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In January 1841, two Louisiana Saints from a small branch of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in New Orleans mailed $10 to the Prophet Joseph Smith, asking for an elder to be sent to their area “to preach unto us Jesus.”
Then, nearly 160 years later, Ole L. Christensen, president of the Denham Springs Louisiana Stake, was one of 4,655 Church members who attended the Baton Rouge Louisiana Temple dedication. At the dedication, Christensen said, “When confronted with the snares and entanglements of this life, we are grateful for this temple as a place of refuge, of safety, serenity and peace.”
Church President Gordon B. Hinckley dedicated the temple — Louisiana’s first house of the Lord — on July 16, 2000.
Dedicatory prayer excerpt: “Grant unto Thy Saints a vision of the great and eternal work for which it has been constructed. May Thy people come here frequently and be refreshed by a knowledge of Thine eternal and everlasting purposes in behalf of Thy children of all generations. Wilt Thou smile upon them from Thy dwelling place on high and cause their thoughts to reach up to Thee and to Thy Beloved Son who, through the gift of His life, brought salvation unto all of Thy sons and daughters, and the opportunity of exaltation to all who walk in obedience to Thy commandments.”
Read the dedicatory prayer of the Baton Rouge Louisiana Temple here.
After many called the Baton Rouge temple a “house of refuge” at the 2000 dedication, the sacred edifice stood as a beacon of refuge and safety for decades to come.
The temple went on to provide refuge and safety not only to Church members, but also community members in Louisiana during several natural disasters over the coming years. During Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and disastrous flooding in both 2016 and 2019, the temple site acted as a gathering place for relief.
Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles commended the resiliency of the people in Louisiana when he rededicated the Baton Rouge Louisiana Temple on Nov. 17, 2019.
“It’s been an incredible blessing to be here and see the great diversity of people here,” he said.
“You see people from different cultures and races, and they are all united by the gospel of Jesus Christ, and that is a marvelous thing. ... It is the commitment to the Savior and the gospel of Jesus Christ that just unites us.”
Dedicatory prayer excerpt: “We pray that the faithful Saints in Louisiana, Mississippi and Arkansas will be blessed with love and peace. Bless them in their righteous undertakings, that they may be protected and that they will be prospered and their lands will be productive. We especially pray that they will be protected from the storms of nature as they strive to live the gospel.”
Read the rededication prayer of the Baton Rouge Louisiana Temple here.
A temple for Baton Rouge, Louisiana, was announced Oct. 14, 1998, by the First Presidency of the Church — President Gordon B. Hinckley, President Thomas S. Monson and President James E. Faust. It was announced with four other temples, including temples in Memphis, Tennessee; and Birmingham, Alabama.
Elder Monte J. Brough, president of the North America Southeast Area, presided over the temple’s groundbreaking ceremony on May 8, 1999. Around 2,000 Church and community members attended the ceremony.
The public was invited to tour the completed house of the Lord from July 1-8, 2000. A total of 18,556 attendees toured the temple during its open house.
The Baton Rouge Louisiana Temple was dedicated in four sessions on July 16, 2000, by Church President Gordon B. Hinckley. A total of 4,655 Church members attended the dedication sessions.
Closed in February 2018, the Baton Rouge Louisiana Temple remained closed for 22 months for renovations. The renovations included changes to the overall structure and design of the temple as well as incorporating new technologies.
The public was invited to tour the newly renovated temple from Oct. 26 through Nov. 2, 2019. Around 12,000 visitors toured the temple during its open house.
The Baton Rouge Louisiana Temple was rededicated Nov. 17, 2019, by Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
The First Presidency of the Church announced a temple for Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on Oct. 14, 1998. Ground was broken for the temple on May 8, 1999. Once construction was completed, a total of 18,556 attendees toured the house of the Lord from July 1-8, 2000.
Church President Gordon B. Hinckley dedicated the Baton Rouge Louisiana Temple in four sessions on July 16, 2000. It was then closed for 22 months starting in February 2018 for renovations. Around 12,000 visitors toured the completed temple during its open house from Oct. 26 through Nov. 2, 2019, before it was rededicated on Nov. 17, 2019, by Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
The 13,062-square-foot Baton Rouge Louisiana Temple shares 6.37 acres of land with an adjoining meetinghouse. Inside the temple are two instruction rooms and two sealing rooms.
The temple grounds are filled with bushes and gardens, and the building is surrounded by trees. The site is located between a stake center and a wetlands nature reserve.
14 October 1998
16 July 2000
17 November 2019
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This was the first Latter-day Saint temple in Louisiana.
The Baton Rouge temple’s groundbreaking was held the same day as the groundbreaking for the Suva Fiji Temple.
Before the temple was dedicated, Weldon and Doris Smith, temple construction missionaries, gave small tours and updates on the temple’s progress weekly, giving pieces of the same marble being used to build the temple to the guests.
Miraculously, the temple was never greatly affected by any of the several tropical storms to hit Louisiana since the temple’s construction, including hurricanes Katrina, Ike, Ida and Gustav, among other periods of flooding.
The temple site acted as a gathering place during both Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and disastrous flooding in 2016, providing relief for the people of Louisiana who were affected by these natural disasters.
Its rededication marked the first time that Elder Quentin L. Cook dedicated or rededicated a temple.
This was the first Latter-day Saint temple in Louisiana.
The Baton Rouge temple’s groundbreaking was held the same day as the groundbreaking for the Suva Fiji Temple.
Before the temple was dedicated, Weldon and Doris Smith, temple construction missionaries, gave small tours and updates on the temple’s progress weekly, giving pieces of the same marble being used to build the temple to the guests.
Miraculously, the temple was never greatly affected by any of the several tropical storms to hit Louisiana since the temple’s construction, including hurricanes Katrina, Ike, Ida and Gustav, among other periods of flooding.
The temple site acted as a gathering place during both Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and disastrous flooding in 2016, providing relief for the people of Louisiana who were affected by these natural disasters.
Its rededication marked the first time that Elder Quentin L. Cook dedicated or rededicated a temple.
