The Winter Quarters Nebraska Temple is the 104th operating temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). It is located in Florence, now a neighborhood of Omaha, Nebraska, USA, and formerly an independent city.[citation needed]
History
Winter Quarters is considered hallowed ground for the members of the LDS Church. It was the site where early church members settled after they were driven out of Nauvoo, Illinois. It was also where many Latter-day Saints, including many who came from Europe, camped before crossing the plains to the Salt Lake Valley. The area has many graves of Mormon pioneers who died on their journey. More than 2,000 church members died at Winter Quarters because of heavy storms, scurvy, malaria and inadequate food and shelter.
The new temple was built next to the Mormon Pioneer Cemetery and Mormon Trail Center. During the groundbreaking ceremony, conducted by Truman F. Clawson on November 28, 1999, he said, "Now today on this end of the hill, we will take shovels in our hands to dig not a grave but the foundation of a special building, a temple."[1]
In preparation for the open house, church members and the community of Florence worked together creating handcrafted flowers for storefronts and decorating historic sites and markers with balloons. Over 61,000 visitors toured the Winter Quarters Temple during its open house, which ran from March 30 to April 14, 2001.[2]
Members all over the United States and Canada watched via satellite broadcast as LDS Church president Gordon B. Hinckley dedicated the Winter Quarters Nebraska Temple on April 22, 2001. During the dedicatory prayer, Hinckley recognized the sacrifice of the Saints and the great spiritual and historical significance of having a temple at Winter Quarters.
The Winter Quarters Nebraska Temple has a total area of 16,000 square feet (1,500 m2), two ordinance rooms, and two sealing rooms.
At one time, the church intended to name the temple Winter Quarters Temple in contradiction to the standard naming convention for church temples.[3]
In 2020, like all the church's other temples, the Winter Quarters Nebraska Temple was closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[4]
See also
= Operating
= Under construction
= Announced
= Closed for renovation
- Theodore H. Okiishi, temple president (2013–)
- 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
- List of churches in Omaha, Nebraska
- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Nebraska
References
- ^ Lloyd, R. Scott (December 4, 1999), "New temple to stand on sanctified soil", Church News
- ^ Reeves, Bob (March 23, 2001). "Temple open house scheduled". The Lincoln Journal Star. Retrieved November 17, 2022.
- ^ "Temples renamed to uniform guidelines". Church News. October 16, 1999.
- ^ Stack, Peggy Fletcher. "All Latter-day Saint temples to close due to coronavirus", The Salt Lake Tribune, 26 March 2020. Retrieved on 28 March 2020.
External links
- Official Winter Quarters Nebraska Temple page
- Winter Quarters Nebraska Temple at ChurchofJesusChristTemples.org