Winter Quarters Nebraska Temple
Encyclopedia
The Winter Quarters Nebraska Temple is the 104th operating temple
of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is located in Florence
, now a neighborhood of Omaha, Nebraska
, USA, and formerly an independent city.
is considered hallowed ground for the members of the LDS Church. It was the site where early members of the LDS Church settled after they were driven out of Nauvoo, Illinois
. It was also where many Mormons, including many who came from Europe, encamped before crossing the plains to the Salt Lake Valley
. The area has many graves of the Mormon pioneers who died on their journey. More than 2,000 members of the Church died at Winter Quarters because of heavy storms, scurvy
, malaria
and inadequate food and shelter.
The new temple was built next to the Mormon Pioneer Cemetery
and visitors' center. During the groundbreaking ceremony conducted by Elder Truman F. Clawson on 28 November 1999, he said, "Now today on this end of the hill, we will take shovels in our hands to dig not a grave but the foundation of a special building, a temple."
In preparation for the open house, members of the Church and the community of Florence worked together creating handcrafted flowers for storefronts and decorating historic sites and markers with balloons. Over 61,000 visitors toured the Winter Quarters temple during its open house.
Members all over the United States
and Canada
watched via satellite broadcast as Church President Gordon B. Hinckley
dedicated the Winter Quarters Nebraska Temple on 22 April 2001. During the dedicatory prayer Hinckley recognized the sacrifice of the Saints and the great spiritual and historical significance of having a temple at Winter Quarters.
The Winter Quarters Nebraska Temple has a total area of 16,000 square feet (1,500 m²), two ordinance rooms, and two sealing rooms.
Temple (LDS Church)
In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , a temple is a building dedicated to be a House of the Lord, and they are considered by Church members to be the most sacred structures on earth. Upon completion, temples are usually open to the public for a short period of time...
of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is located in Florence
Florence, Nebraska
Florence is a neighborhood in Omaha, Nebraska on the city's north end and originally one of the oldest cities in Nebraska. It was incorporated by the Nebraska Territorial Legislature on March 10, 1857. The site of Winter Quarters for Mormon migrants traveling west, it has the oldest cemetery for...
, now a neighborhood of Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska, United States, and is the county seat of Douglas County. It is located in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about 20 miles north of the mouth of the Platte River...
, USA, and formerly an independent city.
About
Winter QuartersWinter Quarters, Nebraska
Winter Quarters was an encampment formed by approximately 2,500 members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as they waited during the winter of 1846–47 for better conditions for their trek westward. It followed a preliminary tent settlement some 3½ miles west at Cutler's Park. The...
is considered hallowed ground for the members of the LDS Church. It was the site where early members of the LDS Church settled after they were driven out of Nauvoo, Illinois
Nauvoo, Illinois
Nauvoo is a small city in Hancock County, Illinois, United States. Although the population was just 1,063 at the 2000 census, and despite being difficult to reach due to its location in a remote corner of Illinois, Nauvoo attracts large numbers of visitors for its historic importance and its...
. It was also where many Mormons, including many who came from Europe, encamped before crossing the plains to the Salt Lake Valley
Salt Lake Valley
Salt Lake Valley is a valley in Salt Lake County in the north-central portion of the U.S. state of Utah. It contains Salt Lake City and many of its suburbs, notably West Valley City, Murray, Sandy, and West Jordan; its total population is 1,029,655 as of 2010...
. The area has many graves of the Mormon pioneers who died on their journey. More than 2,000 members of the Church died at Winter Quarters because of heavy storms, scurvy
Scurvy
Scurvy is a disease resulting from a deficiency of vitamin C, which is required for the synthesis of collagen in humans. The chemical name for vitamin C, ascorbic acid, is derived from the Latin name of scurvy, scorbutus, which also provides the adjective scorbutic...
, malaria
Malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...
and inadequate food and shelter.
The new temple was built next to the Mormon Pioneer Cemetery
Mormon Pioneer Cemetery
The Mormon Pioneer Cemetery is located at 3301 State Street in present-day Florence at the north end of Omaha, Nebraska. The Cemetery is the burial site of hundreds of Mormon pioneers who lived in Winter Quarters, a temporary settlement that lasted from 1846 to 1848 as the settlers moved to Salt...
and visitors' center. During the groundbreaking ceremony conducted by Elder Truman F. Clawson on 28 November 1999, he said, "Now today on this end of the hill, we will take shovels in our hands to dig not a grave but the foundation of a special building, a temple."
In preparation for the open house, members of the Church and the community of Florence worked together creating handcrafted flowers for storefronts and decorating historic sites and markers with balloons. Over 61,000 visitors toured the Winter Quarters temple during its open house.
Members all over the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
watched via satellite broadcast as Church President Gordon B. Hinckley
Gordon B. Hinckley
Gordon Bitner Hinckley was an American religious leader and author who served as the 15th President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from March 12, 1995 until his death...
dedicated the Winter Quarters Nebraska Temple on 22 April 2001. During the dedicatory prayer Hinckley recognized the sacrifice of the Saints and the great spiritual and historical significance of having a temple at Winter Quarters.
The Winter Quarters Nebraska Temple has a total area of 16,000 square feet (1,500 m²), two ordinance rooms, and two sealing rooms.
See also
- Temple (Latter Day Saints)
- List of temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
- List of temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by geographic region
- Comparison of temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day SaintsComparison of temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day SaintsBelow is a chronological list of temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with sortable columns. In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a temple is a building dedicated to be a House of the Lord, and considered by church members to be the most sacred structures on earth...
- Temple architecture (Latter-day Saints)
- List of churches in Omaha, Nebraska