Atlanta Georgia Temple
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The Atlanta Georgia Temple (formerly the Atlanta Temple) of
the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Restorationism, restorationist Christianity, Christian Christian denomination, denomination and the ...
(LDS Church) was the first
temple A temple (from the Latin ) is a place of worship, a building used for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. By convention, the specially built places of worship of some religions are commonly called "temples" in Engli ...
built by the church in the
Southeastern United States The Southeastern United States, also known as the American Southeast or simply the Southeast, is a geographical List of regions in the United States, region of the United States located in the eastern portion of the Southern United States and t ...
and the second
temple A temple (from the Latin ) is a place of worship, a building used for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. By convention, the specially built places of worship of some religions are commonly called "temples" in Engli ...
east of the
Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the main stem, primary river of the largest drainage basin in the United States. It is the second-longest river in the United States, behind only the Missouri River, Missouri. From its traditional source of Lake Ita ...
since 1846. Members of the church consider it a literal "house of God" comparable to the ancient
Israelite Israelites were a Hebrew language, Hebrew-speaking ethnoreligious group, consisting of tribes that lived in Canaan during the Iron Age. Modern scholarship describes the Israelites as emerging from indigenous Canaanites, Canaanite populations ...
temple A temple (from the Latin ) is a place of worship, a building used for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. By convention, the specially built places of worship of some religions are commonly called "temples" in Engli ...
where, as recorded in
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,
God In monotheistic belief systems, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator, and principal object of faith. In polytheistic belief systems, a god is "a spirit or being believed to have created, or for controlling some part of the un ...
spoke with
Samuel Samuel is a figure who, in the narratives of the Hebrew Bible, plays a key role in the transition from the biblical judges to the United Kingdom of Israel under Saul, and again in the monarchy's transition from Saul to David. He is venera ...
. Emphasizing this belief, the building's façade bears the inscription "Holiness to the Lord – The House of the Lord." The announcement to build a temple in
Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...
was made by the church's
First Presidency Among many churches in the Latter Day Saint movement, the First Presidency (also known as the Quorum of the Presidency of the Church) is the highest presiding or governing body. Present-day denominations of the movement led by a First Presidency ...
in April 1980. A site for the temple was selected on a lot in Fulton County, in the then-unincorporated city of
Sandy Springs Sandy Springs is a city in northern Fulton County, Georgia, United States, and a suburb of Atlanta. The city's population was 108,080 at the 2020 census, making it Georgia's 7th most populous city. It is the site of several corporate headquar ...
, between Barfield Road on the east and Glenridge Drive on the west, north of
Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...
.


Ground breaking and construction

Ground breaking ceremonies were held on March 7, 1981, with church president
Spencer W. Kimball Spencer Woolley Kimball (March 28, 1895 – November 5, 1985) was an American religious leader who was the twelfth president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). The grandson of early Latter-day Saint apostle Heber ...
presiding. An estimated 10,000 spectators were in attendance. Special guests at the ground breaking included
Georgia Governor The governor of Georgia is the head of government of Georgia and the commander-in-chief of the state's National Guard, when not in federal service, and State Defense Force. The governor also has a duty to enforce state laws, the power to eithe ...
George Busbee George Dekle Busbee Sr. (August 7, 1927 – July 16, 2004) was an American politician who served as the 77th governor of Georgia from 1975 to 1983. Early life Born in Vienna, Georgia, Busbee attended Georgia Military College and Abraham Baldwin A ...
, Georgia Speaker of the House Tom Murphy,
Joe Frank Harris Joseph Franklin Harris (born February 16, 1936) is an American businessman and Democratic politician who served as the 78th governor of Georgia from 1983 to 1991. Early life and career Harris was born in the Atco Mill Village of Cartersville ...
,
United States Senator The United States Senate consists of 100 members, two from each of the 50 U.S. state, states. This list includes all senators serving in the 119th United States Congress. Party affiliation Independent Senators Angus King of Maine and Berni ...
s
Jake Garn Edwin Jacob "Jake" Garn (born October 12, 1932) is an American politician from the U.S. state of Utah. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as a member of the United States Senate from 1974 to 1993. Garn ...
and Paula Hawkins,
United States Congressman The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Article One of the ...
Elliott Levitas, State Senators Nathan Dean, Joe Thompson, Joe Burton, and Wayne Garner, State Representatives Bill Cummings and Doug Vandiford, and Fulton County Commissioner
Michael Lomax Michael Lucius Lomax (born October 2, 1947) is an American educator and former elected official who has served as president and chief executive officer of the United Negro College Fund since 2004. From 1997 to 2004, he served as president of Di ...
. In his remarks at the groundbreaking, Busbee commented on the high emphasis
Latter-day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Restorationism, restorationist Christianity, Christian Christian denomination, denomination and the ...
place on education within the family and the positive impact the temple would have on the state;
I wish more Georgians placed such importance in the moral aspects of this life, for only through a common responsibility for our neighbor’s well-being can we insure that our state will be a better place for our children to live.
And we are all taking a big step toward that goal on this beautiful hillside today as we break ground on what will soon be the first Mormon Temple in the entire Southern United States.
The building contract was awarded to Cube Construction, Inc. and over the next two years the property was developed to include the temple, an annex (including facilities for grounds keepers), a clothing distribution center, and a small apartment building for missionaries and other out-of-state temple workers. In 1988 the property was further developed to include a meetinghouse (chapel) for regular
Sunday worship In Christianity, the Lord's Day refers to Sunday, the traditional day of communal worship. It is the first day of the week in the Hebrew calendar and traditional Christian calendars. It is observed by most Christians as the weekly memorial of the ...
and other church activities. The Atlanta Temple was the first of seven smaller temples built in the early 1980s. Its dimensions were smaller than previous temples and the original designs did not include a spire. However, at a regional meeting held in
Tucker, Georgia Tucker is a city located in DeKalb County, Georgia, United States, located near Atlanta and was originally settled in the 1820s, and later developed as a railroad community in 1892. According to the 2016 United States Census Bureau annual estimat ...
, on January 10, 1982, church architect Emil B. Fetzer announced the addition of a spire including a statue of the
angel Moroni The angel Moroni () is an angel whom Joseph Smith, founder of the Latter Day Saint movement, reported as having visited him on numerous occasions, beginning on September 21, 1823. According to Smith, the angel Moroni was the guardian of the gold ...
.


Dedication

The Atlanta Temple was dedicated in services held on June 1–4, 1983, by Gordon B. Hinckley. It was the first of over 90 temples he dedicated. In the dedicatory prayer, Hinckley affirmed the sacred nature of the temple in these words:
May all who enter its portals realize that they are entering Thy house as Thy guest, and conduct themselves always with reverence and respect and love for Thee.
May all who enter these holy precincts feel of Thy spirit and be bathed in its marvelous, sanctifying influence... May they come with clean hands and pure hearts and in a spirit of love and dedication. May their minds be lifted above the mundane affairs of the world to a higher and more heavenly plane. May any spirit of selfishness or unkindness or evil whose influence may affect them in the world, leave them when they enter the doors of this sacred and holy sanctuary…
May the very presence of this temple in the midst of Thy people become a reminder of sacred and eternal covenants made with Thee. May they strive more diligently to banish from their lives those elements which are inconsistent with the covenants they have made with Thee. Wilt Thou bless them, dear Father, with peace in their hearts and peace in their homes.”
On November 14, 1997, Hinckley rededicated the temple after significant renovations to the interior and the addition of an expanded baptistry.


Service

Latter-day Saints consider it a sacred privilege to serve in the temple. With the exception of a small staff of grounds keepers, maintenance engineers, office workers, and security, all other temple workers, including sealers, serve in a volunteer capacity. Prior to the construction Latter-day Saints in the
South South is one of the cardinal directions or compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both west and east. Etymology The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Proto-Germanic ''*sunþa ...
traveled to either the Washington D.C. Temple or to other temples throughout the United States to be
married Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...
,
sealed Seal may refer to any of the following: Common uses * Pinniped, a diverse group of semi-aquatic marine mammals, many of which are commonly called seals, particularly: ** Earless seal, also called "true seal" ** Fur seal ** Eared seal * Seal (em ...
to children or parents, receive blessings collectively known as the Endowment, or perform ordinances on behalf of deceased ancestors. The original area served by the temple included approximately 150,000 Latter-day Saints encompassing the states of Georgia,
Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...
,
Alabama Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...
,
Mississippi Mississippi ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Alabama to the east, the Gulf of Mexico to the south, Louisiana to the s ...
,
Tennessee Tennessee (, ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina t ...
,
South Carolina South Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders North Carolina to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and Georgia (U.S. state), Georg ...
, and portions of
North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...
,
Louisiana Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...
, and
Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the West South Central region of the Southern United States. It borders Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, Texas to the southwest, and Oklahoma ...
. Until the dedication of the
Orlando Florida Temple The Orlando Florida Temple is the 48th constructed and 46th operating temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), and was the first to be built in Florida. Located near Windermere, Florida, it was built with a modern ...
in October 1994 members of the church in the
Caribbean The Caribbean ( , ; ; ; ) is a region in the middle of the Americas centered around the Caribbean Sea in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, mostly overlapping with the West Indies. Bordered by North America to the north, Central America ...
also came to the Atlanta Temple. During the first decade of the Atlanta Temple's operation it was not unusual for Latter-day Saints from
Venezuela Venezuela, officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many Federal Dependencies of Venezuela, islands and islets in the Caribbean Sea. It com ...
and other South American countries to come to the Atlanta Temple (Flights to Atlanta were often cheaper than those to
Mexico City Mexico City is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Mexico, largest city of Mexico, as well as the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North America. It is one of the most important cultural and finan ...
,
Lima Lima ( ; ), founded in 1535 as the Ciudad de los Reyes (, Spanish for "City of Biblical Magi, Kings"), is the capital and largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón River, Chillón, Rímac River, Rímac and Lurín Rive ...
, Peru, or
Guatemala City Guatemala City (, also known colloquially by the nickname Guate), is the Capital city, national capital and largest city of the Guatemala, Republic of Guatemala. It is also the Municipalities of Guatemala, municipal capital of the Guatemala Depa ...
where the church dedicated temples in the early 1980s. Temples were dedicated in
Bogotá Bogotá (, also , , ), officially Bogotá, Distrito Capital, abbreviated Bogotá, D.C., and formerly known as Santa Fe de Bogotá (; ) during the Spanish Imperial period and between 1991 and 2000, is the capital city, capital and largest city ...
, Colombia in April 1999 and
Caracas Caracas ( , ), officially Santiago de León de Caracas (CCS), is the capital and largest city of Venezuela, and the center of the Metropolitan Region of Caracas (or Greater Caracas). Caracas is located along the Guaire River in the northern p ...
Venezuela in August 2000). Between 1983 and 2000 bus loads of worshipers came to the Atlanta Temple from across the South every weekend, sometimes staying in the temple all day Friday and again on Saturday. It became the spiritual hub for Latter-day Saints in the region. As of October 2015, the
temple district A district of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) is a geographical administrative unit composed of a number of congregations called branches. A district is a subdivision of a mission of the church and in many ways is an ...
area serves 124 congregations in Georgia, 11 in Tennessee, and nine in Alabama.


Additional temples in the South

On October 4, 1997, Hinckley announced that due to increasing church membership in the United States and around the world, the need to build smaller temples closer to the people had reached a critical mass. The leadership of the church wanted to make “every ordinance performed in the house of the Lord” available to those who sought them, without the previous restraints of distance and the expense of travel. As a direct result of this announcement, between 1999 and 2000, temples were dedicated in every state in the original Atlanta Temple district, except Arkansas and Mississippi. This dramatically decreased the number of out of state visitors to the temple.


Remodeling

The First Presidency announced on April 4, 2009, that the temple would close on July 1, 2009, for 15–18 months of renovations. Changes as part of the remodeling included making the temple more accessible to those with special needs. Additional windows were added, as well as more art and art glass. Among the new works of art is a mural in the creation room by Linda Curley Christensen. When construction was completed, a public open house was held from April 9 through April 23, 2011. The temple was rededicated on May 1, 2011, by church president
Thomas S. Monson Thomas Spencer Monson (August 21, 1927 – January 2, 2018) was an American religious leader, author, and the 16th president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). As president, he was considered by adherents of the rel ...
. In 2012, the LDS Church opposed a proposal to rename Barfield Road to Mercedes-Benz Drive when
Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-Benz (), commonly referred to simply as Mercedes and occasionally as Benz, is a German automotive brand that was founded in 1926. Mercedes-Benz AG (a subsidiary of the Mercedes-Benz Group, established in 2019) is based in Stuttgart, ...
developed the adjacent land for their USA headquarters.Mims, Bob
"A Mormon temple on Mercedes-Benz Drive? Church seeks to stall such a possibility"
''
The Salt Lake Tribune ''The Salt Lake Tribune'' is a newspaper published in the city of Salt Lake City, Utah. The ''Tribune'' is owned by The Salt Lake Tribune, Inc., a non-profit corporation. The newspaper's motto is "Utah's Independent Voice Since 1871." History ...
'', 27 February 2017. Retrieved on 17 March 2020.


See also

* Comparison of temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints * List of temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints * List of temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by geographic region *
Temple architecture (Latter-day Saints) On December 27, 1832, two years after the organization of the Church of Christ (Latter Day Saints), Church of Christ, the movement's founder, Joseph Smith, stated he received a revelation (Latter Day Saints), revelation that called upon church m ...
* The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Georgia


References


External links


Atlanta Georgia Temple Official site

Atlanta Georgia Temple
at ChurchofJesusChristTemples.org {{Authority control 20th-century Latter Day Saint temples in the United States Buildings and structures in Atlanta Culture of Atlanta Religion in Atlanta Temples (LDS Church) completed in 1983 Temples (LDS Church) in Georgia (U.S. state) 1983 establishments in Georgia (U.S. state)