, spinning, and knitting all the time (6). In Saints, Volume 1, Chapter 19, it tells of some women who even took on jobs that men normally did, such as assisting the stone masons and driving wagons to and from the quarry to haul stone (6). Even children played a part in the construction of the temple. Under the direction of Artemus Millet, children collected pieces of broken glass which were crushed and mixed into the stucco that was going on the outside of the building. The shards of glass made the temple walls sparkle in the sunlight. By the time it was finished, the temple was among the tallest and most grand buildings in all of Ohio.

Preparing for an Endowment of Power

The endowment was not simply given as soon as the temple was done. The men who received the endowment had to be prepared and pure. Joseph Smith received revelation on how to do this, and the preparations began long before the completion of the temple. In the same letter Joseph wrote to W. W. Phelps about the need to construct a temple in Kirtland, he also said that the Lord revealed to him the need to start a school for the prophets6. The purpose of this school was to prepare men to serve missions, as well as receive the temple endowment. It was first held in the upper room of Newel K. Whitney’s store. School of the Prophets In the months leading up to the temple dedication, Joseph Smith held many meetings with men for further preparation. One particular series of meetings in January of 1836 was called the “grand council.” These meetings were comprised of the presidencies of Missouri and Kirtland, the twelve apostles, and the high councils in Kirtland and Missouri. Rules of conduct for the House of the Lord were established, presidencies were better organized, and vacancies were filled. Many of these meetings were recorded to have spiritual outpourings. Some of these have been recognized as part of the Kirtland endowment. On January 21st, Joseph Smith, along with his counselors and several others met in the attic of the temple. It was here that the men received the ordinances of washing and anointing which was preparatory receiving the endowment. It was also here that the revelation on heaven was revealed and the men saw the celestial kingdom. The next day on January 22nd, the 12 apostles and the presidency of the Seventy also received their washing and anointing ordinances. Another powerful spiritual assembly took place and again the heavens were opened. The grand spiritual experiences and visions did not stop there. More washing and anointing ordinances for more men took place in the following days. Joseph received visions in his sleep and Sidney Rigdon twice led the men in a Hosanna Shout. The next several weeks were heavily focused on studying the scriptures. The women also prepared for the dedication of the temple by working together to create a veil for it. The painting and finishing touches of the building were directed and oversaw by Brigham Young (6). Physical and spiritual preparations for the temple dedication were clearly underway.

The Dedication

March 27, 1836 was the day the temple was dedicated as the House of the Lord. It is estimated that about one thousand saints were there in attendance, but many had to be turned away for lack of room. The meeting began at 9:00 a.m., but people began congregating outside the temple doors about two hours before. A choir in the corner provided the music and the meeting began with W. W. Phelps speaking for over two hours. The officers of the Church were sustained after an intermission, and the dedicatory prayer followed. This was given by revelation to Joseph Smith, and the entire prayer can be found in section 109 of the Doctrine and Covenants, which you can find here. Joseph prayed to the Lord to accept the temple and for the blessings of the temple that had been promised them in an earlier revelation would be realized. He prayed for the blessing and protection of all the presidents and their families. He prayed that the gathering of Israel might be accomplished (6). He prayed that the Church would shine forth and for the Lord to forgive their sins and trespasses. The seven-hour meeting concluded with singing “The Spirit of God” and the blessing and passing of the sacrament. Every person there could feel the power of God in the meeting.

Following the Dedication

Revelations, visions, and more marvelous events followed the dedication of the temple. The night of the dedication, four hundred priesthood holders met in the temple. Testimonies of many people present included seeing angels, hearing a great rushing sound, and hearing angels singing. Saints outside who lived nearby the temple reported seeing a great beam of light surrounding the temple. Some even reported seeing angels hovering above it and hearing unusual sounds coming from it. The next several days were again spent in the temple. The ordinance of the washing of feet took place with Joseph Smith, the presidents, and the two bishoprics on March 29th. March 30th was termed as the “solemn assembly.” March 31st was a second official dedicatory service of the temple for the saints who were not able to attend the first dedication. This dedication was basically identical to the first, though it did last several hours longer. April 3rd was the next time temple meetings took place. This day proved to be one of the most remarkable and memorable days in church history. About one thousand saints gathered for a general sabbath service where the sacrament was administered. Children were blessed and the two senior apostles spoke. Later in the afternoon, Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery lowered the veil of the temple at the pulpit from the ceiling to the floor. They knelt behind in prayer and had a miraculous vision. Jesus Christ appeared and spoke to them. He told them He accepted the building of the temple and that the gospel would be spread throughout the earth. Part of what He said has been famously quoted in The Living Christ document, written by the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in the year 2000. You can read the full text of what the Lord said here in Joseph’s journal. Following Christ’s appearance, Moses appeared and restored the priesthood keys of the gathering of Israel. Elias appeared and restored keys as well. The final appearance was from Elijah who restored patriarchal priesthood, meaning the fullness of the priesthood to seal families. These visions were recorded and canonized in scripture as the 110th section of the Doctrine and Covenants. This was foundational for the church and the world because these keys make it possible to move temple and missionary work forward, fulfilling the purpose of the creation of the earth. The last recorded event associated with the Kirtland endowment during this time was a few days later on April 6. The ritual washing of the feet was administered and it was recorded that angels ministered unto and were seen by those who were present in the assembly.