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How much do temples cost to build?


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I love numbers and statsitics so I wish we could know how much each temple cost to build, but I've only been able to find non trustworthy sources that come up with any actual dollar numbers. Why doesn't the church release how much each temple cost to build? They're all so beautiful and look very well done. I feel it's ok if they spend tens of millions on them because they're houses for the Lord and that's what I expect my tithing to go towards anyway, besides making BYU tuition affordable.

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21 minutes ago, VideoGameJunkie said:

I feel it's ok if they spend tens of millions on them because they're houses for the Lord and that's what I expect my tithing to go towards anyway

They may be houses of the Lord, but they are built for his children.  Anyone that believes the money spent on temples would be better spent on humanitarian aid (which the Church does as well) doesn't understand God's work and purpose.  (Matt 26:8-11)

As for the cost, as long as they are built debt free so they can be truly dedicated to the Lord, and as long as they provide the ordinances necessary to return to God, I don't care how much the Church spends on them.

 

 

Edited by JLHPROF
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It depends on the size and lot and if they build any other buildings around it. I've heard the Hong Kong Temple is or was the most expensive Temple built. Nauvoo was a gift to the Church, I wouldn't be surprised if the Rome Temple was a billion dollar project-but the Regina Temple maybe 3 million big ones?

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1 hour ago, JLHPROF said:

They may be houses of the Lord, but they are built for his children.  Anyone that believes the money spent on temples would be better spent on humanitarian aid (which the Church does as well) doesn't understand God's work and purpose.  (Matt 26:8-11)

As for the cost, as long as they are built debt free so they can be truly dedicated to the Lord, and as long as they provide the ordinances necessary to return to God, I don't care how much the Church spends on them.

 

 

Why if someone thinks the money would be better spent on humanitarian do they not understand God's works and purposes,.  Jesus said a lot about caring for the poor didn't he?  King Benjamin had a lot to say about it as well.

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33 minutes ago, Teancum said:

Why if someone thinks the money would be better spent on humanitarian do they not understand God's works and purposes,.  Jesus said a lot about caring for the poor didn't he?  King Benjamin had a lot to say about it as well.

Because providing for the eternal lives of Gods children is more important than providing for their temporal lives.

Both are required of us - humanitarian and temples.

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Most buildings like large church buildings can cost about $100 to $150 per sq ft, depending on their location and materials used.

Temples vary widely in square footage; the smaller ones about 10,000 sg ft and the larger ones, like the Washington DC temple, about 160,000 sq ft.

So a rough guesstimate would be from $3 million to $24 million.

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The extra work to make them last through the millennium, including the earthquakes and other phenomena that has been prophesied to proceed it, does not come cheap.  And the finishes you see, are way over 150/ sq. ft.   My guess is that the new Provo City Temple is the among the most expensive temples built, largely because it was within an existed building that they were preserving.    And labor costs vary widely around the world.

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17 minutes ago, JAHS said:

Most buildings like large church buildings can cost about $100 to $150 per sq ft, depending on their location and materials used.

Temples vary widely in square footage; the smaller ones about 10,000 sg ft and the larger ones, like the Washington DC temple, about 160,000 sq ft.

So a rough guesstimate would be from $3 million to $24 million.

Thanks for the estimate.

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42 minutes ago, JAHS said:

Most buildings like large church buildings can cost about $100 to $150 per sq ft, depending on their location and materials used.

Perhaps for the chapels (depending on the area of the world), but certainly not for temples.  Througout the history of the church, one of the limiting factors for temple construction has been the cost.  

It was not uncommon for members in much of the world to have to travel many hours or even days to attend the temple.  Over the past couple of decades this has been significantly reduced with the construction of dozens of new temples, but I wonder if the "no expense spared" attitude has been a hindrance to temple work.  

Imagine the number of temples that would dot the earth if they had been built at the level of quality of a typical chapel.  I can't imagine God being any less pleased or accepting of the ordinances performed if they had been done so in a temple of a more modest construction.

Edited by omni
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5 minutes ago, omni said:

It was not uncommon for members in much of the world to have to travel many hours or even days to attend the temple.  Over the past couple of decades this has been significantly reduced with the construction of dozens of new temples, but I wonder if the "no expense spared" attitude has been a hindrance to temple work.  

Imagine the number of temples that would dot the earth if they had been built at the level of quality of a typical chapel.  I can't imagine God being any less pleased or accepting of the ordinances performed if they had been done so in a temple of a more modest construction.

I don't know- God had some pretty specific instructions for Solomon's temple, involving very expensive materials.

 

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3 minutes ago, Traela said:

I don't know- God had some pretty specific instructions for Solomon's temple, involving very expensive materials.

 

Was it God's instruction or man's justification (even if sincere) for its high cost construction.  I just ask myself, do I believe God would be more concerned with having a chandelier that cost as much as a house and top-of-the-line finishings, or with the amount of work that could be performed.

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14 minutes ago, omni said:

Perhaps for the chapels (depending on the area of the world), but certainly not for temples.  Througout the history of the church, one of the limiting factors for temple construction has been the cost.  

It was not uncommon for members in much of the world to have to travel many hours or even days to attend the temple.  Over the past couple of decades this has been significantly reduced with the construction of dozens of new temples, but I wonder if the "no expense spared" attitude has been a hindrance to temple work.  

Imagine the number of temples that would dot the earth if they had been built at the level of quality of a typical chapel.  I can't imagine God being any less pleased or accepting of the ordinances performed if they had been done so in a temple of a more modest construction.

 

I think to a certain extent the Church has done that with Pres. Hinckley's 100 Temples by 2000. One of my fave quotations from Pres. Uchtdorf is

"We could cover the earth with members of the Church, put a meetinghouse on every corner, dot the land with temples, fill the earth with copies of the Book of Mormon, send missionaries to every country, and say millions of prayers. But if we neglect to grasp the core of the gospel message and fail to help those who suffer or turn away those who mourn, and if we do not remember to be charitable, we “are as [waste], which the refiners do cast out.”

http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/president-uchtdorf-transcript-salt-lake-inner-city-mission

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2 hours ago, Teancum said:

Why if someone thinks the money would be better spent on humanitarian do they not understand God's works and purposes,.  Jesus said a lot about caring for the poor didn't he?  King Benjamin had a lot to say about it as well.

It doesn't bother me that the church spends a lot of money in building temples, what bothers me is that our church donated 1.5 million dollars to an American museum, and donated $189,903.58 to a political campaign. I can't understand why they did that

http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/church-clarifies-proposition-8-filing-corrects-erroneous-news-reports

http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/church-provides-gift-to-new-american-revolution-museum

Edited by TheSkepticChristian
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22 minutes ago, omni said:

Was it God's instruction or man's justification (even if sincere) for its high cost construction.  I just ask myself, do I believe God would be more concerned with having a chandelier that cost as much as a house and top-of-the-line finishings, or with the amount of work that could be performed.

 But when his disciples saw it, they had indignation, saying, To what purpose is this waste?

 For this ointment might have been sold for much, and given to the poor.

 10 When Jesus understood it, he said unto them, Why trouble ye the woman? for she hath wrought a good work upon me.

 11 For ye have the poor always with you; but me ye have not always.

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6 minutes ago, JLHPROF said:

 For this ointment might have been sold for much, and given to the poor.

Very nice, but please explain what I just said 

 

13 minutes ago, TheSkepticChristian said:

It doesn't bother me that the church spends a lot of money in building temples, what bothers me is that our church donated 1.5 million dollars to an American museum, and donated $189,903.58 to a political campaign. I can't understand why they did that

http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/church-clarifies-proposition-8-filing-corrects-erroneous-news-reports

http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/church-provides-gift-to-new-american-revolution-museum

 

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1 minute ago, TheSkepticChristian said:

Very nice, but please explain what I just said 

 

 

No idea - I wasn't respond to your post.

However, I have no issue with the Church standing up politically for correct principle. 

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11 minutes ago, JLHPROF said:

No idea - I wasn't respond to your post.

However, I have no issue with the Church standing up politically for correct principle. 

Many people like me disagree with corporate money in politics. 

http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/12/07/as-more-money-flows-into-campaigns-americans-worry-about-its-influence/

and how you know Matthew 26 was translated correctly? There is no similar teaching anywhere else in scripture. 

Edited by TheSkepticChristian
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1 hour ago, omni said:

Perhaps for the chapels (depending on the area of the world), but certainly not for temples.  Througout the history of the church, one of the limiting factors for temple construction has been the cost.  

It was not uncommon for members in much of the world to have to travel many hours or even days to attend the temple.  Over the past couple of decades this has been significantly reduced with the construction of dozens of new temples, but I wonder if the "no expense spared" attitude has been a hindrance to temple work.  

Imagine the number of temples that would dot the earth if they had been built at the level of quality of a typical chapel.  I can't imagine God being any less pleased or accepting of the ordinances performed if they had been done so in a temple of a more modest construction.

There is of course the matter of when the temple was built and then figuring in inflation for temples built now which could increase the estimate significantly. God is not the one who needs the more elaborate construction, but it does help those who attend it to feel as though they are in the presence of God and in a very sacred place.

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10 minutes ago, TheSkepticChristian said:
37 minutes ago, JLHPROF said:

 For this ointment might have been sold for much, and given to the poor.

and how you know Matthew 26 was translated correctly? There is no similar teaching anywhere else in scripture. 

Except in Mark -

  •  And there were some that had indignation within themselves, and said, Why was this waste of the ointment made?

     For it might have been sold for more than three hundred pence, and have been given to the poor. And they murmured against her.

     And Jesus said, Let her alone; why trouble ye her? she hath wrought a good work on me.

     For ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good: but me ye have not always.

 

And John (where it is Judas making the "why wasn't the money used for the poor instead of ordinances" argument)

  •  Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, which should betray him,

     Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor?

     This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein.

     Then said Jesus, Let her alone: against the day of my burying hath she kept this.

     For the poor always ye have with you; but me ye have not always.

 

 

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7 minutes ago, JLHPROF said:

Except in Mark -

  •  And there were some that had indignation within themselves, and said, Why was this waste of the ointment made?

     For it might have been sold for more than three hundred pence, and have been given to the poor. And they murmured against her.

     And Jesus said, Let her alone; why trouble ye her? she hath wrought a good work on me.

     For ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good: but me ye have not always.

 

And John (where it is Judas making the "why wasn't the money used for the poor instead of ordinances" argument)

  •  Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, which should betray him,

     Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor?

     This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein.

     Then said Jesus, Let her alone: against the day of my burying hath she kept this.

     For the poor always ye have with you; but me ye have not always.

 

 

Ya I have no problems with fancy temples because they're made to be the Lords house and you would expect the Lord to live in a nice place. Plus I feel such peace and am always amazed by the beauty. I just wish the celestial rooms had more colors in them but they're still so amazing to sit in and look atound.

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