This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Jds (talk | contribs) at 18:08, 6 March 2004 (added hyphen to latter-day saints). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.
Revision as of 18:08, 6 March 2004 by Jds (talk | contribs) (added hyphen to latter-day saints)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)The Temple Lot is a two-acre grassy field next to the Church of Christ (Temple Lot) in the center of Independence, Missouri. The name also refers to the original 63 acres purchased by Bishop Edward Partridge, which is now subdivided into property owned largely by the Community of Christ, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and the Church of Christ (Temple Lot).
On August 3, 1831, Joseph Smith, Jr. and a small group of elders went to a knoll about a half-mile west of the Independence courthouse. The prophet then indicated the specific spot where the temple was to stand, and placed a stone to mark the northeast corner. All Mormons were later driven from Jackson County, Missouri in 1833, and then the entire state of Missouri in 1838, and the property was abandoned.
In 1864, Granville Hedrick, an apostle in the Church of Christ still remaining in Illinois, received a revelation directing the church to return to Jackson County. About 60 people did so, and soon purchased eight lots which now comprise the Temple Lot property.
In 1891, the RLDS church sued the Church of Christ for the temple lot, and initially won, but lost on appeal in federal circuit court.
In 1929, the Church of Christ began building the temple, as directed by several revelations and visits by an angel, who told them at one point to "move the markers 10 feet east." The revelations described its length as twice its width, at 90 by 180 feet, which concurred with the angel's description. When the church began excavating for the basement, workers found the stones buried by Joseph Smith, in line with the survey markers. This event was noted in the church newsletter, Zion's Advocate. These two stones are currently in the small museum in the Church of Christ, and their original position is marked by two other engraved stones, embedded visibly in the lot. The outer corners of the temple are presently marked by similar stones, for a total of six.
Two events kept the temple from being built: The church divided over the issue of rebaptism, and the Great Depression occurred. The excavation remained for many years, but was eventually filled in and replaced with a grassy field.
On January 1, 1990, a member of the church barricaded himself inside and set fire to the building. While no one was injured, the building was destroyed, and the member spent several years in prison. It was the second time the building had been burned down, the first time occurring in the late 1800s. Another small fire on the Temple Lot in the early 1990s affected a large lone oak tree, which was removed.
The Articles of Faith and Practice for the church say that the temple will be built "in this generation", and that Zion is to be established here with the return of Jesus Christ. While rebuilding after the fire, the church planted three trees within the boundaries marked for the temple, perhaps indicating that it might be a while yet before Jesus returns.
A small museum, accompanied by a narrator who will tell the story of the small church, is open during weekdays and admission is free.
External References
- Church of Christ (Temple Lot) web site: http://www.churchofchrist-tl.org/index.html
- LDS Historic Sites of Northwest Missouri: http://www.zionslight.com/nwmo/jackson/indep/temple.html
- Kansas City Public Library: Local History: http://www.kclibrary.org/resources/sc/media.cfm?mediaID=35381
- Far West Cultural Center: http://www.farwesthistory.com/indep/default.asp
- The Great Temple of the New Jerusalem: http://ldslastdays.com/talk_newjerusalem.htm
- Blue Letter Bible: Sects of Mormonism: http://www.blueletterbible.org/study/cults/ramd/ramd25.html