HAMILTON COUNTY

Get a rare look inside a Mormon temple

Olivia Lewis
olivia.lewis@indystar.com

After three years of construction on a 34,000-square-foot building, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is ready to be viewed by the public.

It’s a one-time opportunity for those not of the Mormon faith. The Indianapolis Indiana Temple in Carmel will be dedicated Aug. 23, and from then on only Mormons will be allowed to enter.

Church elder Kent Richards said the temple brings about a sense of peace.

“I think it’s something that’s hard to describe,” he said. “It’s a beautiful spirit that’s there.”

The temple is the most sacred space of the Mormon faith. It’s used for ordinances, or events, for Mormon families who wish to become closer to God. The small rooms cater to baptisms, weddings, meditation and sealings, a ceremony in which a husband, wife and sometimes children commit to one another even after death.

The Carmel temple, at 116th Street and Spring Mill Road, will host up to 30,000 Mormons in Indiana and is the 148th temple of the church in the world. Other temples near Indianapolis are in Chicago; Louisville, Ky.; and Columbus, Ohio.

There are two entryways: a large entrance at the front of the building and a smaller two-door opening on the left side. The exterior of the building is made of cream limestone cladding from Turkey and glass-stained windows from Indiana and Utah. Much of the temple’s design, like the tulip poplar and the state tree, have been incorporated throughout the temple’s motif.

Spokesman Rick Hightower said the church does not release the costs of their buildings but noted the structure was built with the “finest materials available.” Hightower said funds came from the tithes and offerings of church members, who are asked to give 10 percent of their income.

The rooms have high-ceilings, mostly decorated with crystal chandeliers and touches of gold, marble tile and natural finish cherry wood. Paintings of Jesus and large, gold-plated mirrors are hung on the walls. The tall stained-glassed windows expose a vast amount of natural light in almost every room.

There is one baptismal room with a large font in the center of the room, raised on the backs of 12 oxen statues from a lower level. The large bronze animals represent the 12 tribes of Israel.

Children in the Mormon faith are allowed in the temple to perform baptisms as early as 12 and must then complete a confirmation.

The temple also houses offices, a celestial room for meditation, a bride room and two instruction rooms. Each are small and intimate; church services themselves are not held in the temple.

Anyone is welcome to a general service, but after the temple has been dedicated only Mormons will be allowed to enter.

Public tours run July 17 through Aug. 8, Monday through Saturday. The tour is free and includes a 10-minute video presentation and a 40-minute walk through the temple.

Call Star reporter Olivia Lewis at (317) 444-6126. Follow her on Twitter: @TheWrittenPeace.

If you go:

Tours will be available July 17 through Aug. 8

When: Mondays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Tuesday through Saturdays 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Where: 116th Street and Spring Mill Road in Carmel

Cost: Free.

To register: templeopenhouse.lds.org or call 1 (855) 537-2000.