Church History

“I’ve been waiting 60 years for this,” said Karl Ricks Anderson, a priesthood leader in Kirtland and author of two highly-regarded books on Kirtland, when he learned that the Church had purchased the historic Kirtland Temple.

If ever the Latter-day Saints had a moment of awe and maybe an intake of breath that matched the 1999 announcement of the Nauvoo Temple, this was it. “I feel” Karl said, “a sense of gratitude and a testimony that the Lord’s in control.”

In a Joint Statement with the Community of Christ, the Church announced, “Today, Tuesday, March 5, 2024, the responsibility and ownership for the Kirtland Temple, and several historic buildings in Nauvoo, and various manuscripts and artifacts officially transferred from Community of Christ to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints…Together, we share an interest and reverence for these historic sites and items and are committed to preserving them for future generations.”

It was a treasure trove of priceless and significant properties and artifacts related to the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Among the most significant of these in addition to the temple were these:

The Smith Family Homestead—This cabin on the river was Joseph and Emma’s first home in Nauvoo. Here they lived with their four children and greeted the many who came to visit. For added comfort and convenience, they added a keeping room on the side.

The Mansion House—After 15 moves in their 16 years of marriage, Joseph and Emma finally built and settled in The Mansion House where he would only live for ten months. It is from this door that Joseph said goodbye to Emma when he was taken to Carthage. Here Emma begged, you will come back, won’t you?

The Nauvoo House—The Saints were commanded to build a boarding house for the entertainment of strangers in Doctrine and Covenants 124:56-83 and let it be “a resting-place for the weary traveler.”

The Red Brick Store—In Joseph’s Red Brick Store, the Relief Society was first organized on March 17, 1842. Just 48 days later the endowment was first given here on May 4, 1842.

Significant documents and artifacts include manuscripts and the Bible used in the Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible, seven letters from Joseph Smith to his wife Emma, John Whitmer’s history of the Church, original portraits of Joseph and Emma Smith, the cornerstone of the Nauvoo House, the original door of the Liberty Jail, and a document with the title of “Caractors,” which may contain a sample of inscriptions from the gold plates. (See the FAQ’s in Meridian’s breaking news for a more detailed list of items transferred.)

Why the Kirtland Temple is So Important 

The Kirtland era and the temple that crowned it may have marked the most sacred time in Church history. It was a Pentecostal period for the Church. Elder Neal A. Maxwell called it a “cascade of revelation” that came during this period.

Half of the Doctrine and Covenants were given during the Kirtland period. The Pearl of Great Price and the Inspired Translation of the Bible was given here. The first edition of the Doctrine and Covenants and the second edition of the Book of Mormon were printed. The Latter-day Saints spent more time in Kirtland than any other place during the Restoration.

Karl said, “We had more first-person words of the Savior spoken in Kirtland than in other place in world history that we know of.”

Unparalleled spiritual manifestations happened here, including five visions of the Father and the Son and multiple visions of the Savior, where He was seen by 22 people, with 10 of them leaving journal records. Fifteen ancient prophets visited here including Adam, Enoch, and Peter, James and John.

Elder Maxwell asked Brother Anderson to write a book on the Christology of Kirtland, and he learned that nowhere else is it recorded that the Lord appeared so often as in Kirtland, from the beginning of that period right to the end. It is the best-kept secret in the Church. There has always been a cloak of obscurity in the minds of Church members about all that happened in Kirtland, and removing that cloak and revealing Kirtland to the Saints is so important. No place testifies more of Christ than Kirtland.

President Gordon B. Hinckley said during the dedicatory prayer of the Historic Kirtland Sites, “In no other area of the Church was so much revelation received. In no other place was Thy Beloved Son so revealed to mortal man. In no other place was there such remarkable manifestations given to so many.”

President M. Russell Ballard said, “(Kirtland) is… hallowed… sacred ground! There is no other place… where there have been as many spiritual manifestations, save the Holy Land. It has been said that we may yet discover that Kirtland is our most significant Church history site… you have to think that Heaven was walking here with the people.” (M. Russell Ballard, November 6, 1994 & October 12, 2013)

President Howard W. Hunter noted, “The feelings I have felt here in Kirtland, I have only felt in one other place in the world (and that other place is) the Holy Land!” (Howard W. Hunter, September 9, 1990

Out of Poverty

The Kirtland Temple was the first of this dispensation and its creation is a tribute to faith and sacrifice of extraordinary proportions from those first Saints.

As the Saints gathered to Ohio, a commandment was given: “Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing; and establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God.” (D&C 88:119.) This was to be a temple to the most high God. Joseph explained, “This is the word of the Lord to us, [and] we must—yea the Lord helping us we will obey, as on conditions of our obedience, he has promised us great things, yea even a visit from the heavens to honor us with his own presence.”

“At that time . . . the Saints were few in number,” recorded Eliza R. Snow, “and most of them very poor; and, had it not been for the assurance that God had spoken, and had commanded that a house should be built to his name, of which he not only revealed the form, but also designated the dimensions, an attempt towards building that Temple, under the then existing circumstances, would have been, by all concerned, pronounced preposterous.”

Lucy Mack Smith recorded her son’s view on building the temple:

“Some were in favor of building a frame house, but others were of a mind to put up a log house. Joseph reminded them that they were not building a house for a man, but for God; ‘and shall we, brethren, . . . build a house for our God, of logs? No, I have a better plan than that. I have a plan of the house of the Lord, given by himself; and you will soon see by this, the difference between our calculations and his idea of things.'”

He and his counselors were given a vision of the yet-to-be-designed temple. “We went upon our knees,” said Frederick G. Williams, “called on the Lord, and the Building appeared within viewing distance. . . . Then all of us viewed it together. After we had taken a good look at the exterior, the building seemed to come right over us, and the makeup of this hall seemed to coincide with what I there saw to a minutia.”  This vision gave the plan for the temple.

The work of building began in earnest in the summer of 1833 with great opposition and promises from the mobs that the walls of that temple would never be erected. Heber Kimball wrote that “it appeared almost impossible that the commandment could be fulfilled” to build the temple.

“There were but few saints in Kirtland, and those all of the poorer class,” said Benjamin Johnson. “There was not a scraper and hardly a plow that could be obtained among the Saints.”  Erastus Snow recorded: “They did not have molasses to eat with their johnny cake. Sometimes they had shoes, and sometimes not; sometimes they would have tolerable pants, and, sometimes, very ragged ones.”

Seeing the great poverty of the Church, Sidney Rigdon “frequently used to go upon the walls of the building both by night and day and . . . wetting the walls with his tears, crying aloud to the Almighty to send means whereby we might accomplish the building,” wrote Heber C. Kimball.

When the day of dedication came, March 27, 1836, hymns sung emphasized the Saints’ feelings: “In faith we’ll rely on the arm of Jehovah/To guide through these last days of trouble and gloom.” Then the dedicatory prayer was offered by the Prophet Joseph: “We ask thee, Holy Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, the Son of thy bosom . . . to accept of this house. . . . For thou knowest that we have done this work through great tribulation; and out of our poverty we have given of our substance to build a house to thy name, that the Son of Man might have a place to manifest himself to his people.” (D&C 109:4-5.)

The choir then rose to their feet and sang a hymn written for the occasion, thrilling every soul: “The Spirit of God like a fire is burning!/The latter-day glory begins to come forth;/The visions and blessings of old are returning,/The angels are coming to visit the earth./We’ll sing and we’ll shout with the armies of heaven—/ Hosanna, hosanna to God and the Lamb!/Let glory to them in the highest be given,/Henceforth and forever: amen and amen!”

In the evening meeting, Brother George A. Smith arose and began to prophesy, “when a noise was heard like the sound of a rushing mighty wind, which filled the Temple, and all the congregation simultaneously arose, being moved upon by an invisible power; many began to speak in tongues and prophesy; others saw glorious visions; and I beheld,” Joseph recorded, “the Temple was filled with angels, which fact I declared to the congregation. The people of the neighborhood came running together (hearing an unusual sound within, and seeing a bright light like a pillar of fire resting upon the Temple), and were astonished at what was taking place.”  Eliza R. Snow wrote, “The ceremonies of that dedication may be rehearsed, but no mortal language can describe the heavenly manifestations of that memorable day. Angels appeared to some, while a sense of divine presence was realized by all present.”

The following Sabbath, April 3, 1836, a congregation of 1,000 gathered again. After much prayer and speaking, the veils were dropped around the pulpits, and Joseph and Oliver bowed themselves in solemn and silent prayer. They arose from their prayer, and a great vision opened to their view. Before them, on the breastwork of the pulpit, stood the risen Lord, and “under his feet was a paved work of pure gold, in color like amber.” (D&C 110:2.)

Joseph heard Him say, “I am the first and the last. I am he who liveth, I am he who was slain; I am your advocate with the Father. . . . I have accepted this house, and my name shall be here; and I will manifest myself to my people in mercy in this house.” (D&C 110:3-4, 7.)

Then the heavens were opened again to Joseph and Oliver, and Moses appeared before them and “committed unto [them] the keys of the gathering of Israel from the four parts of the earth, and the leading of the ten tribes from the land of the north.” (D&C 110:11.)

After this Elias appeared and committed the dispensation of the gospel of Abraham to them. Then, Joseph wrote, “another great and glorious vision burst upon us; for Elijah the prophet . . . stood before us, and said: Behold, the time has fully come, which was spoken of by the mouth of Malachi—testifying that he [Elijah] should be sent, before the great and dreadful day of the Lord.” (D&C 110:12-14.)

Presendia Huntington recalled an event that occurred during one of the meetings she had not attended. “A little girl came to my door and in wonder called me out, exclaiming, ‘The meeting is on the top of the meeting house!’ I went to the door, and there I saw on the temple angels clothed in white covering the roof from end to end.”

This is a magnificent story that needs to be told and not forgotten by the Latter-day Saints. Now with the purchase of the Kirtland Temple, our story, can again be told.