Winter Quarters Nebraska Temple facts for kids
| Winter Quarters Nebraska Temple | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number | 104 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Dedicated | Quick facts for kids 22 April 2001 byGordon B. Hinckley |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Site | 1.92 acres (0.8 hectares) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Floor area | 16,000 sq ft (1,500 m2) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 86 ft (26 m) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Montevideo Uruguay Temple | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Followed by | Guadalajara Mexico Temple | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Official website: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/temples/details/winter-quarters-nebraska-temple • News & images | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Winter Quarters Nebraska Temple is a special building for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It was the 104th temple built by the church. This temple is located in Florence, Nebraska, which is a part of Omaha, Nebraska, USA. It was the first temple ever built in Nebraska.
The church announced plans to build this temple on June 14, 1999. The temple has one tall spire with a golden statue of the angel Moroni on top. Dan Reinhardt of Reinhardt & Associates designed the temple in a traditional style. Construction began with a special groundbreaking ceremony on November 28, 1999. Hugh W. Pinnock led this event.
Contents
A Special Place: Winter Quarters History
Winter Quarters, Nebraska is a very important place for members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It was where early church members lived after they had to leave their homes in Nauvoo, Illinois. Many pioneers, including those from Europe, also camped here before they traveled across the plains to the Salt Lake Valley.
This area has many graves of Mormon pioneers who died during their journey. More than 2,000 church members passed away at Winter Quarters. They faced harsh storms, scurvy, malaria, and did not have enough food or shelter.
The temple was built right next to the Mormon Pioneer Cemetery and the Mormon Trail Center at Historic Winter Quarters. During the groundbreaking ceremony in 1999, Truman Clawson, who managed the local visitors' center, said something meaningful. He explained that on that day, they were digging not a grave, but the foundation for a special building—a temple.
Before the temple officially opened, many people helped get it ready. Church members and people from the Florence community made handcrafted flowers. They also decorated historic sites with balloons. Over 61,000 visitors came to see the temple during its open house. This event took place from March 30 to April 14, 2001.
Church members across the United States and Canada watched a special broadcast. On April 22, 2001, Gordon B. Hinckley, who was the president of the church, dedicated the Winter Quarters Nebraska Temple. During his prayer, he honored the pioneers' sacrifices. He also spoke about how important it was to have a temple in Winter Quarters.
Temple Design and What It Looks Like
The Winter Quarters Nebraska Temple has a traditional look. Dan Reinhardt of Reinhardt & Associates designed it to honor the history of the early Mormon pioneers. The temple sits on a 1.92-acre piece of land. It is surrounded by beautiful trees, bushes, and green grass.
The building is 86 feet tall and made from strong Bethel white granite. The outside features colorful stained-glass windows. Below the angel Moroni statue, there are six special panels. The church's magazine, Ensign, described them. The top three panels show the heavens with a mariner's compass. Stars and the moon are in the center, representing different spiritual kingdoms. Bright sun rays form the outer ring, showing the highest kingdom. The bottom three panels show a river, rolling hills, and wildflowers.
Inside, the temple has a total area of 10,700 square feet. The interior feels like a pioneer home. The furniture is in the style of the 1850s. The windows and carpets have flower designs. These flowers represent the state flowers of Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Wyoming, and Utah. These are the states the pioneers traveled through.
Tom Holdman designed the stained-glass windows inside the temple. The temple has 18 windows that tell the story of the pioneers' journey to gather in Zion through Winter Quarters.
The temple has special rooms for different ceremonies. These include two ordinance rooms, two sealing rooms, and a baptistry. Each room is designed for its specific sacred use.
The temple's design uses symbols from Latter-day Saint history and the Bible. These symbols give deeper meaning to the temple's look and purpose. For example, the baptistry windows have quilt-like patterns. These patterns remind people of the pioneers who wrapped their loved ones in quilts before burial. The baptistry windows also show a river, like the river of life mentioned in the Bible (Revelation 22:1-2). This river was made with crushed crystal. This detail honors early church members who crushed their china and silver to mix with mortar in the walls of the Kirtland Temple, making it shimmer. The temple is both a place of worship and an important building in Omaha, Nebraska.
Temple Leaders
Temples of the church are led by a temple president and a matron. They usually serve for three years. The president and matron manage the temple's daily activities. They also guide and train both temple visitors and staff.
Evan L. Butler served as the first president from 2001 to 2004, with Doris J. Butler as matron. Other notable presidents include Theodore H. Okiishi (2013-2016) and Donald D. Deshler (2016-2019). As of 2025, David G. Pincock is the president, and FaDene B. Pincock is the matron.
Visiting the Temple
After the temple was finished, the church held a public open house. This was from March 30 to April 14, 2001 (Sundays were closed). During this time, 61,038 people visited the temple. President Gordon B. Hinckley dedicated the temple on April 22, 2001, in four separate meetings.
Like all temples of the church, this temple is not used for regular Sunday worship services. Church members see temples as sacred houses of the Lord. Once a temple is dedicated, only church members who have a current temple recommend can enter for worship.
See also
In Spanish: Templo de Winter Quarters para niños
- Theodore H. Okiishi, a former temple president (2013–2016)
- List of temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
- Temple architecture
