San Antonio Texas Temple

The San Antonio Texas Temple is the 120th operating temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

On June 24, 2001 the Mormon Church announced it would build a temple in San Antonio, Texas, making it the state's fourth. Within ten years, the number of Mormon members in the area grew from 9,000 to 12,000. Until the San Antonio Texas Temple was completed, Mormons in the area had to travel over convert|200|mi|km to reach the nearest temple, near Houston.

On March 29, 2003 a site dedication and groundbreaking ceremony initiated construction. As the LDS Temple neared completion in September 2004, a ceremony was held to place a thirteen-foot, gold leafed angel Moroni statue on the spire of the temple.

After the building's completion, an open house was held April 16 through May 7, 2005 to allow people to see the inside of a Mormon temple. During these three weeks, more than 50,000 people took a tour through the newly finished temple. The inside of the temple is beautifully furnished with African Cherrywood, stained glass windows, paintings of Jesus' life and a mural by San Antonio artist Keith Bonds. The use of color in the stained glass windows, in a slightly muted southwest style, and the indigo and star motif inside the central spire sets this edifice apart from most all other LDS temples.

Mormon Church President Gordon B. Hinckley officially dedicated the San Antonio Temple on May 22, 2005. A celebration was held at the Alamodome the night before the dedication. More than 20,000 people attended to watch a show featuring over 4,000 singers and dancers, horses, fireworks, and presentations of Texas history, family values, and Mormon beliefs. President Hinckley spoke to those in attendance about the temple.

The San Antonio Texas Temple serves about 45,250 members living in an area spanning from Waco to Brownsville. It has a total of convert|16800|sqft|m2, two ordinance rooms, and two sealing rooms.

=Temple

ee also

* Temple (Mormonism)
* 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 Saints
* Temple architecture (Latter-day Saints)
* The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Texas

External links

* [http://www.lds.org/temples/main/0,11204,1912-1-171-0,00.html Official LDS San Antonio Temple page]
* [http://www.ldschurchtemples.com/sanantonio/ San Antonio Texas Temple page]
* [http://www.lds.org/ The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints] - Official Site
* [http://www.mormon.org/ The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints] - Visitors Site
* [http://www.religionfacts.com/mormonism/practices/temple_ordinances.htm Mormon Temple Ordinances] - ReligionFacts
* [http://mormanity.blogspot.com/2005/01/mormon-temples-and-secrecy.html Mormon Temples and Secrecy]