Bern Switzerland Temple

The Bern Switzerland Temple (formerly the Swiss Temple) is a temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (also known as the Mormon or LDS Church). Though the building is located in Münchenbuchsee, its postal address is assigned to the neighboring municipality of Zollikofen. It was the first LDS temple to be built in Europe and the first to be built outside of the United States and Canada.

The 7-acre (2.8 ha) lot was selected in July 1952 by President David O. McKay and Samuel E. Bringhurst, then president of the Swiss-Austrian Mission. The architects were Edward O. Anderson and Wilhelm Zimmer. Groundbreaking and dedication of the lot were performed by President David O. McKay on 5 August 1953. He dedicated the temple on 11 September 1955. The temple was known as the "Swiss Temple" until the current naming convention for temples was adopted in the late 1990s.

The Bern Switzerland temple has four ordinance rooms, seven sealing rooms, and a total floor area of 35,546 square feet (3,302.3 m2).

The presentation of the Endowment was particularly challenging in this temple, because it was the first international one, requiring many different languages for its attendants. It was solved by using a film, dubbed in all required languages. Gordon B. Hinckley supervised the initial making of this film and was the person responsible for transporting the film to Switzerland. Since then all new temples have been equipped with recordings in lieu of live presentations by temple workers. Today, only the Manti Utah Temple and the Salt Lake Temple use live presentation instead of film.

After complete renewal of the interior, the temple was rededicated by President Gordon B. Hinckley on 23 October 1992.

In connection with the fiftieth anniversary of its dedication, a 4 metres (13 ft) tall statue of the angel Moroni was erected on top of the tower on 7 September 2005.

Famous quotes containing the words switzerland and/or temple:

    I look upon Switzerland as an inferior sort of Scotland.
    Sydney Smith (1771–1845)

    If one doubts whether Grecian valor and patriotism are not a fiction of the poets, he may go to Athens and see still upon the walls of the temple of Minerva the circular marks made by the shields taken from the enemy in the Persian war, which were suspended there. We have not far to seek for living and unquestionable evidence. The very dust takes shape and confirms some story which we had read.
    Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)