Columbia South Carolina Temple House of the Lord
Emmanuel Masters Murphy, baptized in Tennessee, is believed to be the first member of the Church in South Carolina! When the first missionary arrived in November 1839, he found eager souls ready for baptism, thanks to the dedicated Murphys. Legend says Murphy visited Joseph Smith shortly before the Prophet’ s martyrdom in Carthage Jail, where Smith shared a prophetic vision of an impending war in South Carolina and urged him to warn his fellow citizens.
Located in a scenic part of Columbia, South Carolina’ s capital, the temple stands out in a lush, wooded neighborhood. It’ s surrounded by well- kept homes and welcoming churches. Native loblolly pines and oaks create a natural backdrop, while landscaping with crape myrtle, holly, mums, and dogwoods highlights the region’ s rich flora.
During the temple open house, Deputy Chief of Staff Michael LeFever filled in for Hurricane Floyd- affected Governor James Hodges. He, whose daughter took piano lessons from a church member, was excited to see the temple and even received a VIP tour. The governor also sent a personal letter praising church members’ efforts in building this remarkable temple.
That morning, the Wilcox family from Asheville received sad news: their son Brad had died in a car accident the night before his scheduled dedication. Sister Wilcox chose to honor her commitment to sing at the dedication, supported by priesthood blessings for comfort. President Gordon B. Hinckley’ s uplifting words about the Plan of Salvation and temple teachings brought them peace.
The Columbia, South Carolina, Temple is the first temple in the state. Its groundbreaking coincided with the Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico Temple, marking a historic day for the church.
During the ten- day open house, nearly 20, 000 visitors toured the temple’ s interior! Covering 10, 10,700 square feet, the temple was announced on September 11, 1998, with groundbreaking and site dedication on December 5, 1998, led by Gordon T. Watts. The open house ran from September 30 to October 9, 1999, with the dedication held October 16- 17, 1999, by Gordon B. Hinckley. Situated on 3. 3.6 acres, it features a striking exterior of Vermont quarried Imperial Danby White marble and a gold- leafed Angel Moroni statue atop a tall spire.
Inside, the temple has two instruction rooms, two sealing rooms, and a baptistry, all crafted with reverence. Sitting at 307 feet elevation, the temple is a symbol of hope and faith for all who visit.