Temple Lot facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Temple Lot |
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The Temple Lot in Independence, Missouri, with Church of Christ (Temple Lot) headquarters in white frame building just to the left of center; Community of Christ temple and Stone Church to the right and far left, respectively.
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| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Church of Christ (Temple Lot) |
| Year consecrated | 1831 |
| Location | |
| Location | 200 South River Boulevard, Independence, Missouri |
| Architecture | |
| Groundbreaking | 1831 (cornerstones laid by Joseph Smith) |
| Completed | Never completed |
| Site area | 63.27 acres (25.60 ha) |
The Temple Lot in Independence, Missouri, is a special piece of land. It was the very first place chosen for building a temple by the Latter Day Saint movement, a religious group. The founder of the movement, Joseph Smith, set aside this area on August 3, 1831.
Later, on December 19, 1831, Edward Partridge bought the land. Joseph Smith had said he received a message from God that this spot would be the center of the "New Jerusalem" or "City of Zion." He believed it would be a gathering place for Latter Day Saints in the future.
Today, the most important 2.5-acre (1.0 ha) part of the Temple Lot is an open, grassy field. In its northeast corner, you can find a few trees and the main building for the Church of Christ (Temple Lot). This building is not considered a temple by the people who belong to that church. Besides some monuments and signs, there are no other buildings on this 2.5-acre (1.0 ha) section.
However, many other important buildings are located on the larger 63.5-acre (25.7 ha) area around the Temple Lot. These include the United Nations Peace Plaza, the Community of Christ Auditorium, the Truman Railroad Depot, the LDS Visitors Center, the Community of Christ Temple, and a building for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Contents
Why Independence, Missouri, is Important
The city of Independence, Missouri, became very important to the Latter Day Saint movement in late 1830. This was just a few months after the religion officially started in New York. Joseph Smith said he received messages from God that this city was the "Center Place" of "Zion."
Many early followers also believed that the Garden of Eden was located here. Later leaders of the LDS Church, like Brigham Young and Heber C. Kimball, said Joseph Smith told them this. A local resident from 1831, Alexander Majors, wrote in his memories about the early Mormon preachers. He said they chose a "beautiful spot of ground on a high eminence" near Independence and called it "Temple Lot."
Majors wrote that they believed this spot was "the center of the earth." They also thought it was where the Garden of Eden was located. They believed the "New Jerusalem" would be built here, and that Jesus Christ would return to live in this city.
Joseph Smith never officially said that Independence was the Garden of Eden. So, most Latter Day Saints do not formally accept this idea as a teaching. Smith later said that a place called Adam-ondi-Ahman, about fifty miles north of Independence, was where Adam and Eve went after leaving the Garden. But he never confirmed or denied if Independence was Eden itself.
Even though Smith chose the Temple Lot as the heart of his new City of Zion, the Latter Day Saints were forced to leave Jackson County in late 1833. They were later expelled from Missouri in early 1839. This happened before any temple could be built.
After Joseph Smith was killed, different groups within the Latter Day Saint movement argued over who owned the property. This led to court cases, especially between the Church of Christ (Temple Lot) and the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (RLDS Church). In 1891, the RLDS Church, led by Smith's son Joseph Smith III, sued to get the land. They won in a lower court but lost when the case went to a higher court. The United States Supreme Court decided not to review the case.
Today, the small Church of Christ (Temple Lot) owns the Temple Lot. They bought the land in 1867. In 1929, a leader named Otto Fetting tried to build a temple there, but it was not completed. This was the only attempt to build a temple on the site since Joseph Smith's time.
The Church of Christ (Temple Lot) has its main office on the site. This building has been damaged by fire twice. Since about 1976, this church has said it will not work with other Latter Day Saint or Christian groups to build a temple. They also say they will not sell the Lot, no matter how much money is offered. Some members of other Latter Day Saint groups have called them "squatters." However, the Church of Christ (Temple Lot) strongly believes they have the right to own the property as its "custodian."
The Community of Christ (formerly the RLDS Church) is the second-largest church in the modern Latter Day Saint movement. They now own most of the original 63-acre (25 ha) property around the Temple Lot. This larger area is often called the greater Temple Lot. Edward Partridge, an early Latter Day Saint leader, bought this land in the 1830s. It was meant to be the main common and sacred area for the community, following the Plat of Zion. The Community of Christ has its world headquarters here. Their Auditorium opened south of the Lot in 1958, and their Independence Temple was dedicated just to the east in 1994.
The LDS Church has a visitors' center one block east and south of the Temple Lot. They also have a church building and other offices on their part of the greater Temple Lot.
How the Site Was Chosen
Choosing the Location
In March 1831, Joseph Smith said he received a message from God that a New Jerusalem would be built in the United States. In June 1831, he said another message told him the New Jerusalem would be on the western border of Missouri. It was to be "on the borders by the Lamanites [Native Americans]." Independence is about six miles (10 km) east of Kaw Point. This area was near the line where Native American tribes were to be moved according to the Indian Removal Act of 1830.
On July 20, 1831, Smith shared another message with more specific details: "The land of Missouri... is the land which I have appointed and set apart for the gathering of the saints: therefore this is the land of promise, and the place for the city of Zion. ... Look, the place which is now called Independence is the center place, and the spot for the temple is lying westward upon a lot which is not far from the court house: therefore it is wise that the land should be bought by the saints; and also every piece of land lying westward, even to the line [the Missouri-Kansas border] running directly between Jew [Native Americans] and Gentile. And also every piece of land bordering by the prairies, as much as my followers are able to buy lands. Look, this is wise, so that they may get it for an everlasting inheritance."
Smith's idea to buy all the land between Independence and the Kansas border made the non-Latter Day Saint settlers in Jackson County, Missouri, very angry. This included the area that is now downtown Kansas City.
On August 3, 1831, Joseph Smith and other leaders placed a stone. This stone was meant to be the northeast cornerstone of the temple they planned to build. On December 19, 1831, Edward Partridge bought 63 acres (250,000 m2) of land, which included the Temple Lot. During this purchase, Smith said: "The temple shall be built in this generation, for truly this generation shall not pass away until a house shall be built unto the Lord and a cloud shall rest upon it." Since no temple has ever been built at this location, Smith's prediction has caused much discussion.
Temple Building Plans
In June 1833, Smith created the Plat of Zion. This plan showed how the community would be set up. At the center of the city, there were supposed to be 24 "temples." Twelve were for the high priesthood and twelve for the lesser priesthood. The specific temple planned for the Temple Lot was called "The House of the Lord for the Presidency."
This house was planned to be 87 feet long and 61 feet wide. A 10-foot section at the east end was for stairs. This left the main inner area 78 feet by 61 feet. It was designed with seats and two aisles, each four feet wide. The middle seats were 11 feet 10 inches long and three feet wide. There were also plans for curtains to divide the house into four parts if needed. The side seats were 14 and a half feet long and three feet wide. The five seats in each corner were 12 feet 6 inches long. Open spaces were left for fireplaces, with chimneys built into the walls.
The house was to be 14 feet high between floors, with no gallery but a chamber. Each story was to be 14 feet high with arched ceilings. The foundation was to be made of stone, raised high enough for banking up the earth around it. Above the foundation, there would be two rows of cut stone, and then brickwork would begin. The total height of the house was planned to be 28 feet. The walls were to be thick enough for a building of this size. The east end was to have five windows and two doors, each five feet wide and nine feet high. The west end would have no doors but would look similar to the east end, with windows opposite the alleys. The roof was to have a one-fourth pitch, and the doors and windows would have Gothic tops and Venetian blinds. A very large bell was planned for a belfry at the east end.
- Revised temple plans (around August-September 1833)
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West end view
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Interior
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Side view
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East end view
Leaving Jackson County
In July 1833, a Mormon leader named W. W. Phelps published a Missouri law in a Mormon newspaper. This law talked about rules for free black people coming to Missouri. The Latter Day Saints were already having many problems with their neighbors in Jackson County. But Phelps's publication made many non-Mormons, especially slave owners, very angry. They were upset that the Mormons seemed to be showing black people an alternative to slavery in Missouri.
Because of this, angry people burned the newspaper office. They also covered Bishop Edward Partridge and church Elder Charles Allen with tar and feathers. This event led to the Latter Day Saints being forced out of Independence and the surrounding Jackson County area later that year.
The Latter Day Saints moved across the Missouri River to Clay County, Missouri. They hired a lawyer to help them with their land claims in Jackson County. The Mormons later moved again to Caldwell County, Missouri, before being forced out of Missouri completely during the 1838 Mormon War. In March 1839, Joseph Smith told his followers to "sell all the land in Jackson county, and all other lands in the state whatsoever." The Temple Lot was sold to Martin Harris, but Harris did not officially record the sale.
Old Native American Stone Legend
There's a story among members of the Church of Christ (Temple Lot) about an ancient meeting of Native Americans at the Temple Lot site. The legend says that representatives from different tribes each left a stone on a pile there. This story was shared in 2015 in a church publication called Zion's Advocate.
After Joseph Smith
Attack on Lilburn Boggs
Lilburn Boggs was the Governor of Missouri during the Mormon War. He lived in Independence before the conflict. Many people saw Boggs as strongly against Mormons because he issued an "extermination order" in 1838. Latter Day Saints blamed him for many of their troubles.
After the war and after he left office, Boggs lived in a house three blocks east of the Temple Lot. On the evening of May 6, 1842, someone shot him in the head while he was in his home. Boggs was badly hurt but survived. Mormons were suspected, and a friend of Smith's, Porter Rockwell, was arrested. However, no one was ever found guilty of the crime.
The Hedrickites Get the Land
Joseph Smith was killed in Carthage, Illinois, in June 1844. On April 6, 1845, apostle Brigham Young wanted to get the Temple Lot back for the church. He said, "And when we get into Jackson county to walk in the courts of that house, we can say we built this temple: for as the Lord lives we will build up Jackson county in this generation." But he didn't act on this right away. He and most Latter Day Saints were moving to the Salt Lake Valley. They weren't sure how people in Jackson County would feel about Mormons returning. On April 26, 1848, Young and other leaders decided to accept an offer of $300 to give up their claim to the land.
In 1847, Independence became an official city. The Temple Lot was legally named lots 15 through 22 in the "Woodson and Maxwell Addition." While most Latter Day Saints went with Brigham Young to the Salt Lake Valley, other groups in Illinois believed they should return to Independence to build the temple.
The first group to move back was the small Church of Christ (Temple Lot), also called "Hedrickites." They held their first worship meeting in Independence on March 3, 1867. This was the first time Latter Day Saints had gathered in Independence since they were forced out in November 1833. This group couldn't afford to buy the entire greater Temple Lot. But they managed to buy the Temple Lot itself. They built their first church building there in 1882.
On June 9, 1887, the RLDS Church claimed the entire 63-acre (250,000 m2) greater Temple Lot. They bought the deed from the family of Oliver Cowdery. The only part of the purchase that was argued over was the Temple Lot itself. In 1891, the RLDS Church sued the Temple Lot church for the land title. They won the first trial in March 1894 but lost when the case was appealed to a higher federal court.
Attempts to Build a Temple
On February 4, 1927, Otto Fetting, a leader of the Church of Christ (Temple Lot), said that John the Baptist had appeared to him as an angel. Fetting claimed the angel told him to build a temple on the Temple Lot. The church leaders and most members supported Fetting's claim. They started digging for the foundation on April 6, 1929. The temple was supposed to be finished within seven years. The planned building was to be 180 feet (55 m) long and 90 feet (27 m) wide.
After marking out the ground, an angel supposedly appeared again. The angel said: "The building that you have staked is ten feet too far east, and if you will move the stakes then it shall stand upon the place that has been pointed out by the finger of God." When they dug, they found the original stones Joseph Smith had buried. These stones matched the survey markers. Today, these two original stones are in the Temple Lot headquarters building. Their original spots are marked by two other engraved stones visible on the lot. The outer corners of the planned temple are also marked by similar stones.
Later that year, a disagreement about baptism happened within the Temple Lot church. Fetting was criticized by most of the other leaders at a church meeting in October 1929. Fetting then left the Temple Lot church. Many members left with him and later started new churches, like the Church of Christ (Fettingite).
Even though the Temple Lot church asked for money for its temple from individuals and other Latter Day Saint groups, very little money came in. No money came from other organizations. So, construction never went beyond digging the foundation. This large hole was filled in by the city of Independence in 1946. This happened after the Temple Lot church finally gave up on the project. The Temple Lot church then landscaped the area. It is now a grassy field with a few trees and the Temple Lot headquarters building at its northeast end. There are no current plans to build a temple on the site.
First Fire Incident
The first meetinghouse built on the Temple Lot was the home of Edward Partridge. It was used as a school, a Sunday meeting place, and a conference center. This building was burned down by arson, along with about 200 homes belonging to Latter Day Saints, on November 5, 1833.
Second Fire Incident
In July 1898, a 46-year-old man named William David Creighton "W.D.C." Pattyson was arrested. He was reportedly a suspended member of the RLDS Church. He was briefly held after trying to remove a fence around the Temple Lot. (Mr. Pattyson had joined the Hedrickite group in May 1898). Some in the Temple Lot group said Pattyson demanded that church officials give him ownership of the property. He claimed he was the "One Mighty and Strong." He was held by police but released a few days later.
Early on Monday, September 5, 1898, he damaged the small headquarters building by setting it on fire. He then walked to the police station and turned himself in. After his court appearances in late November and early December 1898, the New York Times reported that Pattyson was found "guilty but insane." He was sent to a mental institution in St. Joseph, Missouri. Local news reports and Pattyson's own explanations later said he was found "not guilty by reason of insanity." He was sent to the hospital because the judge felt he should not be in a regular prison.
Third Fire Incident
On January 1, 1990, a man described as a former member set fire to the Temple Lot meetinghouse. He claimed it was a political protest. The fire damaged the upper floor. The rest of the building was torn down, and a new building was constructed. This new building now serves as the church headquarters, a conference site, a museum, and a meeting place for the local Temple Lot congregation.
Museum
The Temple Lot church runs a small museum. It is located on the lower floor of the headquarters building on the Lot. The museum has some of the original stones that Joseph Smith placed to mark the corners of his planned temple. It also sells church books and other materials.
See also
In Spanish: Lote del Templo para niños
