Announced: April 2, 2000.
Location: Leppasillantie 3, 02620 Espoo, Finland.
Exterior finish: Light gray Italian granite; stone walls surrounding temple made of Finnish brown granite.
Temple design: classic elegance.
Site: 7.4 acres.
Architects: Evata Architects, Helsinki, Finland.
Project manager: Hanno Luschin.
Contractor: NC Rakennus OY, Helsinki, Finland.
Rooms: Celestial room, baptistry, two ordinance rooms, two sealing rooms.
Total floor area: 16,350 square feet.
Dimensions: 212-feet by 103-feet by 139-feet.
District: Members in Finland and Eastern Europe countries of Russia and Baltic countries.
Groundbreaking, site dedication: March 29, 2003, by Elder D. Lee Tobler.
Dedication: Oct. 22, 2006, by President Gordon B. Hinckley; four sessions.
Dedicatory Prayer
Done by President Gordon B. Hinckley
O God, our Eternal Father, Thou great Elohim, the Governor of the universe, hear our prayer, offered in the name of Thine Only Begotten Son.
We come unto Thee with unbounded gratitude for Thy generous blessings upon us.
Father, we thank Thee for this remarkable season when we are alive. We thank Thee that Thou hast parted the curtains and revealed Thyself and Thy Son to open this, the dispensation of the fulness of times. We thank Thee for the
incomparable vision given the boy Joseph Smith.
We are grateful for the coming forth of the Book of Mormon as another testament, speaking from the dust in witness of the divinity of Thy Son. We thank Thee for the restoration of the holy priesthood, with all of the authority and powers and keys appurtenant thereto.
And now, in the exercise of that priesthood and in the name of Jesus Christ, we dedicate and consecrate this, the Helsinki Finland Temple, to Thee and Thy Beloved Son as Thy holy house, Thy sacred abode. Wilt Thou accept it as our
offering unto Thee. Let Thy watchful care be over it.
We dedicate the ground on which it stands with all of the trees, shrubbery, and flowers found thereon. We dedicate the footings and foundation of the building, the walls and windows and roof, reaching up to the figure of Moroni.
We dedicate the beautiful baptistry wherein ordinances for the blessing of the deceased may occur. May the young people, particularly, take advantage of the great opportunity to here be baptized in behalf of those beyond the veil of death.
We consecrate and dedicate the ordinance rooms, the sealing rooms, and the crowning jewel, the celestial room. We dedicate the offices, the halls, the dressing rooms, and all other spaces and facilities in this sacred and holy house. We
likewise dedicate and consecrate the other structures associated with this temple—the patron housing, the missionary quarters, the president's residence, and other facilities.
O God, we are so deeply grateful to those who have come to this land as Thy servants to preach the everlasting gospel. We thank Thee that they were able to learn the language and speak it with fluency. We are grateful for their
dedication and their desire to represent Thee in a proper and efficacious manner. We are grateful for the presence of some of them this day, knowing that all who have served here would wish to be present with us.
We invoke Thy blessings upon the presidency of the temple and the matron and her assistants. Give them strength and vitality to carry forward the rigorous work that will occur here.
We pray for Thy faithful people throughout the world who have made this temple possible through the payment of their tithes and offerings. Open the windows of heaven and shower down blessings upon them.
We thank Thee for our presence here this day, that Thou hast afforded us the strength and vitality to make the long journey to this land. Bless us, strengthen us and fortify us against the darts of the adversary.
Bless Thy work in all the earth, wherever it is established. We pray for peace among the nations and that the way may be opened whereby Thy cause may be established in distant lands where today we have no presence.
We pray for this great nation of Finland. May it ever be respected and honored among the nations of the earth. Bless its neighbor nations of Russia, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia, from which Saints will come to serve in this temple.
May they have no difficulty in crossing the borders into this land when they come to work in this, Thy holy house.
Now, dear Father, accept of our thanks for every blessing and continue Thy blessings upon us, we pray humbly and gratefully, in the hallowed and sacred name of Thy Beloved Son, even the Lord Jesus Christ, amen.
Make Finland glorious among the nations
Members hope that interest in the temple will result in more baptisms
By Shaun D. Stahle
Church News staff writer
ESPOO, Finland — In an ice hockey arena filled to its near-capacity of 7,000 people, President Gordon B. Hinckley spoke from his heart and, in the process, endeared the saints in northern Europe in comments made during a member meeting Oct. 21, on the day before the dedication of the Helsinki Finland Temple.
"My beloved brothers and sisters, what a pleasure it is to look into your faces. What a marvelous occasion this is when we dedicate a house of the Lord. I am so grateful for the opportunity of being with you."
President Hinckley spoke of a history book given to him several years earlier by James M. and Beverly Benson Parker that chronicled the growth of the Church in Finland. Titled Muistamme, the book was published to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the work in Finland from 1947 to 1997. President Ezra Taft Benson dedicated Finland in 1946.
"The book deals with the administration of all the mission presidents who served during those 50 years. I knew many of these."
President Hinckley spoke of Henry Matis, who came to Finland in 1947 and presided for 7 1/2 years.
"Today, we have with us 19 men who have presided over this mission. What a marvelous work they have done. As all of you who have served here know, this is a very difficult mission. To begin with, the language is so hard to learn. It is the most difficult of any tongue taught in the Missionary Training Center.
"Any converts are few and far between. After 59 years, we have only 5,000 members of Finland's 5 million people. Let us hope that the great interest that the temple has created will result in more baptisms."
One sees a very interesting thing here, continued President Hinckley. "There is an intense bonding between the people of America and the Finnish saints. I have participated in the dedication or rededication of 94 of the 124 temples (the dedication the next day brought the number to 95), but I have never seen such enthusiasm as I have seen with the members about the Helsinki Finland Temple."
President Hinckley acknowledged the work of two members of the Church who were appointed ambassadors from the United States to Finland, Keith Nyborg, who was in attendance, and Mark Evans Austad, who died in 1988, and then said, "Finland is a most interesting and progressive country."
Recounting information provided by the Parkers, he said:
Finland has been ranked as having the most competitive economy and the best business climate in the world.
Finland has been recognized as having the least corrupt and the most democratic government in the world.
Finland is one of the most technically advanced countries.
Finns are known for their honesty. Finland is the only country to pay back all of its war debts to the United States.
Finland is famous, among other things, for Nokia phones, Fiskar scissors, and Marimekko textiles. Eero Saarinen, the famous Finnish architect, designed the terminal building at Dulles National Airport near Washington D.C. and the famous Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Mo.
Finland's public school system is ranked the best in the world. Most Finns can speak at least three languages and almost everyone in Finland speaks English.
Breaking from his address, President Hinckley then turned to his translator, Risto Leppanen, and, to the delight of the congregation, said: "So why have we got you here?"
"Now seriously," he said, resuming his thoughts, "the work in Finland has reached maturity. With the construction and dedication of the temple you have everything that the Latter-day Saints have anywhere in the world. I urge you, as strongly as I can, that everyone secure a temple recommend. If you have a temple recommend it indicates that you are all right in every other way.
"I picked up this little Finnish flag," he said while unfurling the flag. "I like it. It's so simple. It has the Christian cross, saying that this is a Christian land. It is, as I say, so simple with that cross on a white background. Treasure it, respect it, love it, and make it a glorious thing among the nations of the earth."
Also speaking at the member meeting was Elder Richard G. Scott of the Quorum of the Twelve. He encouraged greater study of the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, and said, "We know how to be happy, how to face the challenges. So many don't know how to live. But as you study the teachings of Jesus Christ taught in the Church, you will know how to overcome every challenge and live in happiness."
Turning his attention to the young men, Elder Scott said, "What I know, you young men can't quite possibly know....
"If you haven't made up your mind to serve (a mission), please trust me. I've been down the path farther than you have. You will never regret being a missionary. But if you neglect this responsibility, you will likely regret it the rest of your life."
Elder Bruce C. Hafen of the Seventy and president of the Europe Central Area spoke of Finland's place in advancing the gospel into Eastern lands. From Finland the first missionaries were sent to Russia. "It will now host the temple. Here sacred history has been created," he said.
"The temple unifies multiple cultures.... The temple will bring a flood of new light to Finland," he said, speaking of the power for good of the temple.
E-mail to: shaun@desnews.com
Finnish temple
Long lines form as edifice opens to public near Helsinki
By Elder G. Blaine Davis and Sister Annemarie D. Davis
Public Affairs Missionaries
ESPOO, Finland — On Sept. 21, the Helsinki Finland Temple began an open house to invite the public to see the temple and introduce visitors to some of the basic teachings of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
The temple is the 10th constructed in Europe and is scheduled to be dedicated by President Gordon B. Hinckley on Oct. 22. A fireside and cultural event will be held on Oct. 21, the night prior to the dedication.
By Sept. 27, nearly 17,000 visitors had come to the open house to see the edifice and hear the messages relayed by numerous local member tour guides. The number of visitors was so large that local Church leaders called in extra Church volunteers to manage the flow of the crowds. The tours of between 20 to 30 visitors each were lined up on the sloping hill leading to the temple, waiting for their turn to enter the temple doors. Once they entered the temple, they seemed very pleased with what they saw and experienced.
The temple is located on a tree-covered knoll in the city of Espoo, right outside of Helsinki, and can easily be seen from one of the primary streets traversing the area. At night, the well-lighted building is an imposing granite structure, with a statue of Angel Moroni on top of the tall spire, which immediately draws the attention of all who travel the road. One local hotel worker reported that she drives the road every day on her way to work, and she "salutes the angel on top" as she drives by.
The temple will serve some 26,000 members in six countries: Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Belarus and Russia, countries located in two separate areas of the Church. Finland is in the Europe Central Area, the others belong to the Europe East Area.
Multiple languages that will be used in the Helsinki Finland Temple. In addition to the languages spoken in each of the assigned countries, Swedish and English will also be used to some degree in the temple.
Prior to the public open house, invitations were extended to construction workers who built the building, the news media, and by other special guests from all over Finland, but primarily from the larger Helsinki area, including Espoo.
As some 250 contractors and construction workers viewed the finished temple, many were dressed in suits and ties for men, and nice dresses or slacks for the women, to show their respect for the building on which they had worked. They brought family members, friends and associates to show them the high quality of the work they had performed.
The news briefing was attended by representatives from five national outlets. For many, this was their first exposure to the Church and temples. Members of the media appeared impressed with what they saw and felt as they listened to Europe Central Area President Bruce C. Hafen of the Seventy explain the purpose of temples.
Also participating in the open house were Elder Paul E. Koelliker of the Seventy, executive director of the Temple Department; Elder Paul B. Pieper of the Seventy, second counselor in the Europe East Area Presidency; and Bruce Olsen, managing director of the Public Affairs Department.
More than 1,200 government and political leaders, executives and religious teachers participated in the temple's tour for special guests. One local political leader said the temple was easily the most beautiful building in the whole city. Many said they were impressed by the beauty and peacefulness of the edifice.
The Finnish members of the Church are thrilled and excited to have a temple in their country. Ann-Britt Kronqvist, a native of Finland now working in Frankfurt, Germany, planned her vacation so she could be in Finland for the open house to see the temple.
"As a Finn, it is really amazing that we have a temple," Sister Kronqvist said. "This will be a wonderful thing for Finland. The Church will now be seen by many others in our country. There will be many blessings for our community and for people coming from other countries."
The Helsinki Finland Temple open house continues through Oct. 7, 2006, operating Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
