Inside the Kirtland Temple: A look at the past, present and future meaning of the historic building

right now on this inside the Kirtland Temple special the church just bought the Kirtland Temple it's a blessing to be able to be here I'm so grateful that I was able to walk to that Temple the Kirtland Temple back open the Church of Jesus Christ of latterday saints acquired it from Community of Christ and are starting their beginning tours a look inside for the first time under new ownership plus the Savior appeared here he accepted it and the temple had a purpose Joseph Smith saw our savior and our savior said everything for us a sacred site in Rich history what church members believe happened in Kirtland hundreds of years ago and what it means for members and non-members today and it's one additional thing to come and visit Kirtland High we invite everyone to come to Kirtland it really is a special place an invitation it goes beyond just visiting how the spirit of Kirtland touches around the world this is an ABC 4 News special inside the Kirtland Temple Sarah Murphy reports inside the Kirtland Temple thanks for joining us for this special right here on abc4 news I'm Sarah Murphy I spent the week in Kirtland Ohio where the temple is back open for the very first time in weeks since the Church of Jesus Christ of latterday saints acquired it from Community of Christ earlier this month it was the first Temple members of the church built members believe many sacred experiences happened inside the most significant of which they say is a visit from Jesus Christ himself this week hundreds of members from all over the world are visiting for the newly reopened tours and we went inside too a day of wind and gray shouldn't turn you away at least that's what many in Kirtland Ohio say nearly 30 m east of Cleveland you'll drive down a road and find the white church on top of the hill the simple yet intriguing white building brings in hundreds of visitors around the world each week are you guys excited for today yeah what are you most excited for um probably going get the temple March 25th 2024 an especially significant time today is a wonderful day a day of celebration for us it's a day of remembering Above All Things and uh a day of [Music] community the Kirtland Temple reopened for the first time in over 3 weeks when the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints acquired it from Community of Christ we came because it's the opening of the kitland temple and I wanted my boys to see it we're looking forward to seeing the temple we were here a few years years ago and since the church Church of Jesus Christ the Latter Day Saints uh gained repossession of it we wanted to tour it again and have the perspective of taking the tour with the missionaries and seeing it from that aspect this was the first tour group to enter since the reopening they have tours of about 25 people scheduled in the temple each hour leading those groups are senior missionaries called to serve in his Kirtland it was thrilling it was it was very sweet and very thrilling to be able to have such a privilege you'd see Lumber that has the site leader over historic Kirtland president Scott Bar says the moment they learned about the acquisition of the temple he and his missionaries started preparing we were in the temple the next day with all of our missionaries and our colleagues from Salt Lake talking about the approach getting a sample of how they wanted to be able to do the tour we don't learn as fast as we used to when we were younger it takes us a little longer uh our our minds are still uh uh adequate and good and we we're we're honored to be part of it but it takes a lot of work uh to uh go through the materials that have been prepared it's it's hard not to get emotional about it because um these are people we joke we're all of a certain age but they recognize Miracles have come along the way the feeling of sharing the experiences of what happened here they fill your heart and um uh kind of amazing and very touching and [Music] heartwarming don't whose feelings they explain come while inside the temple we weren't allowed to film the tours but we did get a look inside the tour takes you up 66 stairs to the third floor an area with classrooms many original floorboards from the 1800s and an original window built by early latterday Saints the second and the first floor hold allh chapels visitors say the attention to detail stands out what stood out to me was the craftsmanship these people were poor but they put everything they had into that Temple it's like just the little designs and like the hand workk that went into it for some being in the temple brings back memories of visiting in the past I remember going up the stairs cuz those were really Steep and I got tired and I remember the big room and it was like it looked like a [Music] chapel for others it's a bit trickier to recall I was like here and I was like four no you were like six oh yeah I was like six and then she was four when we went I I don't even remember it the Santiago family visiting from Virginia say their experience is something they'll never forget my experience has been great and also being able to bring my family here it's a blessing to be able to be here we will continue calling the temple uh even though it's a historic uh Monument or you know but it's a beautiful beautiful place to be and to come and [Music] visit a place where Skies might be gray but inside that building on top of the hill for many it turns brighter church leaders and members say standing as a beacon to all coming up on inside the Kirtland Temple it has been a a Bittersweet experience for us has been a sad sad thing for them to transfer ownership and possession of it what the change in Temple ownership means for both churches and where they go from here and later our goal is simple that we want to invite invite others to come under Christ that's what we do an invitation to all how the Kirtland Temple impacts you right back in [Music] Utah you're watching an ABC 4 News special inside the Kirtland Temple before the acquisition Community of Christ owned the Kirtland Temple for more than 140 years the impact of the change of ownership both churches acknowledge across the street from the Kirtland Temple is Kirtland Community of Christ it's distinct from The Church of Jesus Christ of latterday saints latterday Saints first modern-day Prophet was Joseph Smith his son Joseph Smith III was ordained as president of Community of Christ in 1860 while sharing many similar beliefs a main distinction at the time between the two religions was Community of Christ recognized Joseph Smith's descendants As Leaders meanwhile the latterday Saints looked to its corm of the TW Apostles Community of Christ formerly known as the reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of latterday saints acquired legal ownership over the Kirtland Temple in 1901 I'm just appreciative The Community of Christ Church has done such a good job of taking care of it but um I mean it's just it's just opening [Music] is just a a change in stewardship cuz our friends from The Community of Christ have been making the temple accessible and caring for it so well and president baric agrees it it has been a Bittersweet experience for us um the bitter has been that we have these wonderful close friends of the Community of Christ and this has been their life and their livelihood some of them have sacrificed some of them are volunteers like we are and so it it has been a a little bit hard to watch that transition you know as we're coming in looking to see how things will work they're packing up and moving moving away all the stuff that's in the visitor center they've been carefully taken care of on the flip side it's just amazing to be in that space and to be able to tell the stories that of of what happened there now we can tell those stories where they happened and it's different it's very different while declining any on camera interviews Community of Christ shares their message they say it's reassuring to know these important places are in the care of people who will love and cherish them with the same devotion we have cared for them over the last century Elder Kyle s McKay General Authority 70 historian and recorder for the Church of Jesus Christ of latterday saints reminds of the greater purpose of the temple remember that 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 it's a day to remember that whether it's the church at the top of the hill or down the road members say it's greater than them still ahead certainly this is one of the most significant places on the earth there's a lot of things that took place here that are very significant special living shoulder Tosh shoulder with history the background of curland what happened there and what it means for you plus I would tell them that that everything is in good care and um and that it's going to be here the church has pledged to run this as a historic site words of reassurance what comes next for the Kirtland Temple [Music] you're watching an ABC 4 News special inside the Kirtland Temple down the hill from the Kirtland Temple you'll find historic Kirtland it's an area with additional historic landmarks like the new K Whitney store church leaders say the history of Cartland is Rich this so this is my house this is this is where I live right here wait really uhhuh yeah now it's historically it's a Tannery then they in kurtland Ohio Scott barck says every day he's shoulder toosh shoulder with history so when we say we feel like we're neighbors with an Whitney we really mean it president baric is not only leader of the historic Kirtland site for the time being he lives there how cool is that to live there yeah and and the commute is awful I mean look at it takes me three minutes church leaders dedicated historic Kirtland in 2003 while there you can take tours see exhibits and learn about early members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints who gathered there in the 1830s it's home to a visitor center and seven historic structures like the NK Whitney store and the Newan and Whitney home the early residents of Kirtland sometimes we often talk to them as Seekers they were people who were expecting a restoration they were looking for further light knowledge than they had at that time um an and new Whitney were among those the Whitney also opened their twostory 1500 s ft store in Kirtland they say the store had a relatively large inventory at the time and served as a storehouse for provisioning the poor latterday Saints believe this second floor was home to many sacred experiences when you come here what you have a sense of is how real it is it's not just a footnote in the Doctrine and Covenants when it says a general conference of the church convened in Kirland Ohio we're standing in the Parlor of the new K Whitney store where that conference took took place this is the local for the general conference when you're in the school of the prophets and we have the testimony of Joseph Smith saying to the Brethren assembled you have seen the father and the son and know that they exist it's different those feelings and testimonies members say extend from the second floor of the newel K Whitney store to inside the Kirtland Temple as [Music] well the main thing that comes out of this Temple at least for me and I think for for people of our religion is that the Savior appeared here he accepted it and the temple had a purpose and the primary among the purposes of this Temple is to get the keys restored that were restored here through Moses and Elias and Elijah obviously this is a really important um Temple a structure for our church and there's a lot of things that took place here that are very significant and special let me describe to you how important Kirkland is to the church about one half of the revelations recorded in the Doctrine and Covenants were revealed there far more than any other location in Kirtland the father and the son appeared or were seen in vision four times and the Savior was seen at least six more times by the Prophet Joseph Smith members believe whether or not you're in Kirtland the principles they teach there affect people across the globe I don't know how many people throughout the world know about the Kirtland Temple but what happened in this Temple what was restored in this Temple and uh the ceiling powers and the keys that were restored are throughout the world now it's something president baric remembers the oldest uh lumber on the whole site is in that house walking along the roads of historic Kirtland coming up on inside the Kirtland Temple it's an unbelievable answer to many many prayers the spirit that you feel in there well for me anyway it's amazing the spirit of kland what is it and why church leaders say it impacts you all the way in [Music] Utah you're watching an ABC 4 News special inside Kirtland Temple church leaders acknowledge not everyone will get the opportunity to go to Kirtland and inside the temple but they say anyone anywhere can experience the spirit of Kirkland going through the Kirkland Temple it may realized that the Saints sacrificed a lot to worship their savior there's a lot of things that took place here that are very significant and special yeah it's very special I mean for me I just wanted to feel the the spirit a sacred place they say with a special spirit and you just feel it in your heart and it strengthens your testimony just amazing to to know that this is not a collection of well-meaning stories this is the truth this is what happened this is the restoration of the gospel and it is unfolding in this way at this time in this place M say every crack and corner of the Kirtland Temple stands for what they believe in well it's just an opportunity for us to continue to tell the story of what happened here with temple doors now open members say it's been a long time coming for the the Saints here in ctland that have lived here for many years it's an unbelievable answer to many many prayers their message to all an invitation but I'd also invite him to come the message here is pretty simple the Lord God Almighty loves his children and he has manifest himself here here in Ohio several times and especially in the Kirtland Temple we invite everyone to come to Kirtland it really is a special place even for those in this area Kirtland is is somewhat unique in in the faith community that's here of multiple denominations and we just want everyone to experience the feelings and the spirit that accompany this sacred ground from the windows on the temple to the benches on the grounds to the plants nearby they describe that sacred feeling but church leaders say that Spirit extends farther than just Kirtland I think it's important to understand that the spirit is the same yesterday today and forever in Kirtland of Vu or Salt Lake or Alaska or anywhere and the spirit is the same no matter where no matter what they say the temple standing for over 100 years meant to stand over a 100 years more with respect to the temple we will continue to offer it as a historic site it will not be transformed into an operating Temple it will continue to be available to the public at large and to to members of our faith and any faith and the future of the temple in Kirtland Ohio we're continuing to learn more uh we will have a lot of opportunities for the church historians to have really complete access to understand and know about this building what it what it needs the care that it's been given so from from that standpoint it's going to be here it will serve I think primarily I I hope primarily as a reminder we have places like this memorials historic sites to connect us to the past but above all to remind us of Jesus Christ and that's the only one that we're under Covenant to remember always members say stays looking bright you've heard members describe the experiences they've had in Kirtland and inside the reopen Temple whether you're in Ohio here in Utah or across the globe they say they invite all to visit thanks for joining us right here for this inside the Kirtland Temple special on abc4 [Music] news

Channel: ABC4 Utah

Views: 24,177

Keywords: video

Id: JcxStWY7ssk

Length: 22min 56sec (1376 seconds)

Published: Sun Mar 31 2024