Tapei Taiwan Temple
To members of the Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, commonly known as the Mormons, the
temple is the "House of the Lord." It is a sacred building, and after
its dedication only faithful members of the Church may enter. Mormon temples
are places of worship where the Lord may visit; a place of refuge, of
peace and the opportunity to partake of the blessings that only the
Temple can offer.
The principle purpose of Mormon
temples is to provide ordinances necessary for exaltation into the
celestial kingdom. For the most part, Temple work is concerned with the
family. We are all members of God's eternal family and we are all
members of an earthly family. The sanctity and eternal nature of the
marriage covenant and family relationships are necessary requirements
to the kingdom of God. The ordinances and ceremonies of the temple are
simple, beautiful and sacred. Preparation for the ordinances in the
Mormon Temple, include: faith, repentance, baptism, confirmation,
worthiness, maturity and dignity of one who comes invited as a guest
into the house of the Lord.1
The ordinances in the Mormon Temple
are available to all, living and dead. There are uncounted millions who
have walked the earth and who have never had the opportunity to hear
the gospel. Through living proxies, the same ordinances are available
to those who have passed from mortality. Those in the spirit world can
accept or reject the earthly ordinances performed for them.2 All must have the opportunity!
The country of Taiwan
was first introduced to the Mormon Church in the mid 1950's. Servicemen
would hold Church meetings and then, in 1956 missionaries from the
Southern Far East mission arrived. Those that came marveled at the
beauty of the island, the dark green vegetation and the mountains,
which shot 'abruptly out of the blue waters with their peaks'.3
The printing of the Book of
Mormon in Chinese in 1965 was a great boon to the local members, who
had waited for years to have the book available in their own language.
It was the announcement and building of the Taipei Taiwan Mormon
Temple, however, that the Taiwanese Saints had waited for and proved to
be the greatest development in the history of the Church in that land.4
After the announcement of the
Mormon Temple in 1981, the Church leaders decided to build on the site
of the mission home in the center of Taipei. Church leaders hoped that
the beauty of the temple would attract the attention of passerby's who
would notice the drastic difference between the surrounding buildings
and that of the Mormon Temple. It did! In years to come, the temple was acknowledged as one of the most beautiful buildings in Taiwan.
On November 17, 1984 President
Gordon B. Hinckley dedicated the Taipei Taiwan Mormon Temple. The
temple is built on one-half of an acre and has over 16,000 square feet
with an exterior of white ceramic tile. Many have come to marvel at the
beauty of this extraordinary building.
Since the Taipei Taiwan Mormon
Temple was dedicated in 1984, it has had a great impact on the nation.
One of the main reasons for that influence is the importance the
Chinese place on families. The relationship the Mormon Church has with
the Taiwanese government is good in part because of this emphasis on
family and family history.
For more information about Mormon temples, please visit any of the sites below:
LDS (Mormon) Temple resources
LDS Temples
– Mormon Temples – Salt Lake Temple
Teachings About Mormon Temples
USATODAY.com - Mormons open temple doors to share beliefs
Manhattan Mormon Temple New York City.com : Arts & Attractions ...
Mormon Temple: Information From Answers.com
Mormanity: Mormon Temples and "Secrecy"
Mormon Temple Ordinances
– ReligionFacts.com
1 "The Holy Temple" by President Boyd K. Packer
2 "Why These Temples?" by President Gordon B. Hinckley
3 "Southern Far East Mission History", website
4 "The First 100 Temples", by Chad Hawkins, p89
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