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The couple of days leading up to the Nashville Tennessee Temple dedication, held on May 21, 2000, were cloudy; however, the day of the dedication, the sun came out, symbolic of the light the new temple would bring to the Nashville area.
Though there was opposition from some in the area about the house of the Lord, President Alan L. Soderquist, a local stake president, said about the dedication and open house, “We have seen a windfall of publicity in the last few weeks. ... Virtually every day, there has been something in the newspaper.”
It appeared that, despite some negative feelings toward The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the area was developing a more positive view of the dedication of the temple.
A local newspaper reported: “Followers are strongly into the preservation of family — now and in the afterlife. ... Then there’s the denomination’s genealogy work. It fits the South’s fascination with heritage. All these characteristics make the Mormon church a lean, mean outreach machine.”
President James E. Faust, second counselor in the First Presidency, dedicated Tennessee’s second temple on May 21, 2000, in four sessions. He was accompanied by Elder Russell M. Nelson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and Elder Loren C. Dunn, a General Authority Seventy and North America East Area president.
Dedicatory prayer excerpt: “It is our gift of love. Please accept of it, dear Father, as an expression of the faith we have in Thine eternal purposes. This sacred structure stands as a monument before the world of our belief in the immortality of the human soul and that a great work is going forward on the other side of the veil to bring blessings to those who will accept the ordinances which will be performed in their behalf in this, Thy house.”
Read the dedicatory prayer of the Nashville Tennessee Temple here.
The Nashville Tennessee Temple was announced Nov. 9, 1994, via letters to local stake presidents from the First Presidency — then consisting of President Howard W. Hunter, President Gordon B. Hinckley and President Thomas S. Monson.
Ground was broken for the temple on March 13, 1999. Elder John K. Carmack, president of the North America East Area, presided over the ceremony, which approximately 1,500 people attended.
An open house was held from May 6 to May 13, 2000. More than 24,300 people toured the temple during this time.
The temple was dedicated in four sessions on May 21, 2000, by President James E. Faust, second counselor in the First Presidency. A total of 6,052 people attended a dedicatory session.
A temple for Nashville, Tennessee, was announced Nov. 9, 1994. Five years later, a groundbreaking ceremony was held March 13, 1999, with an open house just over a year later beginning May 6, 2000. President James E. Faust dedicated the Nashville Tennessee Temple on May 21, 2000.
The Nashville temple is a total of approximately 10,700 square feet, with a Imperial Danby white marble exterior. The design includes a single spire with a gilded angel Moroni statue and an iron fence going around the structure.
The grounds are covered in various flowers and bushes, which also line walkways that lead to the front doors. The temple includes two instruction rooms, two sealing rooms and a baptistry.
9 November 1994
21 May 2000
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This was the second Latter-day Saint temple in Tennessee.
Ground was broken for this temple the same day as the groundbreakings for the Oaxaca Mexico and Kona Hawaii temples.
During the open house, roughly 30 congregations from other religions toured the Nashville temple. Between 60 and 70 groups toured with their professors from Vanderbilt University’s divinity school, located in Nashville.
The Nashville temple was dedicated only a month after the Memphis Tennessee Temple was dedicated.
It was dedicated the day after the Tampico Mexico Temple was dedicated.
The Nashville Tennessee Temple was dedicated on the same day as the Villahermosa Mexico Temple. This was the third instance of a pair of same-day dedications happening, making this a rare occurrence.
The temple is located near two 100-acre horse farms and stands next to Battle Ground Academy, an old private high school.
This was the second Latter-day Saint temple in Tennessee.
Ground was broken for this temple the same day as the groundbreakings for the Oaxaca Mexico and Kona Hawaii temples.
During the open house, roughly 30 congregations from other religions toured the Nashville temple. Between 60 and 70 groups toured with their professors from Vanderbilt University’s divinity school, located in Nashville.
The Nashville temple was dedicated only a month after the Memphis Tennessee Temple was dedicated.
It was dedicated the day after the Tampico Mexico Temple was dedicated.
The Nashville Tennessee Temple was dedicated on the same day as the Villahermosa Mexico Temple. This was the third instance of a pair of same-day dedications happening, making this a rare occurrence.
The temple is located near two 100-acre horse farms and stands next to Battle Ground Academy, an old private high school.