1999 Dedication of the Columbus Ohio Temple
Referring to one evening at the Columbus Ohio Temple open house, Neil C. Farr, second counselor in the temple presidency, said, "We had some young women cleaning the celestial room after tours that day. Gradually, all the young women left except one. When she came out, tears were streaming down her cheeks. She simply said, 'I can't wait to attend the temple.'"
The Columbus temple was dedicated from Sept. 4 to Sept. 5, 1999, by President Gordon B. Hinckley. It was the second temple dedicated in Ohio — following the Kirtland Temple, later owned by the Community of Christ and then purchased by the Church of Jesus Christ in 2024 — and the first Ohio temple still in operation by the Church.
Approximately 11,000 members from the 10 stakes in the temple district attended the six dedicatory sessions. The ceremony was broadcast throughout rooms in the temple, the adjacent stake center and a meetinghouse in nearby Dublin, Ohio.
"Much has changed in the 163 years since the Kirtland Temple was dedicated," said President Hinckley at the Columbus temple dedication. "Our people are more accepted now. It is a new day of opportunity. The struggles of Kirtland are past. Today, we have large congregations."
Dedicatory prayer excerpt: “May it be looked upon as the house of the Lord, with holiness to the Lord from all who shall see it and all who shall enter its portals. May it shed forth a beneficent influence upon this community and state. ... Wilt Thou watch over this, Thy house, that no unhallowed hand may injure it in any way. Stay the hand of any of evil intent who would deface it or vandalize it. May all who look upon it do so with respect.”
Read the dedicatory prayer of the Columbus Ohio Temple here.
2023 Rededication of the Columbus Ohio Temple
On Aug. 17, 2020, the temple was closed for renovations. After approximately three years of construction, President M. Russell Ballard, acting president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, rededicated the Columbus Ohio Temple on June 4, 2023.
Throughout the renovation period, building acoustics were improved, windows were created or enlarged to allow for more natural lighting, and additional art glass was installed throughout the temple.
In the dedicatory prayer, President Ballard quoted part of the Kirtland Temple’s dedicatory prayer, given by Joseph Smith on March 27, 1836. Referencing Doctrine and Covenants 109:16, 21-23, President Ballard prayed that Latter-day Saints “'may go forth from this house armed with thy power, and that thy name may be upon them, and thy glory be round about them, and thine angels have charge over them.'"
Dedicatory prayer excerpt: "We ask Thee, Heavenly Father, for protection over Thy temple, that Thy sacred work for the living and for our ancestors may continue. May Thy children come here often to make sacred covenants and receive eternal ordinances. Please bless all the children, youth and young adults in this temple district to keep Thy commandments, preparing them for all Thy promised blessings to those who love Thee and seek to serve thee."
Read the rededication prayer of the Columbus Ohio Temple here.
Timeline of the Columbus Ohio Temple
The Columbus Ohio Temple was dedicated from Sept. 4 to Sept. 5, 1999, by President Gordon B. Hinckley. It served its community for 21 years before being closed for extensive renovations in 2020.
The renovations were completed in early 2023, and the temple was rededicated by President M. Russell Ballard, acting president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, on June 4, 2023.
Architecture and Design of the Columbus Ohio Temple
The renovated Columbus Ohio Temple is 11,745 square feet and stands at a height of 77 feet tall. The exterior of the temple is made of granite and marble from Spain. Above the center of the house of the Lord is a multilevel spire with a square base and two windows on each side.
The theme of a magnolia blossom, which symbolizes purity, is repeated throughout the interior. Beige and gold of Turkish stone, with accents of stone from Pakistan, can be seen in the flooring. Building acoustics have been improved in the renovated temple to create a more peaceful and reverent ambiance.
Around the five-acre temple site are plants native to the Columbus area, such as Eastern redbud, Red Sunset maple, magnolias, junipers and boxwoods. A walkway and larger plaza areas have been added around the temple during renovations to better accommodate large groups.
Interior Photos of the Columbus Ohio Temple
