October 7, 2008

Mormon Church to build Temples in Kansas City, Philadelphia and 3 other cities


The International Herald Tribune reports that the LDS Church plans to build Temples in 5 cities including Kansas City and Philadelphia. The article points out the historic significance of a LDS Temple in the Kansas City-area:

“A Kansas City-area temple should hold great significance for Mormons. In the 1830s church founder Joseph Smith led an early Mormon migration to Independence, Missouri, and declared the area would be the center of Zion and the New Jerusalem. Now a Kansas City suburb, many Mormons also believe the area was the original site of the Garden of Eden.”

The significance of the Temple in Mormonism, however, is much deeper than just the historic significance of a Kansas City-area Temple. Temples are important in Mormonism because of the belief and practice of proxy ordinances for the dead that happen in the Temple ceremony. Joseph Smith, the founder of Mormonism, said, “The greatest responsibility in this world that God has laid upon us is to seek after our dead” (History of the Church, 6:313). One important proxy rite that takes place in the Mormon Temple is Baptism for the Dead whereby Mormons believe that via proxy baptism they can grant the deceased a second chance to believe the Mormon Gospel also known as the Restored Gospel or the Law of Eternal Progression.

3 comments:

Jason R. Smith said...

I am hearing rumors that the new temple will be located somewhere between Lawrence, KS and Lenexa, KS - which would be a "fur piece" to the southwest of Independence. I don't think the GAs in SLC have the testicular fortitude to build anything substantial in Independence as it would raise too many questions.

Jason R. Smith said...

Let me correct one part of my previous comment. The location has been named now, but it is nowhere near Independence. The new temple will be located in a new development near Liberty, MO called Shoal Creek.

"For the temple serving the greater Kansas City area, the site will be in Clay County, Missouri, on residential land within the Kansas City limits that is already being developed by the Church. The development is known as Shoal Creek."

http://newsroom.lds.org/ldsnewsroom/eng/news-releases-stories/new-temple-site-locations-announced

Watchman Fellowship said...

Hi Jason!

Hey, at least it will be in MO,right? Does that mean the prophecy was half right? :-)