'Prophecies fulfilled' at Cleveland Ohio Temple dedication

CLEVELAND — Decades of church history in Ohio led to the dedication of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' Cleveland Ohio Temple on Sunday.

Once a church headquarters, persecution drove the early Saints out of northeastern Ohio. At the time, the number of members living in the area fell from thousands to almost none. Now, 190 years later, church historians say prophecy is being fulfilled.

President Russell M. Nelson announced the Cleveland Ohio Temple during the 192nd Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in April 2022. It was one of 16 temples announced, bringing nearly 200 years of temple worship full circle.

Kirtland historian Karl Anderson lives in northeastern Ohio. He shared his knowledge on the history of the early church in Kirtland, where the church headquarters was located between 1831 and 1838.

"If we look at the Kirtland Temple, it required great sacrifice to build," he said. "I mean, they had nothing, but yet … they gave everything."

Anderson served as president of the Cleveland stake in the 1970s. He was a student of the gospel, intrigued by scriptures and prophecies echoed by Joseph and Hyrum Smith concerning the land of Kirtland.

"And he said, 'I, the Lord, will build up Kirtland. And your children may possess the Kirtland lands. But not until many years shall pass away. And then I will stretch forth my hand and build up Kirtland. And it will be polished and refined, according to my word,'" Anderson said.

With no timeline given, Anderson led the charge to help fulfill that prophecy through missionary work and restoration. He helped restore the Newell K. Whitney store, which was once the church's headquarters. Additionally, Anderson helped restore the Joseph and Emma Smith home, the Johnson Inn, and the Johnson Farm in Hiram, where Joseph Smith was tarred and feathered.

Eventually, decades later, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints regained ownership of the first temple built by the church.

At the moment of dedication of the Cleveland Ohio Temple on Sunday, northeastern Ohio was home to the oldest and the newest temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints ... all because of what happened nearly 200 years ago, just 30 miles away from the Cleveland temple, where promises will be given and covenants will be made.

Elder David R. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints dedicated the temple in Cleveland Sunday morning and said: "Cleveland is near Kirtland, Ohio—a sacred place where the Savior's restored Church dedicated its first house of the Lord in 1836.

"This dedication of the Cleveland Ohio Temple provided us an opportunity to reflect upon and celebrate the restoration of divine priesthood authority and keys essential for sealing families together forever," he posted on Facebook. "May the spiritual lessons learned in this sacred place, and in temples everywhere, bless and transform individuals, families, homes, and communities throughout the world."

As the church's 221st operating temple, the Cleveland Ohio Temple will serve the more than 12,000 Latter-day Saints in the Cleveland, Akron, Hiram and Kirtland stakes in northeastern Ohio.

"He loves this land. He took his early Saints there. He prophesied that it would be built after many years would pass away and the children would come back," Anderson said. "And that peace and that love is primary, and what we feel not only in the Kirtland Temple … but in the Cleveland Temple."

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