The Nauvoo Illinois Temple is the 113th dedicated temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). The intent to build the temple was announced on April 4, 1999, by church president Gordon B. Hinckley during general conference. It is the third temple built in Illinois (after the original Nauvoo and Chicago Illinois temples).

The temple has an attached end tower with a statue of the angel Moroni. This temple’s architecture was designed to replicate the original Nauvoo Temple, which was designed by Joseph Smith. Groundbreaking was conducted on October 24, 1999 and the cornerstones were laid November 5, 2000, with Hinckley presiding over both ceremonies.

Wood purchased land in 1951 that included a house which was made a visitors' center for the temple site. In the late-1950s, and then in 1962, agents for the LDS Church completed purchase of the temple lot.

Following construction, an open house was held from May 6-June 22, 2002. The temple was dedicated by Hinckley on June 27, 2002. The dedication was broadcast via satellite to “2,300 locations throughout 72 countries and in 38 languages,” making it the first temple dedication to be broadcast internationally. Designed by FFKR Architects, the temple's architecture reflects both the cultural heritage of the Nauvoo region and its spiritual significance to the church.

The temple sits on a 3.3-acre plot, and the landscaping around the temple features a statue of Joseph and Hyrum Smith. It is the church's only operating temple that has a bell tower; the Kirtland Temple also has a bell tower, but it is not a functioning temple. The angel on the first Nauvoo temple was a weathervane, sculpted of metal. The figure was positioned horizontally as if it were flying, clothed in a robe and cap. The angel held a book in one hand and a trumpet in the other.

The Salt Lake City Endowment House and early Utah temples, each with a series of four ordinance rooms through which patrons moved during the presentation of the endowment, followed this layout. The first three rooms were decorated with murals representing, the creation of the world, the Garden of Eden, and the world after the fall of Adam and Eve. The fourth room, known as the Terrestrial Room, was ornately decorated but lacked murals. The Los Angeles California Temple, dedicated in 1956, was the last temple with this layout. Subsequent temples presented the endowment in one or two rooms without murals in the ordinance rooms. The use of murals resumed again in 2001 with the opening of the Columbia River Washington Temple. The Nauvoo Illinois Temple, using the four room layout, is the sole exception, as it has the four-room progressive format with murals decorating the first three rooms.

The sunstones were characterized by two hands holding trumpets above an image of the sun rising above clouds, while the moonstones featured relief carvings of downward-facing crescent moons. The star stones consisted of large five-pointed stars, each with an elongated bottom ray

Cultural and community impact

The temple and its surrounding grounds have been a gathering place for community events, including the Nauvoo Pageant and the British Pageant, which are both held every summer in Nauvoo. The Nauvoo Pageant is narrated by Parley P. Pratt, and tells the story of Joseph Smith, the early LDS Church, and the Nauvoo Temple. The British Pageant portrays the English Reformation and the church's first missions to Britain.

The temple and the historic Nauvoo sites are managed by the church and provide educating and spiritually uplifting elements and insights into church history in Nauvoo. The Historic Nauvoo Visitors' Center, equipped with historic exhibits including a diorama of Nauvoo, provides all visitors with an understanding of the faith of early church members and the temple's unique place in church history.

Temple presidents

The church's temples are directed by a temple president and matron, each typically serving a term of three years. The president and matron oversee the administration of temple operations and provide guidance and training for both temple patrons and staff. Notable presidents include Richard W. Winder (2002–04), who was the first after its dedication,

In 2020, like all the church's other temples, the Nauvoo Illinois Temple was closed for a time in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Like all the church's temples, it is not used for Sunday worship services. To members of the church, temples are regarded as sacred houses of the Lord. Once dedicated, only church members with a current temple recommend can enter for worship.

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file:Nauvoo Temple Sunstone 2003.jpg|A Sunstone from the original Nauvoo Temple

File:Nauvoo Illinois Temple Southwest Night Perspective.jpg|The Nauvoo Illinois Temple at night

File:Nauvoo-Temple.jpg|The back of the temple.

File:Nauvoo Illinois Temple Southwest Night Architectural Detail.jpg|Close up of the details of the temple.

File:Modern Nauvoo Temple.jpg|Close up at the front entrance.

File:Nauvoo Illinois Temple East Side Top Night Architectural Detail.jpg|Close up of the east side of the temple.

File:LDS Temple (Nauvoo) P6081225.JPG|Sign in front of the temple

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References

  • Nauvoo Illinois Temple at ChurchofJesusChristTemples.org