Anchorage Alaska Temple
| Anchorage Alaska Temple | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Number | 54 | |||
| Dedication | January 9, 1999, by Gordon B. Hinckley | |||
| Site | 5.4 acres (2.2 ha) | |||
| Floor area | 11,937 sq ft (1,109.0 m2) | |||
| Height | 71 ft (22 m) | |||
| Official website • News & images | ||||
| Church chronology | ||||
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| Additional information | ||||
| Announced | October 4, 1997, by Gordon B. Hinckley | |||
| Groundbreaking | April 17, 1998, by F. Melvin Hammond | |||
| Open house | December 29-31, 1998 | |||
| Rededicated | February 8, 2004, by Gordon B. Hinckley | |||
| Current president | Rodney D. Metcalf[1] | |||
| Designed by | McCool Carlson Green | |||
| Location | Anchorage, Alaska, United States | |||
| Geographic coordinates | 61°6′5.857200″N 149°50′25.84319″W / 61.10162700000°N 149.8405119972°W | |||
| Exterior finish | Stone-clad Sierra white granite quarried from near Fresno, California | |||
| Baptistries | 1 | |||
| Ordinance rooms | 2 (two-stage progressive) | |||
| Sealing rooms | 1 | |||
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The Anchorage Alaska Temple is the 54th operating temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). The temple serves church members in Alaska and the Yukon Territory.
History
In 1997, church president Gordon B. Hinckley, announced the building of smaller LDS temples. The first of these smaller temples was built in Monticello, Utah and the second in Anchorage, Alaska. After the groundbreaking of the Anchorage Alaska Temple in 1998, the construction of this 6,800-square-foot (630 m2) temple took only nine months.
The west side of the Anchorage Alaska Temple features the seven stars of the Big Dipper pointing to the North Star, a symbol found on the Alaskan flag and on the Salt Lake Temple. The temple walls are covered with gray and white quartz-flecked granite, and the temple design incorporates Alaskan motifs, such as likenesses of fir trees on the doorway pilasters. The stained glass is reminiscent of water, and stylized evergreens with patterns resembling native designs are used to adorn interior furnishings.[2]
Hinckley dedicated the temple on January 9, 1999, with more than six thousand members from as far away as the Yukon braving the freezing weather. After remodeling that nearly doubled the size of the temple, Hinckley rededicated the temple on February 8, 2004. The Anchorage Alaska Temple now has a total floor area of 11,937 square feet (1,109.0 m2), two ordinance rooms, and one sealing room.
In 2020, the Anchorage Alaska Temple was closed in response to the coronavirus pandemic.[3]
See also
- Comparison 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
- List of temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by geographic region
- Temple architecture (Latter-day Saints)
References
- ^ "New Temple Leaders Called to Serve in 2022", Newsroom, LDS Church, October 24, 2022 [26 May 2022], retrieved October 24, 2022
- ^ "Gathering of Saints", by Jasper and Lommel, p 320[full citation needed]
- ^ Stack, Peggy Fletcher. "All Latter-day Saint temples to close due to coronavirus", The Salt Lake Tribune, 26 March 2020. Retrieved on 28 March 2020.
Additional reading
- "Open house, dedication set for Alaska temple", Church News, November 14, 1998
- "Alaska temple opens doors to the public", Church News, January 2, 1999
- Howlett, Sandi (January 9, 1999), "Sacred edifice called a 'jewel box': Nearly 15,000 visit open house of Alaska temple", Church News
- Dockstader, Julie A. (January 16, 1999), "Northernmost temple dedicated", Church News
- Howlett, Sandi (February 7, 2004), "Icy opening and a warm welcome", Church News
- Howlett, Sandi (February 14, 2004), "The story of Alaska", Church News
- Howlett, Sandi (February 14, 2004), "Anchorage Alaska Temple rededicated by Prophet", Church News
External links
- Anchorage Alaska Temple Official site
- Anchorage Alaska Temple at ChurchofJesusChristTemples.org