Indianapolis Indiana Temple Wiki

Description

There are eleven stakes in Indiana. Prior to the construction of this temple, these Latter-day Saints traveled 130 miles to the Louisville Kentucky Temple to attend. The new Latter-day Saint temple will serve 25,000 members in the area. Church membership in Indiana at the time of the announcement was about 42,000. In 2022, it was over 46,000.

History

Latter-day Saint history in Indiana dates back to 1831, when missionaries came to Indiana to share the message of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. They organized congregations that met in homes until the first hall was rented in 1913. In 1927, the state’s first Mormon meetinghouse was built and dedicated by Church President Heber J. Grant.

The first stake in the state was also organized in Indianapolis on May 17, 1959, by Elder Spencer W. Kimball.444

Announced

The intention to build the temple was announced by church presidentThomas S. Monson on October 2, 2010, during he opening of the 180th Semiannual General Conference.^[1]Taylor, Scott (October 2, 2010), “President Thomas S. Monson opens conference by announcing 5 new temples”, Deseret News, retrieved November 11, 2012. The temple was announced concurrently with the Hartford Connecticut, Tijuana Mexico, Urdaneta Philippines and Lisbon Portugal temples.

Location Announced

In early 2011, the Church announced the location of the Indianapolis Indiana Temple: it would be located in the city of Carmel on the southwest corner of the intersection of W116th and Spring Mill Road.

Temple Approval

On March 16, 2011, four Church representatives presented preliminary plans to the Carmel Technical Advisory Committee for Phase I of its 48-acre development, which features the Indianapolis Indiana Temple and an adjoining meetinghouse. Parking, maintenance, and operations will be shared between the two facilities, which will operate on noncompeting schedules—the temple being used primarily on Fridays and Saturdays with modest use on weekdays and the meetinghouse being used primarily on Sundays with modest use on weekdays. A utility building will store the power, water, gas, generators, and transformers for both facilities. At the meeting, standard review comments were given by department representatives who were provided copies of the plans for further review.^[2]”Carmel Technical Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes,” City of Carmel 16 Mar. 2011.

On April 25, 2011, Church representative Kerry Nielsen delivered a presentation to the Carmel Board of Zoning Appeals, seeking special use approval to construct a religious complex in a residential zone. The concept site plan was presented along with a rendering of the meetinghouse and of The Gila Valley Arizona Temple, a comparable facility to the Indianapolis temple. During the public hearing, various citizens voiced concerns with the project. Their desires included (1) more time to learn about the project, (2) a traffic impact study, (3) evidence of the impact on property values, (4) a firm commitment to residential—not commercial—for the balance of the property, (5) proper maintenance of the residential land before its development, (6) additional information on the residential development, (7) no changes to the west retention pond, and (8) maintenance of the treeline buffer. Nielsen stood to address these concerns and directed citizens to a website where they could watch unscripted videos of neighbors of other Mormon temples candidly commenting on the impact of traffic and lighting on the neighborhood and on property values.

Staff recommended approval to the Board with two conditions: (1) engineering department approval of the construction documents and traffic study and (2) forestry department approval of an engineered landscape plan. Following staff comments, Board member Leo Dierckman addressed Nielsen, firmly stating the conditions on which he would support approval including a commitment from the applicant to (1) maintain the proposed open space to the west, (2) develop a maximum of 30 residential lots, (3) rename the temple with no reference to Indianapolis, such as Carmel Indiana Temple or Indiana Temple, and (4) complete the Architectural Design, Exterior Lighting, Landscaping & Signage (ADLS) approval process. He paid high compliments to members of the Mormon church for dedication to their faith. After 70 minutes of discussion, a motion was sustained on staff recommendation to table the item to the May 23 meeting.^[3]”Carmel Board of Zoning Appeals Regular Meeting,” City of Carmel 25 Apr. 2011.

On May 23, 2011, the Board of Zoning Appeals resumed its special use hearing where Kerry Nielsen stood to address concerns voiced at the previous meeting. He noted that Church representatives had contacted every neighbor who had expressed disfavor with the project in order to obtain feedback, answer questions, and provide additional explanation. He described the respectful construction practices that would be followed and noted the many favorable aspects of the project including retention of a tree buffer to the west, enlargement and improvement of the retention pond, and cultivation of 60 percent of the temple site as open space. Neighbors stood to express additional concerns including (1) motorists using the new roads around the temple complex as a shortcut from 116th to Springmill during high-traffic hours, (2) retention of the treeline as is—no walkways through the trees or around the pond, (3) increase in traffic not only because of the temple but also because of recently approved developments in the area. Nielsen addressed these concerns, showing graphics of an additional buffer of hedges planned along the treeline and pond; there would be no activity in these areas, but they would be maintained. Staff stated that City engineering and forestry are satisfied with the plans and support the project as a good transition and buffer from residential.

Before going to a vote, Board member Leo Dierckman asked for firm commitments from the applicant including (1) that the tree buffer would be dedicated on the plat as a tree preservation area, (2) that the balance of the property would be developed under S2 residential zoning at a density not exceeding 2.4 units/acres, (3) that a minimum of 200 feet would be maintained between the middle of the road and westmost property line, (4) that an additional buffer would be planted as part of the temple construction project, and (5) that the stub road would be configured in some way to discourage shortcut traffic. Dierckman noted that he had dropped the naming restriction he had imposed in the previous meeting once he understood the naming convention practiced by the Church. Nielsen agreed to these commitments. Following a motion, the members of the Board voted 5-0 in favor of approval of the special use.^[4]”Carmel Board of Zoning Appeals Regular Meeting,” City of Carmel 25 Apr. 2011.Mack, Justin L. “Mormon temple, first in Indiana, dedicated”, The Indianapolis Star, 23 August 2015. Retrieved on 2 April 2020.; Carlson, Carole. “Mormon temple opens in Indiana heartland”, Chicago Tribune, 31 July 2015. Retrieved on 2 April 2020.[/ref]

On December 19, 2012, at a Board of Public Works and Safety Meeting, a request for dedication of right of way for the Indianapolis Indiana Temple, submitted by Banning Engineering, was on the agenda.

Groundbreaking

The groundbreaking ceremony for the Indianapolis Indiana Temple was held Saturday, September 29, 2012. Elder Donald L. Hallstrom of the Presidency of the Seventy presided. He was accompanied by Elder Gregory A. Schwitzer of the Second Quorum of the Seventy.^[5]Boren, Michael (September 29, 2012), “Mormons celebrate groundbreaking for new temple in Carmel”, The Indianapolis Star, retrieved November 11, 2012; Mormon Temple being built in Carmel, Indianapolis, Indiana: WISH-TV, archived from the original on November 2, 2012, retrieved November 11, 2012; Walker, Joseph (September 30, 2012), “Ground broken for LDS temple in Indiana”, Deseret News, retrieved November 11, 2012.

Elder Hallstrom spoke of the focus the temple gives: “The holy temple helps us to know, in our lives, what to embrace and what to discard.”^[6]“Groundbreaking for Indiana’s First Mormon Temple,” Mormon Newsroom, Sept. 29, 2012, http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/groundbreaking-for-indiana’s-first-mormon-temple.

Capstone

On October 17, 2014, the statue of the angel Moroni was lifted into place, creating a striking addition to the Carmel skyline.

Open House

An open house for the Indianapolis Indiana Temple, located in the city of Carmel, Indiana, was held from Friday, 17 July 2015 through Saturday, 8 August 2015.

The open house tours began in the church building next to the temple with the showing of a 12-minute video providing an overview of temples and why they are significant to members of The Church of Jesus Christ of latter-day Saints. Following the video, a tour host escorted visitors through the temple, explaining the purpose of each room and answering questions as time allowed. At the conclusion of the tour, visitors were invited to a reception area to have any further questions answered.

Cultural Celebration – “Gather to the Light”

Prior to the temple dedication, on Saturday, 22 August 2015, 1,600 Latter-day Saint youth, ages 12 to 18, from throughout the temple district, participated in a cultural celebration entitled Gather to the Light which highlighted the significant contributions of Indiana in agriculture, culture, sports and history, including the state’s role in the Underground Railroad. The celebration also recognized notable Hoosiers such as Abraham Lincoln and Ernie Pyle and the long-running Indianapolis 500. The event was held at the Michael Carroll Track & Field Stadium on the campus of Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis. Attendance was by invitation only, but media was invited to attend.

President Eyring said,“Let’s fill this stadium with joy, with love and with light.” He also offered encouragement about the youth’s potential during his remarks and said, “You’ll never forget the feeling of satisfaction as you discover that through effort and determination you can do more that you thought possible.” Alyssa Hightower, one of the 1,600 youth participants, commented, “I think it’s such an amazing opportunity to be with everyone to come together to celebrate the building of this temple.”

Dedication

Prior to the temple dedication, President Henry B. Eyring conducted the traditional cornerstone ceremony. John Jensen Chipman, Temple President, and his wife, Karen Russon Chipman, the temple matron, along with other members of the presidency, were invited to seal the cornerstone with mortar using a monogrammed trowel signifying completion of the temple. Several members of the Church, including children, were also invited to place mortar around the cornerstone. A choir comprising Latter-day Saints from within the temple district provided uplifting music near the temple. Another choir provided music inside the temple for all three dedicatory sessions. Elder Richards commented, “I think everyone appreciates how [the temple] complements everything that is already in Indianapolis. It’s really a gorgeous place and a lovely environment, and the temple fits right in.”

The Indianapolis Indiana Temple was dedicated on Sunday, 23 August 2015 in three dedicatory sessions at 9:00 a.m., 12:00 p.m., and 3:00 p.m. The services were broadcast only within the temple district, and the three-hour block of meetings for those congregations were cancelled.

The Indianapolis Indiana Temple is the 148th operating temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the world. It opened for ordinance work on Monday, 24 August 2015, by invitation, and Tuesday, 25 August 2015, for all patrons. The temple serves approximately 30,000 members of the Church in Indianapolis, South Bend, Lafayette, Muncie Fort Wayne, Bloomington and Champaign, Illinois.

Dedication Order

The Indianapolis Indiana Temple was the first temple built in the state of Indiana.

Presidents and Matrons

Details

Location

The Indianapolis Indiana Temple stands on the southwest corner of West 116th Street and Spring Mill Road in Carmel, Indiana—a picturesque suburb located on the north end of Indianapolis. The temple is easily accessible from U.S. 31, two miles north of its interchange with I-465. Sharing the temple site is a beautiful meetinghouse with an open courtyard.

Throughout the temple grounds, flowers, shrubbery and trees cause visitors to ponder the beauty of God’s creation. A domed fountain stands before the front doors, which are flanked by columns. Above the columns are the words “Holiness to the Lord, the House of the Lord,” reminding patrons of the sanctity of the building they are to enter. The temple grounds also include a Church meetinghouse.

Exterior

The design of the stately spire of the Indianapolis Indiana Temple draws inspiration from the historic memorials and monuments found in the heart of Indianapolis, such as the Indiana World War Memorial and the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument.

Interior