Preston England Temple

Preston England Temple
Number	52
Dedication	7 June 1998 (7 June 1998) by Gordon B. Hinckley
Site	15 acres (6.1 hectares)
Floor area	69,630 sq ft (6,469 m2)
Height	159 ft (48 m)
Preceded by	Vernal Utah Temple
Followed by	Monticello Utah Temple
Official website • News & images
Additional information Announcement 19 October 1992 Groundbreaking 12 June 1994 by Gordon B. Hinckley Open House 16–30 May 1998 Current President Douglas Murray Designed by Church A&E Services Location Temple Way, Hartwood Green Chorley Lancashire England Exterior finish Olympia white granite from Sardinia Temple design Modern, single-spire design Ordinance rooms 4 with Movie, stationary sessions Sealing rooms 4 Clothing rental Yes Cafeteria Full services Visitors' center No

The Preston England Temple is the 52nd operating temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church).

The LDS Church took root in Preston, Lancashire, when the first Mormon missionaries arrived in 1837. Because of its place in LDS Church history and the growth of membership in Preston, LDS Church president Gordon B. Hinckley announced the area would be the site for Britain's second temple (the first was in Surrey, near London). The Preston England Temple is located in the town of Chorley, 10 miles (16 km) south of Preston, in Lancashire. It is the centrepiece of a 15-acre (6 hectare) complex that includes a stake centre, a missionary training centre, a family history facility, a distribution centre, temple patron housing, temple missionary accommodations and a grounds building. The temple itself has a modern, single-spire design and an exterior finish of Olympia white granite from Sardinia. The white granite exterior and zinc roof have caused it to be described as reminiscent of England's old churches.

Hinckley dedicated the Preston England Temple on 7 June 1998. The temple has four ordinance rooms and four sealing rooms, and is the largest LDS temple in Europe, at 69,630 square feet (6,470 m²). The older London England Temple is smaller, at 46,174 square feet (4,290 m²) and is the second-largest temple in Europe, followed by the Madrid Spain Temple at 45,800 square feet (4,250 m²).

The temple serves Latter-day Saints from the Midlands and northern parts of England, the whole of Scotland, the Isle of Man, the Belfast Stake in Northern Ireland and the Dublin Stake in the Republic of Ireland. The Limerick District in the Republic of Ireland is served by the London England Temple.

Pageant

Figure atop the temple spire

In the summer of 2013, the church staged a pageant on the grounds of the temple, similar to the Hill Cumorah Pageant and others done in the U.S., but with a very British theme. Titled "Truth Will Prevail," it was the first official church pageant performed outside of North America. The pageant script was written by Alex Mackenzie-Johns, a British Latter-day Saint, and was under the guidance of Stephen C. Kerr, a British area seventy. The event had ticketed attendance, with seating of 1,500 per night at the "Pageant Theatre marquee". Approximately 15,000 tickets were distributed, free of charge, for the 10 day run. The pageant included 33 core cast members, 300 family cast and a 150-voice choir.

See also

• Comparison of temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
• List of temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
• List of temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by geographic region
• Temple architecture (Latter-day Saints)
• The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in England
• The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Ireland
• The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Scotland
• The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the United Kingdom

External links

• Media related to at Wikimedia Commons
• Official Preston England Temple page
• Preston England Temple page