Information about the Kirtland Temple
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints acquired the historic Kirtland Temple in 2024. Here is information about this sacred edifice. This information was drawn from various sources, including a pamphlet published by the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints entitled ‘Kirtland Temple’.
. There is an air of reverence about the Kirtland Temple. This sturdy structure stands in the quaint, quiet village of Kirtland, Ohio in the northeastern hills of that state. Kirtland is about 30 miles east of Cleveland, Ohio. The temple stands as a symbol of the sacrifice, dedication, and devotion of the early saints that constructed it. The temple also symbolizes the eternal principle that God can and does direct his followers in miraculous ways.
. Construction of temple commenced in 1833 and it was dedicated on March 27, 1836. It was the first house of worship for the followers of Joseph Smith, Jr., through whom the Lord restored His Church and Gospel in these latter days. This restoration occurred in 1830 in the state of New York. The building was fifty-five feet in width and sixty-five feet in length. There was to be a ‘lower court’ and a ‘higher court’. The Lord instructed the the temple was to be “…dedicated unto the Lord, from the foundation thereof, according to the order of the priesthood, according to the pattern which shall be given…” and it was to be wholly dedicated unto the work of the Lord. Nothing unclean was to be allowed to enter the structure, and the Lord promised that his Spirit would reside within. The temple was constructed of native stone cut from a quarry about a mile south of the building site and from native oak timbers hewn by hand with an adz. The first stone was hauled from the quarry on June 5, 1833 by George A. Smith, the 16 year-old cousin of Joseph Smith. On that same day, Hyrum Smith, Joseph’s older brother, and Reynolds Cahoon started to excavate for the temple’s foundation. Six weeks later the cornerstones were laid.
. Despite bitter cold, thick mud, and persecution from nearby critics, the saints worked on. Heber C. Kimball recorded in his diary, “The whole church united in this great undertaking, and every man lent a helping hand. Those who had not teams went to work in the stone quarry and prepared stones for drawing to the house. The prophet, being our foreman, would put on his tow frock and tow pantaloons and go in to the quarry with the Presidency, high priests and elders all alike assisting. Those who had teams assisted in drawing the stones to the house. These all laboring one day in the week, brought as many stones to the house as supplied the masons through the whole week. We continued in this manner until the walls of the house were reared.”
. When traveling missionaries were home from their missions, they would work on the walls or at the quarry. The women would knit, sew, and spin, providing clothing and coats for the workers. When the plaster was being prepared for the outer covering for the walls, the women brought their glassware to be pulverized and mixed with it so that the walls of the House of the Lord would glisten in the sunlight. The actual cost of the construction of the temple was recorded as $60,000. The major part of this cost was for the purchase of window glass and for special tools for cutting the wood and shaping the ornaments. Glass for the windows was made in England. The pews and the pulpits are among the distinctive features of the interior. There are pulpits both in the front and back of the sanctuaries on both the main and second floors. The seats in the pews were bench-like and could be shifted from one side to another in the pew boxes. This made it possible for the members of the congregations to face either way.
. The two sets of pulpits represent the two priesthoods: the Melchizedek priesthood, named after the great high priest of the Old Testament, and the Aaronic, named after Aaron, Moses’ brother and translator. The Melchizedek, or greater priesthood, has the authority to administer in spiritual matters and the Aaronic priesthood has power to administer the outward ordinances. Each pulpit has a set of initials to identify a specific office. Each pulpit is divided into four sections of three seats each, and each section provides for a presiding officer and his two counselors. There is a third floor in the temple which consists of 5 rooms. It was used as a Sunday school meeting place and for meetings of the various church quorums. The main floor was used for various services of worship. It was equipped in such a way that it could be divided into tow, three, or four rooms by using curtains and veils. The second floor was used as a school room for the church leaders. The pew sections were equipped with folding boards that easily converted from pews to desks. At one time the second floor was used for public school classes. Tradition has it that James A. Garfield, 20th president of the United States, attended school there when he was a boy.
. Some of the decorative designs used in the temple include rings without ends or beginnings, symbolic of the Creator, anthemions (Greek flowers), and Grecian egg and dart and guilloche designs.
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