May 03, 2016
Temples of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints/for PhillyVoice
An artist's rendering of the Mormon temple on Vine Street in Philadelphia. The church will be open to public tours this summer.
Towering over I-676 near the Ben Franklin Parkway, the new Mormon temple in Philly will be open to the public this summer.
Construction on the house of worship began in 2011. Sitting on the 1700 block of Vine Street, residents will be able to sign up for a tour of the temple from Aug. 10 to Sept. 9 — with the exception of Sundays.
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Tours will begin with a video presentation, followed by a guide taking you through the temple and answering questions. The church will be officially dedicated on Sept. 18.
The temple is the first in the state of Pennsylvania. Flora McConkie, a spokesperson for the church, explained to CBSPhilly why such a building is significant to members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints:
“Our temples are different from our meeting houses,” McConkie said. “Our temples are considered houses of the Lord, where the most sacred ordinances of our faith take place, for instance marriage, and our meeting houses are where we gather every Sunday for worship services.”
Once the temple is dedicated, only faithful Mormons will be allowed inside, McConkie told CBSPhilly. The 53,000-square-foot facility will serve about 45,000 worshippers across the Delaware Valley as well as Maryland, according to the news station.
If you're interested in signing up for a tour, more information can be found here.
