Toronto Ontario Temple
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Toronto Ontario Temple
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Announced: April 7, 1984.
Location: On the outskirts of Brampton, about 20 miles west of Toronto; 10060 Bramalea Road, Brampton, Ontario, Canada L6R 1A1; phone: (905) 799-1122.
Site: Announced April 15, 1984; 14 acres.
Exterior finish: White cast stone.
Temple design: Modern.
Architects: Allward-Gouinlock Inc.
Supervising architects: Alfred T. West Jr. and Dagmar Wertheim.
Construction adviser: Jerry Sears.
Contractor: Milne & Nicholls Ltd.
Rooms: Baptistry, celestial room, four ordinance rooms, six sealing rooms.
Total floor area: 57, 982 square feet.
Dimensions: 154 feet by 208 feet; spire, 171 feet high with 11-foot statue of Angel Moroni.
District: Nine stakes in Ontario.
Groundbreaking, site dedication: Oct. 10, 1987, by President Thomas S. Monson of the First Presidency.
Dedication: Aug. 25-27, 1990, by President Gordon B. Hinckley; 11 sessions.
Dedicatory Prayer
Done by President Gordon B. Hinckley
O God, our Eternal Father, thou great Elohim, we come unto thee in solemn prayer in the name of thy Beloved Son, Jesus Christ.
Cleanse us from sin, we ask thee, that on this sacred day of dedication, we may bow before thee in holiness, with love for thee and thy divine Son. Smile with favor upon us and give us strength to shun evil and walk without shame in the sunlight of eternal truth.
We thank thee for this day when we dedicate thy holy house. Its construction has been made possible by the consecrations of thy faithful saints. Bless them, Father, and open the windows of heaven and shower down blessings upon them, both spiritual and temporal.
We thank thee, Father, for this good land, where stands thy house—this great nation of Canada whose people enjoy the blessings of liberty and peace, with full freedom to worship thee according to thy revealed pattern. We are mindful that the Prophet Joseph Smith walked in this area and bore testimony of the gifts, the knowledge, and the authority received from thee in opening this, the Dispensation of the Fulness of Times.
This nation has become a gathering place for people from scores of other lands. In their veins flows the blood of Israel. Many have hearkened to the testimony of thy servants and have been favored with a knowledge of the principles and ordinances of thine everlasting gospel. May their numbers increase and may thy holy work grow in strength here and across the world.
In this thy house will be administered those ordinances which are eternal, even as thou, our God, art eternal. These ordinances bear witness of the immortality of the human soul. Through them we are made certain that life continues beyond the veil of death. Within this sacred house a great and marvelous work of vicarious service will be performed in behalf of the dead.
Dear Father, we marvel at thy wondrous plan for the blessing of thy sons and daughters of all generations. We bow in reverent gratitude for the redemption wrought by the Lamb of God who offered Himself a sacrifice for the sins of all men.
Now, as thy servants, acting in the authority of that divine priesthood which comes from thee, and in the name of Jesus Christ thy Beloved Son, we dedicate this the Toronto Ontario Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
We dedicate it as thine abode and the abode of thy Son, and pray that thou wilt honor it with thy presence and the continuing influence of thy Holy Spirit.
We dedicate the ground on which it stands, with the grass, the flowers, the shrubs, the trees which enhance the beauty of thy house.
We dedicate the structure from the footings to the figure of the Angel Moroni which crowns its steeple. We dedicate the baptismal font to be used in vicariously baptizing those who have passed beyond without the blessing of this required ordinance as it is properly administered.
We dedicate the rooms where other ordinances will be administered, including those in which thy worthy saints will be endowed and given understanding of man's eternal journey and of the reality of life in thy celestial kingdom.
We dedicate the sealing rooms with their sacred altars where "the fulness of the priesthood" will be exercised to bind in the heavens that which is bound upon the earth.
We dedicate all of the fixtures and appurtenances, and the ancillary structures associated with this thy house.
May this holy temple be preserved by thy powerful hand from the destructive forces of nature, and, more importantly, from any defiling act or presence on the part of those who are enemies to thy work. Frustrate by thy mighty power the evil designs of those who seek to injure thy cause and thy people.
May all who enter here be pure in heart and consecrated in purpose. May they here partake of thy Holy Spirit and carry that influence into their homes and reflect it in their lives.
As thine assembled saints we remember before thee thine appointed prophet of this day, even President Ezra Taft Benson. We miss him on this sacred occasion. In his advanced age we pray that thou wilt give him gladness in his heart, comfort in his body, and the assurance of our love. Bless those associated with him in the governance of thy work, and bless thy faithful people throughout the earth. May love and peace be found in their homes. Bless their daily labors that their temporal needs may be met and that they shall not be found in want.
Bless husbands and wives that they may be undeviating in their love and loyalty one to another, bringing up their children in light and truth.
Shield the youth from the wiles and snares of the adversary, and touch their minds with a desire for knowledge both secular and divine.
Confirm thy Church as the guardian and teacher of eternal truth. Strengthen her stakes and enlarge her borders, and arouse thy people to an understanding of the covenants which they make with thee in thy holy temples.
Rebuke those who violate the peace of the people and hasten the day when men everywhere, "shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks: [when nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more" (Isa. 2:4).
Now, our Beloved Father in Heaven, on this day of dedication, and in this solemn assembly in thy sacred house, we pledge to thee our love, our strength, our means, our faith, and bear witness to the world that thou art our living God, the God of all the universe, the extent of whose kingdom no man knoweth; and that thine Only Begotten Son is the Savior of mankind, the Spotless Lamb who was sacrificed for the sins of the world, the Holy One of Israel, "the only name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).
With unmeasured love we thus testify and offer our prayer of dedication unto thee in His holy name, even the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Toronto Ontario Temple
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Toronto Temple nears completion
The glistening spire of eastern Canada's first temple has been erected, and excitement is mounting among members in the surrounding temple district as the edifice's public open house and dedication dates draw near.
The final finishing touches are being completed on schedule at the Toronto Ontario Temple despite difficulties with a labor strike that idled construction workers for the past six weeks.The strike was resolved the first week in July, about three weeks before the open house but in time for the final work to be completed, said C. Malcolm Warner, vice chairman of the temple open house and dedication committee, and a regional representative.
The temple will open to the public on Aug. 2 and remain open through Aug. 18 except on Sundays. After being closed briefly for cleaning, the temple will be dedicated in 11 sessions, Aug. 25-27. The traditional cornerstone ceremony will precede the first dedicatory session on Aug. 25.
Elder Warner said that preparations for the open house and dedication are moving forward in high gear.
"We have approximately 2,000 volunteers who will be involved in the open house. They come from all areas of the temple district, from as far away as the Maritime provinces and the Montpelier Vermont Stake.
"Their response has been very gratifying."
Members are also preparing for the open house by distributing personal invitations to their friends and neighbors. Public announcements of the open house will begin shortly on radio and in newspapers. The announcements and publicity are being prepared by Richard R. Robertson, Canada public communications director, and members of the Church Public Communications Department. Pres. Sidney A. Smith of the Canada Toronto Mission is helping plan the missionary effort connected with the open house.
Elder Warner said that problems have been very minimal. "We have very positive neighbors. And the mayor and the city council of Brampton have been very helpful. "
However, when a strike was called that involved construction workers at the temple, leaders were concerned that the temple could not be completed on schedule. In consideration of the open house dates, union leaders agreed to allow a few members to do finishing work inside the temple on an unpaid, voluntary basis. Elder Warner said Jerry D. Sears, project manager, was "working night and day" to meet the deadline.
Elder Warner and other temple committee members have also been busy, focusing on the multitude ofdetails in such a project. "It has been extremely gratifying to see the amount of support from priesthood leaders and members of the temple district," said Elder Warner.
"As requests have come to them for volunteers, they have responded very well."
The new structure is imposing in its setting, he said. A single, 150-foot spire, topped by a gold-leafed statue of the Angel Moroni, rises from the center of the temple. It is situated on a 13-acre site on the outskirts of this community, located about 20 miles northwest of Toronto.
The temple, the Church's 44th, has 54,000 square feet of floor space, and will serve some 65,000 members in the provinces of Ontario, Quebec, the Maritime provinces, and parts of Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York and Vermont.
It was in Ontario where John Taylor, who later became the third president of the Church, was converted, and where other early converts laid the foundation for the Church's successful missionary work in the British Isles. Between 1830 and 1850, an estimated 2,500 Canadians joined the Church. Most of them gathered with the saints in the West.
Years later, missionary efforts re-established the Church in eastern Canada. In August 1913, a Canadian conference had been organized in Toronto. The first meetinghouse in eastern Canada was dedicated in Toronto in 1939, and the first eastern Canadian stake was organized there in 1960.
In 1972, membership throughout Canada was 55,532. A decade later, membership had increased to 87,657, a growth of 57 percent. Today, Canada has some 126,000 members. While the majority are in the West, stakes have been created in most of its provinces, including those in the East.
The Toronto temple was announced April 7, 1984, by President Gordon B. Hinckley, then second counselor in the First Presidency. Ground was broken Oct. 10, 1987, by President Thomas S. Monson, second counselor in the First Presidency and former president of the Canadian Mission.
‘Our treasure,’ a new temple is dedicated
By Dell Van Orden, Church News Editor
Not far from the "land of Cumorah," in a quiet, peaceful setting across the U.S.-Canadian border in metropolitan Toronto, the Church's 44th operating temple was dedicated Aug. 25-27.
The gleaming white Toronto Ontario Temple, situated on a 10-acre site separating the rural from the residential in northeast Brampton, will serve Latter-day Saints in six Canadian provinces and parts of five U.S. states.The temple district includes Quebec, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island and part of Ontario in Canada, and parts of Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York and Vermont in the United States.
It is a temple district rich in history of the founding events of the Restoration. Total LDS membership in the district is about 60,000.
A cornerstone ceremony and 11 dedicatory sessions were held during the three days. The dedicatory prayer was given in every session, with each session regarded as being equal in significance. Presiding over the dedication were President Gordon B. Hinckley and President Thomas S. Monson, first and second counselors in the First Presidency, respectively.
They, along with 27 other speakers including 21 General Authorities, spoke to the more than 17,000 faithful members who attended.
President Ezra Taft Benson, who commemorated his 91st birthday Aug. 4, did not attend the dedication because of his age and long distances to travel. He asked his counselors to proceed with the dedication of the temple, which is located about 20 miles from downtown Toronto.
Because of various nationalities of the members living in the temple district, the dedicatory sessions were translated into six languages: French, Spanish, Portuguese, Mandarin, Cantonese and Korean.
For President Monson it was a homecoming of sorts. He served as mission president in Toronto from 1959-62, and in many of the sessions in which he spoke he reminisced about experiences in serving in that position and told of some of the early development of the Church in the area and the people who played significant roles in that development.
Two other General Authorities who participated in the temple dedication also served as mission presidents in the area. Elder Boyd K. Packer served as president of the New England Mission, which included the Maritime provinces of Canada, from 1965-68; and Elder M. Russell Ballard was president of the Canada Toronto Mission from 1974-1976. Several other General Authorities and two auxiliary presidents who participated were born in Canada.
In conducting the first session, President Hinckley said, "The temple is the most sacred spot on earth." Many of the speakers during the dedicatory sessions spoke of the covenants made in the temple by Church members.
"The real test of our love for this house," he said in the second session, "lies in the use of it. It isn't built as a monument, but it is dedicated to be used."
In the session, primarily for French-speaking members of Quebec, President Hinckley said, "I have discovered that language is beautiful when it is used to express a love of God and His Son, Jesus Christ, and the eternal gospel which has come to us through the revelations to Joseph Smith."
He said he had been thinking of Moroni, a gold-leafed statue of whom adorns the 105-foot spire of the temple. The Angel Moroni appeared to the young Joseph Smith in upstate New York, not far from where the temple stands.
Referring to the events of Sept. 21, 1823, when Moroni said to Joseph that his name would "be had for good and evil among all nations, kindreds, and tongues," President Hinckley declared:
"What a promise given to a young boy who was unschooled and unlearned in the things of the world.
"Your presence here," President Hinckley told those attending the session, "is a fulfillment of those marvelous and remarkable words of prophecy." He said Joseph Smith became an instrument in the hands of God to usher in the dispensation of the fulness of times . . . "the greatest dispensation in the history of mankind, the great time of salvation for the people of the earth."
He said the many significant events in the Church since its restoration 160 years ago "foreshadow greater and more marvelous things to come."
"What we do today will go on growing and blossoming to the degree that those of generations to come will look back at our day and say it was a time of beginning," said President Hinckley.
In another session, President Hinckley said, "The temple stands as a testimony to all the world that we believe life after death is as real, as positive, as certain as this mortal life. Everything in this building speaks of eternity."
President Monson, in speaking in the first session, said, "We're close to heaven on this glorious occasion," and referred to the dedication of the temple "as a capstone event."
"This is a day of thanksgiving as well as a day of dedication," he declared.
President Monson, in the first session, spoke just before the dedicatory prayer was given by President Hinckley. "Our treasure, the beautiful Toronto Ontario Temple," said President Monson, "will now be dedicated to the Lord Jesus Christ as an expression of our love, token of our gratitude and feelings of our hearts."
In another session, President Monson spoke of opportunity for service in the Church.
"When we come to the temple let us come with the spirit of prayer, with the spirit of inquiry, with the spirit of acquiescence to the Spirit of the Lord and He will give us the power to fill any position that comes to us. He who the Lord calls, the Lord qualifies," declared President Monson.
Continuing, he said, "In our day of affluence in our homes we have many rooms for every purpose. May we have room for Christ and may we have time for Christ."
In another session, President Monson paid tribute to the early Church pioneers in the Toronto area "for they surely established the foundation for this work." He spoke of those who joined the Church as a result of missionary efforts, and said, "I think there has not been a convert in Toronto and these environs who has not had an overwhelming desire to share the truth which they've found.
"Each of you is a miracle, for conversion to the gospel is miraculous for the person who has felt the burning in his bosom and has been witness to the truth."
President Monson continued, "We're here in the temple for families are meant to be forever. We make covenants and by living true to those covenants we can live together forever as a family.
"This temple," he said, "can make our tomorrows gloriously bright as they certainly will be with family and friends."
Before its dedication, the temple was open to the public. A total of 61,285 people visited during the 16-day open house, reported C. Malcolm Warner, vice chairman of the Temple Committee and a regional representative. He said that 30-40 percent of the visitors were estimated to be non-members. "These represented people who had a real interest and desire to go through the temple," he said.
From those who visited during the open house, he said, 6,044 referrals were generated, many of whom "are considered to be golden referrals."
Many of the referrals are from the Brampton Ontario Stake, the stake in which the temple is located. Stake Pres. Alex G. Barclay said the full-time missionaries in the stake would pair off with stake missionaries and follow up on the referrals. He said the stake high council meeting on Sept. 11 would be devoted to working with the missionaries in calling upon the referrals.
