Independence Temple is awe-inspiring even to the undevout; it’s unlike any other place of worship built before or since. Construction of the spire—designed in the shape of a nautilus shell reaching up to the heavens—required four years and over 300 panels of custom-built stainless steel, and all this in the days of early 1990s software imaging. The final effect is truly otherworldly.
The location of the temple is not far from Adam-ondi-Ahman, the place the Latter-Day Saints believe was the Garden of Eden and where Christ will reappear.
As the Book of Mormon tells it, in 1831 Joseph Smith, founder of the Church of Latter-Day Saints, visited Missouri. When he reached Jackson County, he prophesied that Independence, Missouri was the center of the Earth and that it would be a place of wisdom for years to come:
"Hearken, O ye elders of my church, saith the Lord your God, who have assembled yourselves together, according to my commandments, in this land, which is the land of Missouri, which is the land which I have appointed and consecrated for the gathering of the saints. Wherefore, this is the land of promise, and the place for the city of Zion. And thus saith the Lord your God, if you will receive wisdom here is wisdom. Behold, the place which is now called Independence is the center place; and a spot for the temple is lying westward..."
Smith purchased the land for the LDS, but it wasn't until more than a century later that the church was actually built. The church made up for lost time in grandiosity, in the form of the magnificent Independence Temple. The structure serves as the headquarters of the Community of Christ Church.
Plans for the temple were initially unveiled in 1988 by Community of Christ President Wallace B. Smith. The temple is rife with biblical symbolism, with award-winning fountains and murals along "Worshiper's Path." It's also huge: The Temple Sanctuary seats 1,600 while the auditorium seats 5,800. There is also a Meditation Chapel and a colorful Children's Peace Pavilion. The Temple also houses two giant organs, one of which is the largest in the country with 6,334 pipes.
While most Mormon temples are closed to the public, the Community of Christ welcomes visitors of alternate faiths. This is fortunate because Independence Temple is a sight to be seen, inside and out.