Greater Kansas City

I am so stinking excited I can hardly contain myself. This weekend was General Conference for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Which means that we have the chance to listen to our leaders and our current Prophet. And usually during the first session on Saturday mornings the Prophet will announce if any new temples are going to be built. Amazingly this time around he announced 5 new ones.

Here is how he started the list:
1. Calgary, Alberta, Canada
2. Cordoba, Argentina
3. Greater Kansas City area!
4. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
5. Rome, Italy

I must say when I heard KANSAS CITY I almost stopped listening. I know I let out a big sigh and a bit "AHHHHH yeah" but I had to contain myself due to being in the chapel. But my heart was full with joy and anticipation. Knowing that the temple was announced means that we will have an hour less to travel as a Ward in Great Bend, and also that the second coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is just that much closer to happening.

I am overjoyed, and so I thought I would share the article that was posted on the lds.org website! I will definitetly keep you all posted as to where the specific location is and when the groundbreaking and all that good stuff will take place.

SALT LAKE CITY 4 October 2008 One of five new temples announced this weekend by Thomas S. Monson, president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, will be built in the greater Kansas City area.

Since the early 1830s, Missouri has played an important role in Church history when the Latter-day Saints established communities in Independence and Far West. Kansas also saw early pioneer settlements, but these were abandoned when members of the Church moved to Nauvoo, Illinois, and eventually Utah.

The Church maintains visitors’ centers and commemorative markers in Independence, Liberty, Far West and other historic locations.

As the Church has spread throughout the United States congregations have been established in every major city in the Midwest. In Missouri and Kansas there are approximately 100,000 members. The first Latter-day Saint stake (a stake is similar to a diocese) was established in Kansas City in 1956. In Kansas, the first stake was organized in Wichita in 1962. Today there are also Stakes in Independence, Liberty, Springfield, St. Louis, Platte, Topeka, Salina, Derby, Lenexa, and elsewhere.

More details concerning architectural design and the exact location of the temple will be announced as they are available.