Hamilton New Zealand Temple


The Hamilton New Zealand Temple is the 13th constructed and 11th operating temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Located just outside the city of Hamilton, New Zealand in the suburb of Temple View, it was built with a modern single-spire design very similar to the Bern Switzerland Temple.

History

The site for the temple was first chosen by Wendell B. Mendenhall who had been given a special assignment by LDS Church president David O. McKay to choose the site. The building of an LDS Church temple in New Zealand was announced by David O. McKay on 17 February 1955. With its completion in 1958, it was the first temple built by the LDS Church in the Southern Hemisphere and the second to be built outside of the United States and Canada.
A ground-breaking ceremony and site dedication were held on 21 December 1955. The site of the temple is on, which includes the LDS Church-owned Church College of New Zealand, formerly a secondary school for students aged twelve to eighteen. The temple is, has one ordinance room, three sealing rooms, and a baptistry. The spire rises to a height of. The temple was built entirely by church labour missionaries who volunteered all of their time. Local members supported these workers with money, food, and lodging.
Hugh B. Brown, then an Assistant to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, placed the ceremonial cornerstone of the temple on 22 December 1956. The temple was open for public tours for 23 days prior to the dedication. During this time about 112,500 people toured the temple. The New Zealand Temple was dedicated by David O. McKay on 20 April 1958. The temple serves Latter-day Saints in New Zealand and New Caledonia. According to Mormon folklore, the Māori King Tāwhiao accurately predicted the site of the temple before his death in 1894.
On 19 January 2018, the LDS Church announced that in July 2018, the temple would close for renovations that are anticipated to be completed in 2021. In 2019, Russell M. Nelson announced the location for a new LDS Church temple in Auckland, New Zealand—the second temple in the country.

Presidents

Notable presidents of the Hamilton New Zealand Temple include Glen L. Rudd, Douglas J. Martin, and Sidney M. Going.