-Boston Massachusetts Temple is the 100th operating Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
-The Boston Massachusetts Temple was dedicated Oct 1, 2000 by President Gordon B. Hinckley.
-Joseph Smith had several generations of grandparents who lived in the Boston area from 1640-1790.
-The Boston Massachusetts Temple is 69,600 square feet and it is on 8 acres.
-President Gordon B. Hinckley originally announced a temple to be built in Hartford Connecticut, but he was unable to find a piece of land that felt right. President Hinckley then looked at piece of land the church already owned in Boston and it felt right!
-Despite President Hinckley having an confirming witness that the Boston Temple should be built it was not easy to get the temple built. There was problem after problem from the neighbors trying to stop the temple from being built.
-The Boston Temple was dedicated without a temple spire because of a lawsuit people had brought against the Church.
-The open house started even before the construction was completed. The open house was attended by more than eighty-two thousand people.
-In a talk by Loren C. Dunn a Emeritus member of the Seventy said that the Boston Temple dedication was historic because ”this is the first temple in a city recognized as the birthplace of freedom in what was then the New World and also it is recognized as the early home of many of the first leaders and members of the Church.”
-Loren C. Dunn also said that “the dedication seemed to represent the coming together of the great heritage of America and the sacred roots of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.” Loren C. Dunn was the first president of the Boston Massachusetts Temple and he passed away just hours after the court ruling that the temple spire could be added to the temple.
-Years after the temple completion Bro. Grant Bennett said that ultimately the high-profile controversies ended up serving The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints well because it made the Church officials in Massachusetts and Salt Lake City explain the specifics of our faith and it helped educate people.
References:
Testimony(Loren C. Dunn, 2000 Semi-Annual General Conference, Ensign)
”Temples of the New Millennium” By Chad Hawkins