Dedication of the Helsinki Finland Temple
At the groundbreaking of the Helsinki Finland Temple, President Ismo Määttä of the Helsinki Finland Stake said, “The temple is a blessing to our entire country. It is heaven in the midst of chaos, and there we can find heavenly peace. Evil will not reach us there. In the temple we can be as bright as the sun, as shining as the moon.”
Three and a half years later, President Gordon B. Hinckley — President of the Church of Jesus Christ — presided over the dedication of the house of the Lord in Helsinki, Finland, on Oct. 22, 2006. “There is an intense bonding between the people of America and the Finnish Saints,” he said at the ceremony. “I have participated in the dedication or rededication of 94 of the 124 temples, but I have never seen such enthusiasm as I have seen with the members about the Helsinki Finland Temple.”
Also at the dedication of the temple was Elder Bruce C. Hafen, president of the Europe Central Area. “[Finland] will now host the temple,” Elder Hafen said. “Here sacred history has been created.”
He continued, “The temple unifies multiple cultures. ... The temple will bring a flood of new light to Finland.”
After touring the temple during its open house, a local political leader mentioned that the Helsinki temple was the most beautiful building in all of Helsinki.
Children were seen attending the dedication ceremony wearing colorful, traditional Finnish clothing. “As a Finn, it is really amazing that we have a temple,” one member said. “This will be a wonderful thing for Finland. The Church will now be seen by many others in our country. There will be many blessings for our community and for people coming from other countries.”
Attending the ceremony with President Hinckley were Elder Richard G. Scott of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles; Elder Dennis B. Neuenschwander, previous president of the Europe East Area; Elder Paul B. Pieper, then-president of the Europe East Area; and Elder Richard G. Hinckley, a General Authority Seventy.
Dedicatory prayer excerpt: “We dedicate and consecrate this, the Helsinki Finland Temple, to Thee and Thy Beloved Son as Thy holy house, Thy sacred abode. Wilt Thou accept it as our offering unto Thee. Let Thy watchful care be over it. ... We pray for this great nation of Finland. May it ever be respected and honored among the nations of the earth. Bless its neighbor nations of Russia, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, from which Saints will come to serve in this temple. May they have no difficulty in crossing the borders into this land when they come to work in this, Thy holy house.”
Read the dedicatory prayer of the Helsinki Finland Temple here.
Timeline of the Helsinki Finland Temple
The Helsinki Finland Temple was announced April 2, 2000, with a groundbreaking ceremony held three years later, on March 29, 2003. After an open house from Sept. 21 to Oct. 7, 2006, a cultural celebration was performed the evening before the dedication ceremony. President Gordon B. Hinckley dedicated the Helsinki temple Oct. 22, 2006.
Architecture and Design of the Helsinki Finland Temple
Standing on 7.4 acres, the Helsinki Finland Temple is situated within a wooded area filled with pine and birch trees. This house of the Lord is located just west of Helsinki, in a town called Espoo.
The exterior walls of the temple are made with a light-gray Italian granite, giving it a light exterior, while the stone walls surrounding the temple grounds are made with Finnish brown granite. The total structure comprises 16,350 square feet and includes a baptistry, two instruction rooms and two sealing rooms.