Mormons to Restore 1846 Illinois Temple

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will rebuild its historic Nauvoo Temple, destroyed by fire in 1848 after members of the early Mormon church left Nauvoo, Ill., for the Salt Lake Valley.

The announcement was made Easter Sunday by Mormon President Gordon B. Hinckley at the close of the church’s 169th General Conference, held in Salt Lake City.

Hinckley said an unnamed “member of the church and his family have provided a very substantial contribution” to make the project possible.

Nauvoo was the site of the second temple constructed by early Mormons. The first was in Kirtland, Ohio. Built on a bluff overlooking the Mississippi River, the Nauvoo Temple was dedicated in 1846.

The site for the temple was selected by church founder Joseph Smith. Smith laid the cornerstone in 1841, three years before he was killed by an anti-Mormon mob in nearby Carthage, Ill.

The structure--which had a tower and spire 165 feet high--was destroyed by arson in 1848. A tornado later knocked down some of the walls that survived the blaze and much of the stone used to construct the building was later taken for use elsewhere. Only the foundation stones remain.

There are 56 Mormon temples worldwide and 50 more are under construction. They are used for special occasions, such as church-sanctioned marriages. Regular worship is conducted in local meeting halls.