Boston Mormon Temple

One of the main characteristics of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon Church) is the work performed in the Church’s holy temples. This work sets apart the Mormon Church from every other religion on the face of the earth. 

“The temple is a place of instruction where profound truths pertaining to the Kingdom of God are unfolded. It is a place of peace where minds can be centered upon things of the spirit and the worries of the world can be laid aside. In the temple we take covenants to obey the laws of God, and promises are made to us, conditioned always on our faithfulness, which extend into eternity”

The Boston Massachusetts What is a Mormon Temple?)

Usually, when the Mormon Church announces plans to build a new temple, there is initial push-back from the community.  Traffic concerns, the height of the steeple, land use, must always be addressed.  But in every case, after a temple is built, it becomes a blessing to the community and the area.  Part of this is that a temple is the House of God, and His spirit radiates outward from the edifice, blessing all who come near it.

The Boston Massachusetts Temple was the 100th temple built by the Mormon Church.  It stands at  86 Frontage Road, Belmont, Massachusetts, United States.  It is finished in Olympia white granite, and is a classic-modern, single spire design.  The temple is 69,000 square feet, with four endowment rooms and four sealing rooms.  (To learn what these rooms are used for, go to the article,

The temple is a striking landmark along the Concord Turnpike.  One can feel the spirit of God even in the beautifully landscaped grounds.  The public are invited to sojourn there to meditate.  Walkways meander among the trees. 

The Boston Temple was the first to be built in New England.  Salt Lake Olympic Organizing Committee President Mitt Romney (who is also Mormon) escorted U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy through the Boston Massachusetts Temple during the VIP open house.  The temple was then opened to the public for tours before its dedication as the Lord’s House.

The angel Moroni statue was installed atop the temple on September 21, 2001.   The statue was a cast copy of sculptures adorning other temples, the original designed by Cyrus E. Dallin.  Two other temples received Angel Moroni statues upon their spires on the same date,  in a tri-temple setting honoring the 178th anniversary of the first appearance of Moroni to the Prophet Joseph Smith. (The other two temples participating in the setting were the Nauvoo Illinois Temple and the The Hague Netherlands Temple.)

History

In 1843 there were fourteen small branches of Latter-day Saints in Boston.  The first missionaries had begun preaching there some eleven years before.  Missionary work there slowed down after the martyrdom of Prophet Joseph Smith in 1844, when many Latter-day Saints joined the exodus west to Utah.  The Boston area was re-opened to Mormon missionaries in 1893, and by 1894, there were 96 members.  A decade later, much controversy surrounded the election of Mormon,  Reed Smoot to the U.S. Senate.  Police kept Mormon missionaries from openly proselyting in Boston.

By 1930 membership reached nearly 360. Some of these members were former Mormon missionaries studying at Harvard.  “Cambridge, Massachusetts, became the headquarters for the New England States Mission. A Church building was dedicated in the area in 1962.” [1]