After nearly eight years of anticipation, the Philadelphia Pennsylvania Temple is prepared to open its doors on Wednesday, Aug. 10, for the beginning of its open house, which will continue through Friday, Sept. 9. Prior to the start of the open house, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has released new photos of the temple’s interior on mormonnewsroom.org.
Originally announced by President Thomas S. Monson in October 2008, construction began on Sept. 17, 2011. The development of the temple has been widely publicized throughout its construction, and on Monday morning, Elder Larry Wilson of the Seventy took members of the media on an advance tour of the temple, located in downtown Philadelphia.
“The first thing one may notice as soon as the doors shut behind them is how eerily quiet the space is, despite being right next to the Vine Street Expressway,” Curbed Philly’s Melissa Romero wrote after the tour. “That’s because the temple, which is only open to church members in good standing, is designed to be a ‘haven for people to leave behind the world, get their bearings, and draw closer to God,’ explains Wilson.”
The photos of the interior show several unique aspects of the temple. In the temple’s waiting room is a painting of the Founding Fathers signing the U.S. Constitution, an event that took place in Philadelphia in 1787.
“It’s an unusual painting for an LDS temple,” Elder Wilson told Romero. “But we think it’s a wonderful fitting for a temple in Philadelphia.”
The temple’s baptismal font is also unique in that it features a mural of Joseph Smith being baptized in the Susquehanna River, which is also in Pennsylvania.
“The 61,000-square-foot temple features classic Georgian architecture designed to blend with the historic Philadelphia architecture,” Mormon Newsroom explained. “The exterior is clad in granite from Maine, and the interior features stone from Egypt and Italy. The building includes original art glass and an oil-painting wall mural of landscapes important in both American and church history, including the Susquehanna River and the Delaware River.”
The temple becomes the LDS Church’s 152nd temple and will be dedicated on Sunday, Sept. 18. A cultural celebration will be held on Saturday, Sept. 17, at the Liacouras Center on the Temple University campus.
Email: mjones@deseretdigital.com