Preston England Temple

Preston England Temple
Number 52
Dedication 7 June 1998 (7 June 1998) by
Gordon B. Hinckley
Site 15 acres (6.1 hectares)
Floor area 69,630 sq ft (6,469 m2)
Height 159 ft (48 m)
Preceded by Vernal Utah Temple
Followed by Monticello Utah Temple
Official website • News & images

Coordinates: 53°40′20.91360″N 2°37′52.59″W / 53.6724760000°N 2.6312750°W / 53.6724760000; -2.6312750 The Preston England Temple is the 52nd operating temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church).

The LDS Church took root in Preston, Lancashire, when the first Mormon missionaries arrived in 1837. Because of its place in LDS Church history and the growth of membership in Preston, LDS Church president Gordon B. Hinckley announced the area would be the site for Britain's second temple (the first was in Surrey, near London). The Preston England Temple is located in the town of Chorley, 10 miles (16 km) south of Preston, in Lancashire. It is the centrepiece of a 15-acre (6 hectare) complex that includes a stake centre, a missionary training centre, a family history facility, a distribution centre, temple patron housing, temple missionary accommodations and a grounds building. The temple itself has a modern, single-spire design and an exterior finish of Olympia white granite from Sardinia. The white granite exterior and zinc roof have caused it to be described as reminiscent of England's old churches.[1]

Hinckley dedicated the Preston England Temple on 7 June 1998. The temple has four ordinance rooms and four sealing rooms, and is the largest LDS temple in Europe, at 69,630 square feet (6,470 m²). The older London England Temple is smaller, at 46,174 square feet (4,290 m²) and is the second-largest temple in Europe, followed by the Madrid Spain Temple at 45,800 square feet (4,250 m2).

The temple serves Latter-day Saints from the Midlands and northern parts of England, the whole of Scotland, the Isle of Man, the Belfast Stake in Northern Ireland and the Dublin Stake in the Republic of Ireland. The Limerick District in the Republic of Ireland is served by the London England Temple.

Pageant

Figure atop the temple spire

In the summer of 2013, the church staged a pageant on the grounds of the temple, similar to the Hill Cumorah Pageant and others done in the U.S., but with a very British theme.[2] Titled "Truth Will Prevail,"[3] it was the first official church pageant performed outside of North America.[4][5] The pageant script was written by Alex Mackenzie-Johns, a British Latter-day Saint, and was under the guidance of Stephen C. Kerr, a British area seventy.[6] The event had ticketed attendance, with seating of 1,500 per night at the "Pageant Theatre marquee".[7] Approximately 15,000 tickets were distributed,[8] free of charge, for the 10-day run.[9] The pageant included 33 core cast members, 300 family cast and a 150-voice choir.[10]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ "The First 100 Temples", by Chad Hawkins, 2001, p. 145
  2. ↑ "Church News: The British Pageant 2013", LDS.org, LDS Church, 23 July 2013, archived from the original on 2014-04-07
  3. ↑ "LDS British Pageant 2013", BritishPageant.org, archived from the original on 2014-01-08
  4. ↑ Kerr, Stephen C., "British Pageant in 2013", LDS.org, LDS Church, archived from the original on 2013-10-22
  5. ↑ Banks, Natalie (16 July 2013), "Thousands expected at Chorley pageant", Chorley Guardian (Johnston Publishing Ltd.)
  6. ↑ Holt, James (April 29, 2013), "Truth Will Prevail is a new Mormon Pageant in UK this Summer", Deseret News
  7. ↑ "FAQ's", BritishPageant.org, LDS British Pageant 2013, archived from the original on 2014-01-01
  8. ↑ "Pageant to mark Mormon history", Lancashire Evening Post, 30 July 2013
  9. ↑ "Visit", BritishPageant.org, LDS British Pageant 2013, archived from the original on 2013-12-31
  10. ↑ Holt, James (April 29, 2013), "Truth Will Prevail is a new Mormon Pageant in UK this Summer", Deseret News

References

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