The Melbourne Australia Temple is the 90th operating
temple
A temple (from the Latin ) is a building reserved for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. Religions which erect temples include Christianity (whose temples are typically called churches), Hinduism (whose temples ...
of
the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Christianity, Christian church that considers itself to be the Restorationism, restoration of the ...
(LDS Church).
History
On 30 October 1998 the LDS Church
First Presidency
Among many churches in the Latter Day Saint movement, the First Presidency (also known as the Quorum of the Presidency of the Church) is the highest presiding or governing body. Present-day denominations of the movement led by a First Presidency ...
announced that a temple would be built in
Melbourne, Australia
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a metropol ...
. The Melbourne Australia Temple is one of five temples in
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
. Previously, members from the area had traveled twelve hours one-way to visit the
Sydney Australia Temple.
Missionary work was slow in Australia until the 1950s when the number of people joining the church suddenly exploded. In 1955 there were 3,000 members in Australia, five years later there were almost 10,000. By 1970 the number of members had more than tripled to 32,000. In 1980 it had jumped to 50,000. Today there are more than 100,000 members in Australia, making the LDS Church the fastest growing Christian church in the country.
On 20 March 1999 a groundbreaking ceremony and site dedication was held. The site for the temple is and is also the site of a meetinghouse. The temple was open to the public for tours from 2–10 June 2000. Those who toured the temple were able to see the craftsmanship, the Celestial room, two sealing rooms, two ordinance rooms, baptistery, and learn more about Mormon beliefs.
LDS Church president
Gordon B. Hinckley
Gordon Bitner Hinckley (June 23, 1910 – January 27, 2008) was an American religious leader and author who served as the 15th President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from March 1995 until his death in January 200 ...
dedicated the Melbourne Australia Temple on 16 June 2000. Four dedicatory services were held to accommodate all the members that wanted to attend. The temple serves 18,000 members in ten stakes from Victoria,
Tasmania
)
, nickname =
, image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdi ...
, and Southern
New South Wales
)
, nickname =
, image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, es ...
.
In 2020, the Melbourne Australia Temple was closed in response to the
coronavirus pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identified ...
.
[Stack, Peggy Fletcher]
"All Latter-day Saint temples to close due to coronavirus"
''The Salt Lake Tribune
''The Salt Lake Tribune'' is a newspaper published in the city of Salt Lake City, Utah. The ''Tribune'' is owned by The Salt Lake Tribune, Inc., a non-profit corporation. The newspaper's motto is "Utah's Independent Voice Since 1871."
History
...
'', 26 March 2020. Retrieved 28 March 2020.
See also
*
Comparison of temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
*
List of temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
*
List of temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by geographic region
*
Temple architecture (Latter-day Saints)
On December 27, 1832, two years after the organization of the Church of Christ, the movement's founder, Joseph Smith, stated he received a revelation that called upon church members to restore the practice of temple worship. The Latter Day Saints ...
*
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Australia
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) in Australia began with the arrival of seventeen-year-old missionary William James Barratt in 1840. The LDS Church's first baptism in Australia was in 1842 when Barratt baptised Rober ...
References
Additional reading
*
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*
External links
Melbourne Australia Temple Official siteMelbourne Australia Temple
at ChurchofJesusChristTemples.org
{{LDS-Pacific, state=expanded
20th-century Latter Day Saint temples
Religious buildings and structures in Melbourne
Temples (LDS Church) completed in 2000
Temples (LDS Church) in Australia
2000 establishments in Australia
Buildings and structures in the City of Knox