Details

The Birmingham Alabama Temple is a Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Gardendale Alabama, a suburb of Birmingham.

At the time of dedication the temple district included approximately 30,500 members from seven stakes: Bessemer Alabama, Birmingham Alabama, Fort Walton Beach Florida, Huntsville Alabama, Mobile Alabama, Montgomery Alabama and Pensacola Florida.

History

Missionaries for the Church are reported to have preached in Montgomery County, Alabama as early as 1839. Concerted missionary work did not begin until the early 1840s when Elder James Brown organized branches in Tuscaloosa and Perry counties. Later in the decade, most members in Alabama immigrated West with the body of the Church.^[1]“5 new temples in U.S., Mexico announced”, Church News, October 24, 1998

Missionaries would later return and the first Sunday School was organized 22 August 1911 in Montgomery. A chapel was completed in 1955, and the first stake in the state was created in Huntsville in 1968.^[2]“5 new temples in U.S., Mexico announced”, Church News, October 24, 1998

Announcement

The Birmingham Alabama Temple was announced by the First Presidency 11 September 1998.^[3]“5 new temples in U.S., Mexico announced”, Church News, October 24, 1998

Two sites were originally considered for the Birmingham Alabama Temple. The first site considered, in Indian Springs, was found to have soil that was too unstable for construction of the temple. Other obstacles prevented the project from being built on the second site.

In April 1999, the Church selected a third site in the suburb of Gardendale where the church already owned property to build a meetinghouse. The land, purchased in the early 1990’s, proved an adequate size for one of the new smaller temples announced a couple of years earlier by President Hinckley.

Groundbreaking

On 9 October of 1999, an estimated 2,300 members of the Church came early and sat patiently in the rain, holding a sea of colorful umbrellas and awaiting the proceedings to begin for the groundbreaking of the Birmingham Alabama Temple.^[4]“Ground broken for temple in Alabama” Church News, October 1999,

“The heavens are weeping for joy this morning,” said Pres. Richard D. May of the Birmingham Alabama Stake as he conducted the service marking the ceremonial beginning of Alabama’s first temple. ^[5]“Ground broken for temple in Alabama” Church News, October 1999,

Elder Stephen A. West of the Seventy and second counselor in the North America Southeast Area presidency presided at the groundbreaking and offered the site dedicatory prayer. “A gift is of no value if it is not unwrapped. We need to unwrap it by coming to the temple, by using the temple, by getting the blessings that flow from it,” stated Elder West. ^[6]“Ground broken for temple in Alabama” Church News, October 1999,

Elder Lance B. Wickman of the Seventy offered remarks. They were accompanied by their wives, Sister Martha West and Sister Patricia Wickman. Pres. W. Legrand Hutchison of the Bessemer stake, Valeria M. Mitchell of the Huntsville stake, and Olson F. Scroggins of the Birmingham stake also spoke. ^[7]“Ground broken for temple in Alabama” Church News, October 1999,

From the groundbreaking to the dedication of the temple took only eleven months.

The suburb of Gardendale is a very conservative community. Residents in the area are pro-active in regard to any negative influences that seek to invade their community. Town leaders welcomed the temple project, believing that the Mormon Church and its values would be assets to their community. The residents showed substantial support of the Temple construction.

When a small group of activists demonstrated against the temple’s presence, neighbors actually increased their support for the temple. A letter to the editor of another paper written by a Birmingham man, said, “Having lived for some 70 years and having had a number of next-door neighbors, I can truthfully tell you the Mormons are the best of neighbors you can ever expect to find.”^[8]”The First 100 Temples”, by Chad Hawkins, 2001, 264

Open House

On 18 May of 200 the Church announced the open house and dedication dates for the nearly completed temple.^[9]“Dedication dates announced for temples in Mexico, U.S.”, Church News, May 20, 2000 The temple was open to the public from 19 to 26 August of 2000. During the 7 days of the public open house 21,134 visitors toured the building, an average of 3,019 people per day.

Dedication

President Gordon B. Hinckley dedicated the Birmingham Alabama Temple on September 3, 2000. In his dedicatory prayer, President Hinckley asked: “May the influence of this Thy house be felt throughout this great temple district. May the Church grow and prosper here… May this house ever remain holy and sacred unto all who enter herein. May Thy Spirit dwell here and touch the hearts of those who serve.” ^[10]”Dedicatory prayer: ‘May the Church grow and prosper here,'” Church News, 9 Sept. 2000, 25 Jun. 2005

The day before the Birmingham Alabama Temple dedication, Elder David B. Haight was presented with a cake to celebrate his 94th birthday. Elder and Sister Haight celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary the day after the dedication.^[11]
Dockstader, Julie A. , “‘God is smiling down on us'”, Church News, September 9, 2000

Dedication Order

The Birmingham Alabama Temple was the first temple built in Alabama and is the 98th operating temple .

In 2008, the Birmingham Alabama Temple was selected for a beautification award from the City of Gardendale for its attractive grounds.

Presidents

Temple President	Years Served
Gary W. Pettus	2019–
Thomas E. Mayfield	2016–2019
Robert M. McChesney Sr.	2013–2016
Kent R. Van Kampen	2010–2013
Malcolm D. Otis	2007–2010
J. Reid Giles	2004–2007
E. Allen Rich	2000–2004

Details

Location

Located just 10 miles north of Birmingham in the beautiful suburb of Gardendale, the Birmingham Alabama Temple sits on a densely wooded hillside just east of I-65 on Mount Olive Boulevard .

Situated on 5.6, the grounds of the temple are handsomely landscaped, featuring numerous mature trees and shrubs.

At Christmastime, Nativity-themed statues are added to the lawn and floodlighted at night.

Exterior

Like many of the small temples built through out the south east United States, the Birmingham Alabama temple is sheathed in Imperial Danby White Marble^[12]
”Facts and figures: Birmingham Alabama Temple”, Church News, September 9, 2000 quarried in Vermont that was quarried from a site not far from the home where the Prophet Joseph Smith was born.

Spire

Moroni

An Angel Moroni Statue was placed atop the single spire of the Birmingham Alabama Temple on 20 March of 2000. The statue, which faces East is a fiberglass replica of Karl Quilter’s 7 foot statue sculpted in 1982.

Individuals and Contractors

The temple was designed by Church A&E Services and by Robert Waldrip of Joyce, Prout and Associates,

The primary contractors for the Birmingham Alabama Temple were Layton Construction Co.in the role of construction management and Gary C. Wyatt, Inc. as the general contractor.

Sources and Citations

Additional Articles

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