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President Wilford Woodruff — fourth President of the Church — was known to have left a legacy for Latter-day Saints in the Memphis, Tennessee, area. Accounts of the missionary service of Elder Woodruff — who had preached the restored gospel of Jesus Christ in the state roughly 165 years prior to the Memphis Tennessee Temple’s dedication — were spoken of during each of the four dedicatory sessions.
Despite tragic stories of the deaths of early Church members in the South — like Elder Parley P. Pratt — there was a greater spirit of positivity and acceptance for the Memphis temple from locals.
“You read about challenges when the Church starts to build temples,” said Elder James E. Griffin, an Area Seventy in attendance at the dedication. “Brigham Young talked about the ‘bells of hell’ ringing when a temple was started. We expected opposition and troubles when the temple was announced for Memphis, but that didn’t come. For the most part, we were treated with a spirit of kindness and helpfulness by the people here.”
In his dedicatory prayer on April 23, 2000, President James E. Faust — second counselor in the First Presidency — called the Memphis temple a “sanctuary loved by [the] Saints.”
Attending the dedication with President Faust was Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and Elder Gordon T. Watts, a General Authority Seventy.
Dedicatory prayer excerpt: “This house is sacred unto us. It has come of our love for Thee and of our love for Thy Son. Wilt Thou accept it and bless it. We pray that Thou wilt be pleased with it. We ask that it may ever be a sanctuary loved by Thy Saints. May they be grateful for Thy beneficent, prospering hand upon them, which has made possible the construction of this and many other temples in this season of Thy work.”
Read the dedicatory prayer of the Memphis Tennessee Temple here.
Upon nearing completion of renovations for the temple, the previously planned-for open house was canceled. Disappointed members reached out with a petition requesting the open house to be reinstated, because it wasn’t just important to them but also to their friends not of the faith. The Memphis Tennessee Temple stands in the Bible Belt, and Latter-day Saints in the area were a minority among other larger denominations.
Members had hoped that the open house would be a meaningful opportunity to help raise awareness of the Church in the area. “They said they weren’t going to have an open house, and our members were very disappointed,” said a local stake president.
After the petition was sent, the Church granted permission to members of the Memphis temple district to hold an open house for the rededication of the temple. As the date of the open house neared, weather threatened to interrupt the anticipated open house.
“It just kept raining and raining,” said a local Latter-day Saint. “And every time they would put the foundations for the gates and the wall around it up, it would just wash it out because it was so wet.”
Members in the temple district held two districtwide fasts, praying that the rain would stop enough for the work on the temple to be completed in time for its rededication date. Hundreds of people also helped volunteer their time to ready the temple before the open house. Some reported seeing as many as 90-100 volunteers working on the temple at a time.
They knew it would come together, said one local Saint, “because this is the Lord’s house, and He [wanted] it dedicated on May 5 by Elder [Jeffrey R.] Holland.”
Considering the size of the renovation that was required, members considered the rededication of the Memphis Tennessee Temple in such a quick turnaround time to be a miracle. Even Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, who rededicated the Memphis temple, noted that it felt more like a dedication than a rededication, considering the immense work that went into the renovations.
On May 5, 2019, the day of the rededication, Elder Holland expressed his sentiments for the new house of the Lord: “This particular temple got a triple blessing in all that was done to it,” he said. “... In a demandingly short period of time, this temple has been turned into a classic.”
Elder Holland, with some emotion, also commented that he felt the late President James E. Faust — second counselor in the First Presidency in 2000, who originally dedicated the Memphis Tennessee Temple — and other leaders who had served in the Memphis area, present at the day’s events.
Dedicatory prayer excerpt: “May this revitalized structure be a beacon calling out to those members who are endowed but may have been away from the temple experience for too long. May these Saints return and renew and rejoice, making this a day of rededication in each of their lives. And may the temple shine its light into the hearts of those not yet of our faith. May these, our brothers and sisters in the family of God, be righteously curious and seek to know more, accepting the invitation of our beloved young missionaries to be taught and baptized into the Church. We will then welcome them here for their own glorious ordinances, having their families sealed together for time and all eternity.”
Read the rededication prayer of the Memphis Tennessee Temple here.
A temple for Memphis — a city named after an ancient Egyptian capital meaning “place of good abode” — was announced by the First Presidency on Sept. 17, 1998. At the time, the First Presidency consisted of Presidents Gordon B. Hinckley, Thomas S. Monson and James E. Faust.
Ground was broken for the temple on Jan. 16, 1999. Elder Gordon T. Watts, first counselor in the North America Southeast Area presidency, presided over the ceremony, which had more than 2,300 attendees.
An open house was held from April 8 to April 15, 2000. Approximately 16,000 people attended within this time.
The temple was dedicated in four sessions on April 23, 2000, by President James E. Faust, second counselor in the First Presidency. A total of 5,029 members attended a session of the ceremony.
The Memphis temple was closed for renovations that started October 2017. In around 18 months, the structure was completely stripped down to its foundation and was given a new design.
An open house for the renovated temple was initially canceled; however, after petitioning from the Saints in Memphis, the rededication open house was reinstated and was held from April 13 to April 20, 2019.
The Memphis temple was rededicated May 5, 2019, by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
A temple for Memphis, Tennessee, was announced Sept. 17, 1998. Nearly six months later a groundbreaking ceremony was held, and on April 8, 2000, an open house began for the new house of the Lord. President James E. Faust, second counselor in the First Presidency, dedicated the Memphis Tennessee Temple on April 23, 2000.
After a reconstruction turnaround of 18 months, an open house for the newly renovated Memphis temple was held from April 13 to April 20, 2019. A rededication ceremony was held May 5, 2019, where Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles offered the rededication prayer.
The Memphis Tennessee Temple was built on 6.35 acres and is a total of approximately 10,700 square feet. The exterior finish is Imperial Danby white marble and includes a single spire topped with a gilded angel Moroni statue.
A new design was given to the interior that included replacing the marble oxen statues in the baptismal font with bronze oxen statues. The new design was also given custom stained-glass windows and a mural in one of the instruction rooms.
The temple includes a baptistry, two instruction rooms and two sealing rooms.
17 September 1998
23 April 2000
5 May 2019
(1) 901-379-0202
This was the first Latter-day Saint temple in Tennessee. The second — the Nashville Tennessee Temple — was dedicated less than a month after.
At the time of its dedication, the temple served members of the Church in six stakes across Memphis, Tennessee; Little Rock, Arkansas; and Tupelo, Mississippi.
President Wilford Woodruff — fourth President of the Church — had preached the gospel in Tennessee roughly 165 years before the Memphis temple was dedicated.
President James E. Faust dedicated both the Memphis and Nashville Tennessee temples.
It was dedicated the same day that the Reno Nevada Temple was dedicated.
The Memphis Tennessee Temple won the “America in Bloom” award in 2003, despite never officially being entered into the contest.
It was rededicated 14 days before the Oklahoma City Oklahoma Temple was rededicated.
This was the first Latter-day Saint temple in Tennessee. The second — the Nashville Tennessee Temple — was dedicated less than a month after.
At the time of its dedication, the temple served members of the Church in six stakes across Memphis, Tennessee; Little Rock, Arkansas; and Tupelo, Mississippi.
President Wilford Woodruff — fourth President of the Church — had preached the gospel in Tennessee roughly 165 years before the Memphis temple was dedicated.
President James E. Faust dedicated both the Memphis and Nashville Tennessee temples.
It was dedicated the same day that the Reno Nevada Temple was dedicated.
The Memphis Tennessee Temple won the “America in Bloom” award in 2003, despite never officially being entered into the contest.
It was rededicated 14 days before the Oklahoma City Oklahoma Temple was rededicated.
