The Indianapolis Indiana Temple rises amid the serene surroundings of Carmel, an Indianapolis suburb. The first temple in the Hoosier State and the 148th temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Indianapolis Indiana Temple serves 30,000 Latter-day Saints in Indiana and eastern Illinois.
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The temple’s exterior architecture includes a pattern of vertical lines that draw the eyes heavenward. The temple’s beautiful spire is inlaid on each side with three panels of art glass, creating a striking tower of light at night. Standing atop the spire at 106 feet from the ground is an 8.5-foot, 900-pound gold-leafed statue of the angel Moroni.
Throughout the temple grounds, flowers, shrubbery and trees cause visitors to ponder the beauty of God’s creation. A domed fountain stands before the front doors, which are flanked by columns. Above the columns are the words “Holiness to the Lord, the House of the Lord,” reminding patrons of the sanctity of the building they are to enter. The temple grounds also include a Church meetinghouse.
Latter-day Saint history in Indiana dates back to 1831, when missionaries came to Indiana to share the message of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. They organized congregations that met in homes until the first hall was rented in 1913. In 1927, the state’s first Mormon meetinghouse was built and dedicated by Church President Heber J. Grant. Church membership has continued to grow, and on October 2, 2010, Church President Thomas S. Monson announced the Indianapolis Indiana Temple along with additional temples to be built in Lisbon, Portugal; Tijuana, Mexico; Hartford, Connecticut; and Urdaneta, Philippines.
A groundbreaking ceremony was held on September 29, 2012, at the temple site, located on the southwest corner of the intersection of W 116th and Spring Mill Road. Church leaders Donald L. Hallstrom and Gregory A. Schwitzer, as well as many local Church and community leaders, participated in the ceremony. Elder Hailstorm spoke of the focus the temple gives: “The holy temple helps us to know, in our lives, what to embrace and what to discard.” (source)
