Detroit Michigan Temple Wiki

The Detroit Michigan Temple was announced on 10 August 1998.

The temple site in Bloomfield Hills was one of the last considered during the search for a suitable site. President Bithell, who was in charge of finding a site, explained that he considered property behind the stake center, but it wasn’t selected because the temple would be hidden behind the meetinghouse, and the property to the north of the stake center was assumed to be too small. But after considering several properties near other meetinghouses, Pres. Bithell again looked at the tree-covered lot outside his office window and wondered about the northward property. It was measured “and it was just perfect,” he said. He said the lot was part of the original eight acres purchased for Michigan’s first stake center in 1952. Although selling the piece was often under consideration, it never happened.

At the Detroit Michigan Temple groundbreaking, on October 10, 1998, Elder Jay E. Jensen of the Seventy gave four suggestions to the families that attended. He suggested that families: “Pray that temple construction will progress on time and without injuries or undue delays; hang a picture of a temple in the home where children will see it and think, “Someday I will go there;” gather family histories, perhaps starting simply by asking family members questions and writing down the answers; and obtain a temple recommend and always carry it worthily.” ^[3] News of the Church, Ensign, Jan. 1999, 77; “Ground Broken for Two New Temples.” Church News, 11 Jan. 2024, www.thechurchnews.com/1998/10/17/23250012/ground-broken-for-two-new-temples.

The groundbreaking ceremony for the Detroit Michigan Temple was held on the same day as the groundbreaking ceremony for the Spokane Washington Temple, marking the first time that groundbreaking ceremonies were held on the same day.

Before the temple’s public open house, Church officials conducted private tours for various civic and religious leaders and representatives of the media. Many of the 749 people who attended the private tours were touched by a new film the Church had recently released that introduced the temple and highlighted the importance of eternal families. Following their tour, two local government leaders said of the angel Moroni statue, “We are glad to have an angel watching over our city.”^[4] In Patricia Michalek, “Detroit Open House Visitors Feel ‘Serenity of the Temple,’” Church News, Oct. 23, 1999. Approximately 30,000 people visited the temple during its public open house.

On the day of the temple’s dedication, a cold front brought a northern wind mixed with freezing rain. Thomas C. Bithell, president of the Bloomfield Hills Michigan Stake, observed, “For the members, it’s a warm day.” He then pointed to the temple and said, “There’s lots of sunshine inside.”^[5]http://www.ldschurchnewsarchive.com/articles/36712/A-temple-in-their-midst.htmlThomas C. Bithell, in Greg Hill, “A Temple in their Midst,” Church News, Oct. 30, 1999, .

President Gordon B. Hinckley dedicated the Detroit Michigan Temple in six sessions on October 23 and 24, 1999. In his dedicatory prayer he prayed for faithful Church members everywhere: “Pour out Thy blessings upon Thy faithful people wherever they may be. Open the windows of heaven and let blessings shower down upon them. Hear and answer their supplications. When they are called upon to walk in the dark shadows of life, bring them light and understanding, reassurance and peace.”^[6]“Detroit Michigan Temple: ‘The Offering of Our Hands and Our Hearts,’” Church News, Oct. 30, 1999,

The Detroit Michigan Temple is a peaceful refuge surrounded by 3.1 acres of carefully landscaped lawns and trees in Bloomfield Hills, a suburb about 24 miles north of Detroit.

The temple is located near Woodward Avenue, a major eight-lane road in Bloomfield Hills, but the mature trees and expansive lawn provide tranquility around the temple despite the busy area. The temple’s location has created interest, and people are welcome to visit the grounds, where attendants are available to answer questions.

The Detroit Michigan Temple stands as an ensign to the people in Detroit, as a major roadway passes directly by. The road running past the temple was actually built by the uncle of Joseph Smith, Stephen Mack. Stephen Mack was a significant person in the early history of Detroit becoming a trustee of the then-village of Detroit in 1812.

The temple’s exterior finish is composed of 50 tons of Imperial Danby marble, which was quarried in Vermont close to the home of the Prophet Joseph Smith.

A gold-leafed statue of the angel Moroni tops the temple’s single spire.

The exterior is adorned with long, slender art-glass windows topped with circular designs in the stone, similar to several other temples with smaller designs announced by the Church in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The smaller temples are generally about 10,700 square feet in size and were part of the Church’s efforts to bring temples closer to its members.

Cladding

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Water Course

Windows

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Spandrel panel