Spokane Washington Temple History

"Each holy temple stands as a symbol of our membership in the Church, as a sign of our faith in life after death, and as a sacred step toward eternal glory for us and our families." 

—Russell M. Nelson

The Spokane Washington Temple was the 59th operating temple in the world when it was ultimately dedicated in 1999.

The announcement for its construction was made in August of 1998. Ground breaking began just over a year later, in October of 1998. Less than one year later, 52,000 members and non-members alike came to tour the building during its open house in August of 1999.

Dedication: On 21–23rd of  August, 1999, Gordon B. Hinckley dedicated the Spokane Washington Temple with roughly 16,000 members attending.

Here are several facts about the temple:
     ~ Sits on a 2 acres site
     ~ Has a granite exterior finish
     ~ Has two ordinance rooms (two-stage progressive) and two sealing rooms
     ~ Total Floor Area of 10,700 square feet.

Regional Temples: The Spokane Washington Temple was the second temple built in the state of Washington, following the Seattle Washington Temple (1980). Not long after the Spokane Temple came the Columbia River Washington Temple, in 2001.

The Temple is located in the Veradale suburb of Spokane, located east of the city of Spokane. It serves approximately 50,000 LDS church members who come from Eastern Washington, Northern Idaho and Western Montana. The closest temple in Montana is Billings (Montana's only temple). The closest temple in Canada is Vancouver BC. The closes temple in Idaho is Boise.

Spokane Washington Temple, before Moroni
statue was replaced to face westward.

Spire Statue:  A statue of the angel Moroni exists atop most, but not all, LDS temples. It does not always face east, but often does. The symbolism is that Moroni is heralding the return of Jesus Christ, who is to come from the east. In March 2009, nearly a decade after its dedication, the Spokane Washington Temple received a new angel Moroni atop its spire. Instead of facing east as the original statue did, the new statue was positioned facing west—the same orientation as the temple.

Architecture:  Described as a "classic modern, single-spire design," the temple has two progressive ordinance rooms and two sealing rooms.  The Spokane Washington Temple was the first of 38 small temples that were built in an aggressive building cycle using relatively identical models and floor plans. If you look at the other "identical temples", you can see the similarities, yet they are differentiated by minor variations in finish and unique landscaping that is suited for regional climate. These similar temples can be found throughout the united states, as well as Australia, Mexico, Quebec, Fiji, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay.

Worldwide Facts & Statistics

Taking a Look at the Numbers.....

At General Conference in April of 2012, the First Presidency issued a statistical report of the Church as of December 31, 2011. This data is now a year old, but still very interesting. Presumably, a similar report will be issued for 2012 statistics at the upcoming April 2013 General Conference. At that time, it will be interesting to compare the 2011 statistics to the year 2012.

WORLDWIDE STATISTICS

Total Church Membership: .................... 14,441,346

Converts Baptised:.................................... 281,312

Missions: ....................................................... 340

Missionaries:............................................... 55,410

Missionary Training Centers:............................... 15

Temples:......................................................... 140

Congregations (i.e., Wards):........................ 28,784

Universities and Colleges:.................................... 4

Seminary Students Enrollment:................... 375,388

Institute Enrollment:................................... 352,441

Countries Receiving Humanitarian Aid

                        (Since 1985):........................... 179

Welfare Services Missionaries: ...................... 9,251

Church Materials Languages:............................ 176

NORTH AMERICA STATISTICS

Total Church Membership: ...................... 8,521,430

WASHINGTON STATE STATISTICS

Total church Membership:  ........................ 271,625

Missions: ........................................................... 5

Congregations (i.e., Wards): ............................ 528

Temples: ........................................................... 3

Follow this link to read the original article on MormonNewsroom.org

Food Bank Donations

Just because the holidays are over doesn't mean we stop thinking of others!

Each household is strongly encouraged to bring at least one food item to church every Sunday to help feed our brothers and sisters who are hungry. It is our responsibility to make sure they are not going without!

ITEMS IN NEED OF INCLUDE:

Canned Stew ~ Chili or Soup ~ Tomato Products ~ Rice ~ Pasta ~Tuna or other Canned Meats ~ Canned Fruits and Vegetables ~ Peanut Butter ~ Mac & Cheese ~ Boxed Dinners ~ Fruit Juice ~ Jelly or Jam ~ Cereal ~ Seasoning Mixes (Taco, Sloppy Joe, etc) ~ Kids Snacks ~ Instant Potatoes ~ Shampoo ~ Body Wash ~ Lotion

You may drop off items in the green donation bins in either foyer. Thank you for your generosity and for striving to be more Christlike!

Humanitarian Service Activity

STAKE RELIEF SOCIETY HUMANITARIAN SERVICE ACTIVITY

Sisters Make Plans to Visit Area Nursing Homes on Valentine's Weekend.

For our upcoming Stake Relief Society Humanitarian Service Activity, we are going to be meeting on Feb. 16th at 11:00 at the Stake center for a lunch and short program. Then we will be leaving to go to different nursing homes where we will sing to the patrons and paint their nails or curl their hair depending on the nursing home.  

We will pamper the patrons and give them chocolates in hopes of letting them know that they are not forgotten. The Stake RS Presidency chose the weekend of Valentine's on purpose as the seniors have most likely lost their sweethearts.

We are also making plans to visit home bound sisters in the Colfax Ward on this day as part of the event.

The Relief Society Presidency will be receiving official invitations from the Stake Presidency in the near future. We will hand them out to all sisters during church. All sisters in Relief Society will be given one, and someone will be appointed to make the rounds and distribute invitations to the Primary, Y.W. and Nursery classes.

SAVE THE DATE!

February 16th

11:00AM

 Stake Center, Moscow ID

Thank you for your help and willingness to serve. We will bring warmth and joy to the hearts of seniors on the day of our Service Activity.