The Kansas City Missouri Temple is the 137th operating temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). It is the first to be built in the Greater Kansas City area. Previous attempts at building a temple in the area failed in Independence in 1833 and Far West in 1838, after church founder Joseph Smith had selected and dedicated locations for their construction. A temple was completed in Independence in 1994 by the Community of Christ, which is not affiliated with the LDS Church.
The intent to construct the temple was announced on October 4, 2008, during the church's 178th Semiannual general conference by church president Thomas S. Monson. When the announcement was made, Monson did not specify whether the temple would be constructed in Kansas or Missouri.[1] However, a press release later confirmed the temple would be built in the Shoal Creek development in Clay County, Missouri, within the city boundaries of Kansas City. This was the second temple of the LDS Church built in Missouri, after the St. Louis Missouri Temple.
The Kansas City Missouri Temple was announced concurrently with the Philadelphia Pennsylvania, Calgary Alberta, Córdoba Argentina and Rome Italy temples.
On October 22, 2009, the Kansas City Council approved The Meadows at Searcy Creek First Plat, the subdivision of the Shoal Creek development where the temple is located. The plat includes the lot for a church meetinghouse as well as the temple. In 2009, JE Dunn Construction was selected to build a temple.[2] Site work in the development, including acquiring property for the future temple, commenced in late October. The official groundbreaking for the temple took place on May 8, 2010; attendance was by invitation only.[3]
The temple stands not far from the city of Liberty, where church founder Joseph Smith was incarcerated in the winter of 1838-39.[4]
A public open house was held from April 7–28, 2012. Among the visitors were Missouri governor Jay Nixon and Kansas governor Sam Brownback, who were given a private tour on April 5, 2012. Both governors presented proclamations to the LDS Church congratulating them on the completion of the temple. Over 92,000 people toured the temple during the open house, including those from 47 states and 11 countries.
On May 5, 2012, church members between the ages of 12 and 18 who resided in the new temple district provided a cultural performance at the Kansas City Municipal Auditorium in celebration of the completion of the temple. The following day, May 6, 2012, the temple was dedicated by Thomas S. Monson. The temple, built on 8 acres, serves 45,000 LDS Church members from 126 congregations in Kansas and Missouri, as well as some who live in Oklahoma and Arkansas.[5]
In 2023, a new temple was announced to be built in Springfield, Missouri, the state's third location in addition to Kansas City and St. Louis.[6]