Kirtland Temple opens to tours for first time after Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints purchase
KIRTLAND, Ohio (ABC4) — Monday was the first day in weeks the Kirtland Temple has been open — and they had already done 13 tours.
ABC4.com got a first look inside the temple on the day it opened, and several people traveled out of state to be at the Kirtland Temple.
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“This temple is a temple of the Lord and it doesn’t belong to us, it doesn’t belong to organizations — it’s His house, and so it’s a day to remember that,” Latter-day Saint historian Elder Kyle S. McKay said.
Nearly 200 people came to the temple in Kirtland, Ohio, to remember just that.
“We came because it’s the opening, I guess, of the Kirtland Temple, and I wanted my boys to see it,” one visitor said.
The doors opened for the first time in three weeks for people to get a look inside under the new ownership of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — from classrooms on the third floor, to chapels on the second and the first.
“What stood out to me was the craftsmanship,” visitor Riley Knapp said. “These people were poor, but they put everything they had into that temple. It’s, like, just the little designs and the handwork that went into it.”
“I remember going up the stairs, because those were really steep, and I got tired and I remembered the big room and it was like, it looked like a chapel,” a child said.
For some visitors, it’s their first time at the temple.
“I haven’t been here before,” said one father. “It’s my very first time. My wife has been here, but my younger kids, um, it’s a blessing for them to get to know a little bit more.”
Others remember coming years ago.
“Oh, yeah, I was like six and she was four when we went,” a little boy said.
“I don’t even remember it,” his sister said.
Whether you’re in Kirtland or not, church leaders say the temple stands as a beacon to all.
“We hope that people who are not here can, nevertheless, understand the significance, and feel the spirit of what’s going on here,” McKay said. “It’s important to understand that the spirit is the same yesterday, today and forever, in Kirtland, Nauvoo, or Salt Lake, or Alaska, or anywhere.”
Church leaders and missionaries said their goal for the future is for more people to come and visit and learn what the temple is about.
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