Description

The London England Temple (formerly the London Temple) is the 12th operating temple. It is located in Newchapel, Surrey, England. The temple serves church members in south Wales, the Channel Islands, southern parts of England, northern parts of France and the Limerick District in the Republic of Ireland. It was the first LDS temple to be built in the United Kingdom. Its construction was part of a push by David O. McKay to bring the temples closer to the people.

History

Announcement

Plans to construct the temple were announced 1 August 1953 by President McKay^[1]“Pres. McKay Leaves for Europe to Dedicate Two Temple Sites,” Church News, August 1, 1953, 2; Henry A. Smith, ^[2]“London and Berne Temple Sites Dedicated,” Church News, August 8, 1953, 1–2.

After the property was purchased for the building of the temple, President David O. McKay and Church architect Edward Anderson spent time deciding where to place the temple. The land selected by President McKay “had been partially covered by a lily pond, which had left the ground marshy, and the engineers feared that it would not be suitable for the temple’s foundation. President McKay, however, insisted, that this was where the temple was to be built. When work began on the site, workers discovered that beneath the boggy ground was solid shale at the proper depth to support the temple.”^[3]”Making of a Temple,” Millennial Star; September 1958, p 278

Site Dedication

On August 1953, following the groundbreaking for the Swiss temple, President McKay arrived at the London Temple site and, in front of a small group of invited attendees, dedicated the site for a temple.

Groundbreaking

A groundbreaking ceremony was held on 27 August 1955. President McKay presided again, and around 1,000 people attended.

The original design of the London England Temple called for a spire of perforated aluminum, similar in appearance to the spires of the Oakland California Temple. The perforations were later removed from the design, however, in favor of a solid sheath of lead-coated copper.

Open House

Over 76,000 people toured the building during the public open house before it was dedicated.^[4] “London’s Mormon Temple”, TIME, 15 September 1958, archived from the original on 10 May 2007, retrieved 27 July 2007, The crowds of visitors (76,324 by head count)

Upon completion of the building of the London England Temple, the doors were opened to members and non-members alike for three weeks. At that time more than 76,000 people toured the temple, wherein only 50,000 were expected. On 7 September 1958, President David O. McKay dedicated the London England Temple. Following the open house and dedication of the temple, there were over 1,200 convert baptisms within the next year.

Dedication

The temple was dedicated on 7 September 1958 by President David O. McKay in 6 sessions.

Dedicatory Prayer

Dedication Order

It is the first temple built in Great Britain and the second built on the European continent.

Rededicated

Commencement

After thirty-two years, the temple was closed for remodeling and refurbishing.

Construction

An additional 8,500 square feet (790 m²) were added, as well as a fourth floor.

Open House

This time, the temple open house was preceded by posters and flyers and personal invitations being distributed throughout the area. In addition, advertisements and stories in local and national newspapers were featured on the British Broadcasting Corporation. The open house lasted 2 weeks.

Rededication

In October 1992, Gordon B. Hinckley rededicated the London England Temple over 10 sessions. During the second day of the dedication President Hinckley announced a second British temple, The Preston England Temple, was to built in in Chorley, Lancashire.

Having served a mission in England as a young man in the 1930s, President Hinckley had tender feelings about missionary work and the Saints in England. When he rededicated the temple he quoted some words he had said at the original dedication in 1958:

This building cannot be reckoned alone in terms of pounds sterling; it must be reckoned in terms of struggle and sacrifice and devotion and loyalty and love and faith and testimony and conviction. What a price it has cost! But it has been worth every farthing because it now offers to the people of this and other lands the wholeness of the everlasting gospel of Jesus Christ.

Jubilee

A statue of the angel Moroni was placed atop the temple at the conclusion of the Jubilee Celebration on 15 December 2008. Included in the Jubilee project was the restoring the Manor House and the visitors center, adding new mission offices to the temple site and renovating the accommodation center for temple patrons.^[5] Swinton, Heidi (19 December 2008). “Angel Moroni takes flight to London Temple”. Church News. Retrieved 8 October 2012.

Presidents

Details

The temple has a total of 42,775 square feet (3,974 m²), four ordinance rooms, and seven sealing rooms^[6]Avant, Gerry, ed. (2006). Deseret Morning News 2007 Church Almanac. Salt Lake City: Deseret Morning News.

It is faced with white Portland limestone with a green copper spire. Like other LDS temples, a temple recommend is required for entry.

The London England Temple was originally constructed with a single ordinance room equipped with a motion-picture presentation of the endowment, and 3 sealing rooms. After the remodel in 1192 it now has four ordinance rooms and eight sealing rooms.

Location

The London England Temple is located approximately 25 miles south of London, just a few miles east of the London Gatwick Airport. The temple sits on 32 acres of estate-like grounds with gardens and a reflecting pond in Newchapel, Surrey, England. This rectangular edifice reaches 160 feet high where the exterior is adorned with white limestone and topped by a lead-coated copper spire. Surrounding the temple are gardens, which compose two-thirds of the acreage. Oak trees, spacious lawns, an ornamental pond, and colorful rhododendrons and azaleas beautify the grounds of the temple throughout the year. The temple shares its grounds with the historic Manor House (a three-story, 40-room Elizabethan-style mansion) and a visitors’ center. The visitors’ center windows frame a white Christus statue, which looks out over the temple grounds with open arms. The Manor House has served various purposes for the Church over the years including patron housing and Missionary Training Center.

Rich history occupies the land in which the London England Temple rests. Its history can be traced back to early Christianity, as an area Celts, Romans, Saxons, and Danes once occupied, to modern history, since the estate of Sir Winston Churchill’s property adjoins the grounds of the temple. The Magna Carta was signed in 1215 in the same county of Surrey where the London England Temple is located. The site where the London England Temple stands, known as Newchapel Farm, was listed in the Domesday Book of William the Conquerer.

Exterior

Cladding

Windows

Symbolism

Inscriptions

Cornerstone

Spires and Moroni

Spire

Moroni

Sculptor

Version

Placed

Faces

Height

Feet

Meters

Individuals and Contractors

Manager

Also Did

Contractor

Also Did

Manager

responsability

Sources and Links