The Kirtland Temple, located in Kirtland, Ohio, is the first temple built by adherents of the Latter Day Saint movement, also known as Mormons, dedicated in March 1836. Joseph Smith, the movement's founder, directed the construction following a series of reported revelations, and the temple showcases a blend of Federal, Greek Revival, and Gothic Revival architectural styles.Chiat, Marilyn, North American Churches, Publishers International, Ltd.: 2004, p. 71. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1969 and named a National Historic Landmark in 1977. The temple is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). Prior to March 5, 2024, the temple was owned and operated by Community of Christ (previously known as The Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (RLDS)) for over a century.
Construction of the Kirtland Temple was a community effort involving significant contributions from church members, including the establishment of a sawmill and an ashery to supply building materials. The temple features unique architectural elements such as adjustable pews and dual pulpits, reflecting its multifunctional use for worship and education. The third floor was used for academic and religious instruction, emphasizing the importance of Hebrew studies to the faith's theological development.
The dedication on March 27, 1836, was attended by approximately 1,000 people and included traditional rites such as the Hosanna shout. Reports of visions and spiritual experiences by church leaders, including the restoration of certain priesthood keys through ancient prophets Moses, Elias (believed by members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to be a contemporary of Abraham), and Elijah, were documented and later canonized in Section 110 of the Doctrine and Covenants. These keys represented various aspects of religious authority, including the gathering of Israel, the gospel of Abraham, and sealing powers. Not long after the dedication, Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery reported seeing Jesus Christ "standing upon the breastwork of the pulpit."
Throughout its history, the Kirtland Temple has undergone various ownership changes and legal disputes, ultimately maintaining its status as a place of worship and historical significance within the Latter Day Saint movement. It continues to serve as a historic site, open year-round for guided tours, meetings, and events, attracting visitors from around the world, and around 100,000 visitors annually.
Construction In December 1830, Joseph Smith, the founder of the Church of Christ (Latter Day Saints), said he received a revelation directing members of the faith to "assemble together in Ohio." By 1831, members of the church began to gather to the Kirtland area. In December 1832, Smith said he received another revelation that called for the construction of a house of worship, education, and order. On December 27, 1832, he announced that the temple would be built. On May 6, 1833, Smith said he received a revelation from God, directing the church to build "a house ... wholly dedicated unto the Lord for the work of the presidency," "dedicated unto the Lord from the foundation thereof, according to the order of the priesthood." The First Presidency, which included Smith, Sidney Rigdon, and Frederick G. Williams, oversaw the laying of the temple cornerstone at a ceremony on July 23, 1833. The first cornerstone was laid at the southeast corner and construction began immediately. When the building was first being constructed, it was just known as "the House of the Lord."
According to the diary of Truman O. Angell, the First Presidency reported a detailed shared vision of the inside and outside of the temple, to help show church volunteers the envisioned structure. Scott Barrick, director of Historic Kirtland, says that the visions were "like our (present day) virtual reality."
Directions were given to build a "lower court and a higher court," with a promise given that the Lord's "glory shall be there, and [his] presence shall be there."LDS , RLDS Doctrine and Covenants Section 91:3 The initial designs called for an interior that was 55 feet (17 m) wide by 65 feet (20 m) long. The building has two primary gathering spaces: an upper and a lower court (or hall). The lower hall was most often used for worship, including the sacrament (similar to communion), preaching, and prayer. It features two sets of pulpits, one on each end, and adjustable pews that allow the audience to face either direction. The upper hall was used for educational purposes, specifically for the School of the Apostles.
The building's third floor served multiple functions. During the day, it hosted general academic classes, while in the evenings, it was used for church quorum meetings. Church members there studied Hebrew, which lasted only a little over two months, but it came to have a significant impact on the evolution of the faith's theology. It also housed a school known by various names over time: the School of the Prophets, also known as the School of the Elders and the School of the Apostles. Joseph Smith established the school in 1833, drawing on established American traditions and Old Testament practices, with a focus on integrating specific religious practices to unify members and create a cohesive community. Unlike earlier versions, Smith's school required a dedicated temple and ceased formal operations by 1836 as focus shifted to other community preparations. Additionally, the third floor contained various church offices, including that of Joseph Smith.
The interior incorporated unique features, while the exterior was influenced by the New England Protestant style. For example, the arrangement of two series of four-tiered pulpits on each end of the assembly rooms for seating the presidencies of the Melchizedek and Aaronic priesthoods was different from other buildings. The pulpits were designed with golden letters to differentiate offices of presiding officials from the church, from the Melchizedek Priesthood Offices, to the Aaronic Priesthood offices. (An example of this is using the letters M.P.C. This stood for Melchizedek Presiding Council- also known as the First Presidency). Church members donated labor and building materials, including glass and pottery which was ground up into the stucco. Crushed glassware was mixed with stucco to make the walls appear glistening.
Building the Kirtland Temple was a community effort. At the time of building the Kirtland temple, members of the church were in poverty and funds were scarce. Berea sandstone was chiseled from the Stannard Quarry at the base of Gildersleeve Mountain, and lumber was gathered from the surrounding area, particularly from the gravel pits on the other side of Gildersleeve Mountain along Hobart Road. In order to speed up the building process, in the fall of 1833 church members built a sawmill on Stoney Brook in Kirtland. An ashery was built by Newel K. Whitney during 1823 and 1824. The sawmill was built adjacent to the ashery, and both were used to supply materials to build the temple. At the sawmill, laborers crafted the interior support timbers and intricate woodwork found throughout the temple. The church bought 16 acres of old-growth forest to provide lumber to build the temple. Logs of walnut, cedar, cherry, and white oak were floated on the Chagrin River a few hundred yards to the sawmill where they were cut and used to build the temple. The temple was planned to be at the center of a community; church leaders designed a plat for the Kirtland temple similar to the one planned for Zion in Jackson County, Missouri. Nearly all able bodied men who were not away on missions for the church worked on the temple.
Under the supervision of Emma Smith, Joseph's wife, the women of Kirtland contributed to the temple's construction by sewing clothing for the workers and crafting materials for the temple itself. They produced carpets and curtains from white canvas, which were utilized to partition the spacious first and second floors of the temple into more private, smaller sections. Additionally, these curtains were strategically placed above the pulpits to offer privacy as required. During the day, the men would construct the temple, and by night would guard it from mobs and vandals.
Many church members were important to the construction of the Kirtland Temple. Of particular note is Artemus Millet, who has been credited for providing the method of the exterior wall construction, head stonemason, creating the mix of the exterior stucco, and as the superintendent of construction for a portion of the work. There is some disagreement as to the question if Millet was baptized before or after his building skills were needed and recommended by Brigham and Joseph Young. Either way, he was baptized by Brigham and confirmed by Joseph while in Canada, and Millet came afterwards to help provide methods, labor, and financial support for the building of the Kirtland Temple.Josh E. Probert, Craig K. Manscill, Artemus Millet: Builder of the Kingdom in Mormon Historical Studies, Spring 2004, mormonhistoricsites.org, accessed November 8, 2020Keith A. Erekson, Lloyd D. Newell, "The Conversion of Artemus Millet and His Call to Kirtland", Info 1474, byustudies.byu.eduM. Russell Ballard, What Came from Kirtland, November 6, 1994, byu.edu, accessed November 8, 2020
This was the first structure of its kind built by early Latter Day Saints. The Kirtland Temple is different in purpose from the Nauvoo Temple, built in the 1840s, and from other temples that followed in the Latter Day Saint movement. The temple was used as both a meetinghouse and a formally dedicated temple. At the time of its construction, none of the ordinances now associated with Latter-day Saint temple worship, such as baptism by proxy, endowments, and sealings, had been instituted. The practice of baptisms for the dead was not in use by the church until 1840. According to Tad Walch, from Deseret News, the endowment was given "in full" at the Nauvoo Red Brick Store, in 1842.
The Kirtland Temple was not originally white on the exterior as it is today. The original exterior was a bluish-gray according to Truman Coe, a local minister in the 1830s. The roof is believed to have been red, and the front doors olive green. Presently, only the doors are the original color.
Temples of nearly identical design were planned at about the same time period in Missouri at the Temple Lot in Independence, Far West, and Adam-ondi-Ahman. However, none were built because of the 1838 Mormon War which evicted the members from the state. The building cost $40,000 to construct.. The interior has over 2,500 windowpanes.
Dedication
The temple was dedicated in a seven-hour service on March 27, 1836. The temple was filled to double its capacity, and many people who wanted to participate could not fit into the packed building. To address their disappointment, Joseph Smith directed them to a nearby schoolhouse used as an overflow building. The service was repeated for them the following Thursday.
A reported "one thousand persons" attended the gathering, which introduced such traditional dedication rites as the Hosanna Shout and singing of the hymn written by W. W. Phelps entitled "The Spirit of God Like a Fire Is Burning." Following a two-and-a-half-hour sermon given by Rigdon, Smith offered a dedicatory prayer that had been prepared by a committee of church leaders,Oliver Cowdery's Kirtland, Ohio Sketch Book as reprinted in