Birmingham Alabama Temple Wiki
Quick Facts
ANNOUNCED
11 September 1998
ANNOUNCED BY
First Presidency
GROUNDBREAKING
9 October 1999
GROUNDBREAKING PRESIDED BY
Elder Stephen A. West
DEDICATED
3 September 2000
DEDICATED BY
President Gordon B. Hinckley
DEDICATION ORDER
98
LOCATION
1927 Mount Olive Blvd
Gardendale, Alabama 35071
United States
PHONE
(+1) 205-631-3444
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
Text
The Birmingham Alabama Temple was among five new smaller temples announced by the First Presidency from mid-September to mid-October 1998. The announcement of a temple for Birmingham, Alabama, came 11 September 1998, just over five months after Church President Gordon B. Hinckley revealed plans during April 1998 general conference to build 30 smaller temples throughout the world.[3]”5 new temples in U.S., Mexico announced”, Church News, October 24, 1998, https://www.thechurchnews.com/1998/10/24/23249981/5-new-temples-in-u-s-mexico-announced/.
ANNOUNCED ORDER
90
| Date | 1998 09 11 |
| By | First Presidency |
| Role | # |
| Via | Local Letter |
⮜Preceded by Raleigh North Carolina
Followed by Columbia South Carolina⮞
Announced 1998 09 11
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,
GROUNDBREAKING ORDER
106
| Date | 1999 1 09 |
| By | Stephen A. West |
| Role | Seventy |
| Attendees | 2,300 |
⮜Preceded by Reno Nevada
Followed by Nauvoo Illinois ⮞
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/Dedication Announced
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
Open House
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.
OPEN HOUSE
| Start Date | 2000 08 19 |
| End Date | 2000 08 26 |
| Days | 7 |
| Attendees | 21,134 |
| Per day av. | 3,019 |
Dedication
President Gordon B. Hinckley dedicated the Birmingham Alabama Temple on 3 September 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
98
| Date | 2000 09 03 |
| By | Gordon B. Hinckley |
| Role | President |
| Sessions | 4 |
| Attendees | # |
⮜Proceeded by Houston Texas
Followed by Santo Domingo Dominican Republic⮞
Construction Duration
| Span | Duration |
|---|---|
| Announced to Groundbreaking | 1 y, 0 m, 28 d |
| Groundbreaking to Dedication | 0 y, 10 m, 25 d |
| Announced to Dedication | 1 y, 11 m, 22 d |
Dedicatory Order
GLOBAL
98
REGION
N. AM.
66
COUNTRY
US
48
STATE
ALABAMA
1
COUNTY
JEFFERSON
1
CITY
GARDENDALE
1
The Birmingham Alabama Temple was the first temple built in Alabama and is the 98th operating temple .
Announced
Under Construction
Under Renovation
In 2008, the Birmingham Alabama Temple was selected for a beautification award from the City of Gardendale for its attractive grounds.
Presidents And Matrons
| Temple President | Temple Matron | Years Served |
|---|---|---|
| Brian Morris Williams | Machiel DeWitt Williams | 2022– |
| Albert Wayne Nielsen | Charla Simcox Nielsen | 2020–2022 |
| Gary Wayne Pettus | Cheryl Denise Rooks Pettus | 2019–2020 |
| Thomas Edmund Mayfield | Barbara Ann Price Mayfield | 2016–2019 |
| Robert Michael McChesney Sr. | Laraine Freestone McChesney | 2013–2016 |
| Kent Rigby Van Kampen | Geniel Rhees Van Kampen | 2010–2013 |
| Malcolm Dean Otis | Elizabeth Bell Potter Otis | 2007–2010 |
| John Reid Giles Jr. | Deann Hickman Giles | 2004–2007 |
| Elijah Allen Rich | Sandra Lou Barrett 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.
LOCATION
Address
1927 Mount Olive Blvd
Gardendale, Alabama 35071
United States
| Latitude | 33.67448 |
| Longitude | -86.8210 |
Phone
Elevation
| Feet | Meters |
|---|---|
| 661 | 202 |
Site
| Acres | Hectares |
|---|---|
| 5.6 | 2.3 |
Exterior
Cladding
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.
Windows
The Temple features art glass windows in sets of three around the Temple exterior.
EXTERIOR
Exterior Finish
Danby White Marble
Architectural Features
Single attached spire with an angel Moroni statue
Specifications
| Feet | Meters | |
|---|---|---|
| Height | # | # |
| To Shoulder | # | # |
| Width | # | # |
| Length | # | # |
| Footprint | # | # |
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.
Region
TEMPLES IN UNITED STATES by state
Total: 158
TEMPLES IN NORTH AMERICA by country
Total: 209
Sources and Citations
References
| ↑1, ↑2 | “5 new temples in U.S., Mexico announced”, Church News, October 24, 1998 |
|---|---|
| ↑3 | ”5 new temples in U.S., Mexico announced”, Church News, October 24, 1998, https://www.thechurchnews.com/1998/10/24/23249981/5-new-temples-in-u-s-mexico-announced/. |
| ↑4, ↑5, ↑6, ↑7 | “Ground broken for temple in Alabama” Church News, October 1999, |
| ↑8 | ”The First 100 Temples”, by Chad Hawkins, 2001, 264 |
| ↑9 | “Dedication dates announced for temples in Mexico, U.S.”, Church News, May 20, 2000 |
| ↑10 | ”Dedicatory prayer: ‘May the Church grow and prosper here,'” Church News, 9 Sept. 2000, 25 Jun. 2005 |
| ↑11 | Dockstader, Julie A. , “‘God is smiling down on us'”, Church News, September 9, 2000 |
| ↑12 | “Facts and figures: Birmingham Alabama Temple”, Church News, September 9, 2000 |
Last updated on: 18 February 2026