LDS Temple News Presents the House of the Lord Columbia River Washington Temple
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 encountered eager individuals ready for baptism, thanks to the dedicated Murphys. Legend states Murphy visited Joseph Smith shortly before the Prophet’ s martyrdom at Carthage Jail, where Smith shared a prophetic vision of an upcoming war in South Carolina and urged him to warn his fellow citizens.
The temple, located in a scenic part of Columbia, South Carolina’ s capital, stands out in a lush, wooded neighborhood. Surrounded by well- maintained homes and welcoming churches, it is framed by native loblolly pines and oaks. Landscaping with crape myrtle, holly, mums, and dogwoods highlights the area’ s rich flora.
During the temple open house, Deputy Chief of Staff Michael LeFever, filling in for Hurricane Floyd- affected Governor James Hodges, expressed excitement about visiting the temple and received a VIP tour. The governor also sent a personal letter commending church members’ efforts in building this notable temple.
That morning, the Wilcox family from Asheville received the sad news that their son Brad had died in a car accident the night before the 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 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. The temple, covering 10, 10,700 square feet, was announced on September 11, 1998; groundbreaking and site dedication were conducted on December 5, 1998, by Gordon T. Watts. The open house ran from September 30 to October 9, 1999, followed by the dedication on October 16- 17, 1999, by Gordon B. Hinckley. Situated on 3. 3.6 acres, it features an exterior of Vermont quarried Imperial Danby White marble and a gold- leafed Angel Moroni statue atop a tall spire.
Inside, the temple contains two instruction rooms, two sealing rooms, and a baptismal font, all built with reverence. Sitting at an elevation of 307 feet, the temple symbolizes hope and faith for all visitors.