Biblical references Latter-day Saints cite various
Old Testament references to temple ordinances such as those found in , and . The words "HOLINESS TO THE LORD" can be found on LDS temples as referenced in . Likewise the
Tabernacle was considered a "portable temple" by the children of Israel in the Old Testament.
Latter-day temples The first Latter-day Saint temple ceremonies were performed in
Kirtland, Ohio, but differed significantly from the endowment performed on the second floor of
Joseph Smith's
Red Brick Store in Nauvoo, Illinois, and the
Nauvoo Temple. Kirtland ordinances included washings and anointings (differing in many ways from the modern portion) and the washing of the feet ordinance. For nearly four years, beginning in 1842, Smith's Red Brick Store functioned as a de facto temple—the site of the first washings, anointings, endowments, and sealings. In contrast, the grand edifice known as the Nauvoo Temple was in operation for only two months before the Latter Day Saints left Illinois for the West. Preparations to initiate the first members of Smith's
Quorum of the Anointed, or Holy Order, as it was also known, were made on May 3, 1842. The walls of the second level of the Red Brick Store were painted with garden-themed murals, the rooms fitted with carpets, potted plants, and a veil hung from the ceiling. All the while, the ground level continued to operate as Smith's general mercantile. After the early events of the
succession crisis,
Brigham Young assumed control of the church's headquarters at Nauvoo, Illinois. While he and the rest of the
Quorum of the Twelve made contingency plans for abandoning the city, he may have hoped that it would not prove necessary. For example, in early 1845, Young convened a conference at the Norwegian colony at
Norway, Illinois, and announced a plan to build a Latter-day Saint town there with a temple for the use of the Norwegian Latter Day Saints. Meanwhile, Young urged the Latter-day Saints in Nauvoo to redouble their efforts to finish the temple. By the end of 1845, the building was sufficiently finished to allow
temple ordinances to be performed. Ordinances continued to be performed in early 1846 as the Mormons were forced to abandon the city. A small crew remained in the city and continued to work on the temple until April 30, 1846, when it was formally dedicated in a private ceremony by
Joseph Young, the senior of the Seven Presidents of the
Seventy. It was used for three months, then abandoned in late summer 1846. The completed temple was eventually destroyed by fire, and the remaining structure was later demolished by a
whirlwind. Upon reaching the
Great Basin, Brigham Young began to build settlements based on the City of Zion plan and designated four of these to contain temples:
Salt Lake City (1847),
St. George (1871),
Manti (1875), and
Logan (1877). The
St. George Temple was the first to be completed in 1877, followed by
Logan (1884) and
Manti (1888). The
Salt Lake Temple took 40 years to complete because of various setbacks and delays. It was dedicated in 1893. In the late 1880s and in 1890, a desire to continue the ordinance work in temples was a significant consideration preceding Wilford Woodruff's decision (announced in his
Manifesto of September 1890) that the church would discontinue
its practice of polygamy. In 1887 the US Congress passed the
Edmunds–Tucker Act, which disincorporated the church and directed federal officials to begin seizing its assets, potentially including its temples. After a conversation with Woodruff, Logan Temple president
Marriner W. Merrill stated that the contemplated public announcement prohibiting additional polygamist unions was "the only way to retain the possession of our temples and continue the ordinance work for the living and dead which was considered of more importance than continuing the practice of plural marriage for the present." Latter-day Saint temple building halted until the presidency of
Joseph F. Smith, who announced two additional temples:
Cardston, Alberta (1913), and
Lā, Hawaii (1915). Cardston became the first Latter-day Saint temple dedicated outside of the United States. Smith broke with the previous tradition (established since Kirtland) of building temples with upper and lower courts. Temples previously had been ever larger, but the Laie Hawaii Temple was smaller than the Nauvoo Temple had been. Both Cardston and Laie were dedicated under church president
Heber J. Grant, as was a temple in
Mesa, Arizona.
George Albert Smith dedicated the next temple in
Idaho Falls, Idaho.
David O. McKay dedicated five additional temples including one in
Bern, Switzerland—which was the first temple dedicated in Europe and the first temple to use film recording of the endowment rather than live actors.
Joseph Fielding Smith dedicated a temple in
Ogden, Utah, and
Harold B. Lee dedicated its twin in
Provo, Utah.
Spencer W. Kimball began a plan to build many more smaller temples according to standardized plans. Twenty-one temples were dedicated during his presidency, including the tiny
Papeete Tahiti Temple—which has a floorspace of less than 10,000 square feet (900 m2). This trend has continued. Nine additional temples were dedicated in the presidency of
Ezra Taft Benson and two in the brief presidency of
Howard W. Hunter. Under church president
Gordon B. Hinckley, the church dedicated 77 temples. In 1997, Hinckley introduced a standardized, smaller temple plan designed to bring temple services to smaller or remote congregations at a reduced cost. The first of this new generation of temples was completed in 1998 with the
Monticello Utah Temple. The original plan called for , later increased to . Subsequent revisions to the standard design further increased the size and complexity of the temples. The majority of the temples dedicated under Hinckley's tenure were of the smaller design. During Hinckley's administration, the temple in
Nauvoo, Illinois was rebuilt, and is known as the
Nauvoo Illinois Temple. Hinckely's successor,
Thomas S. Monson, dedicated 26 temples during his time as church president. His counselors in the First Presidency also dedicated a number of temples during Monson's administration. As of October 2018, Monson's successor,
Russell M. Nelson, has dedicated the
Concepción Chile Temple. It has been suggested that recent temple construction represents an attempt by church leadership to “re-energize” congregations in the face of flat numerical growth. at night ==Symbolism in the temple==