Dedication of the Fort Lauderdale Florida Temple
After a day of rain, the skies were blue and clear the day of the dedication for the Fort Lauderdale Florida Temple on May 4, 2014. President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, second counselor in the First Presidency, remarked that the rain was “not only liquid sunshine which came down but might even be tears of joy which were shed from heaven because of this great event of the dedication of this Fort Lauderdale temple.”
Later, President Uchtdorf applauded the Florida Saints and the history of the Church in the Sunshine State. “I am impressed not only by the natural beauty of Florida,” he said, “but also by its people and the rich, inspiring heritage in Church history.”
He continued, “No one can read the stories of the early Church members here in Florida without having a feeling of gratitude and love for these early Saints. Tears come to my eyes when I think of the many sacrifices made and the devoted service given by these early members in Florida. It was not easy and often dangerous for these Saints, whose history was mostly written long after the handcarts arrived in the Salt Lake Valley.”
One member, struggling to talk because of emotion, told Church News of the great blessing it was to have a temple so close to her home. “It is now possible to come to the temple often, even weekly, rather than occasionally," she said.
Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles joined President Uchtdorf at the ceremony by conducting the second of three sessions.
Accompanying President Uchtdorf and Elder Christofferson at the dedication were Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Presidency of the Seventy; Elder Kent F. Richards, a General Authority Seventy and Assistant Executive Director of the Temple Department; and Bishop Gary E. Stevenson, Presiding Bishop.
Dedicatory prayer excerpt: “O God, our Eternal Father, our humble hearts are filled with gratitude and love for Thee on this long-awaited day of dedication. We ask for Thy Holy Spirit to attend us during the dedication of the Fort Lauderdale Florida Temple. We rejoice in this day of celebration, and our hearts are filled with praise to Thee.”
Read the dedicatory prayer of the Fort Lauderdale Florida Temple here.
Timeline of the Fort Lauderdale Florida Temple
The Fort Lauderdale Florida Temple was announced Oct. 3, 2009, by President Thomas S. Monson. A groundbreaking ceremony was held nearly two years later, on June 18, 2011, where Elder Walter F. González presided.
Visitors attended an open house from March 29 to April 19, 2014, and a cultural celebration took place just a few weeks later, on May 3, 2014. The temple was then dedicated in three sessions on May 4, 2014, by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf.
Architecture and Design of the Fort Lauderdale Florida Temple
The Fort Lauderdale Florida Temple’s single-spire design was built with precast integral colored concrete panels, giving it a white-colored exterior. The temple includes a series of arches that lead to the main entrance. Standing on 16.82 acres, the structure is approximately 30,500 square feet, rising almost 100 feet high.
The grounds are planted with palm trees, flowers, and various shrubs and walkways that lead to the front doors of the house of the Lord, where fountains and a reflection pool can be found. A large pond is located just outside the west area of the temple grounds.
The Fort Lauderdale temple interior includes a lot of blue, green and other earth tones to reflect the tropical area. The wood is made of red grandis from Ecuador, and interior stones used are marble, limestone and onyx.
Interior Photos of the Fort Lauderdale Florida Temple
