Temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Construction may begin on a visitors' center planned to stand across the street from the Nauvoo Illinois Temple. A building permit was approved last week, and a timeline for the project is being established. "This is definitely a big step forward," said Acting Mayor Tacy Nelson. The approval comes after months of community discussion over concerns with zoning, traffic, safety, and appropriateness of the location. "The city and the LDS Church have come to kind of an agreement, and I think we’re both happy with how things are going to move forward," said the mayor. The 13,200-square-foot building will feature a Tiffany stained-glass window of Jesus Christ, a children's area, a theater, exhibits on the original temple, and picture windows facing the current temple with a 121-stall parking lot open to the public and community.

The Nauvoo City Council unanimously approved site plans for the proposed Nauvoo Illinois Temple Visitors' Center on Tuesday night, following months of discussion over community concerns with the location. The low-profile building will stand on the west side of Wells St across from the temple and Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church. Following design work for the project, Church representatives will file for building permits. To address traffic safety concerns, the Church will widen Wells St, add crosswalks, and build a 121-stall parking lot to the north for use by the public including parishioners of the Catholic church and school. The visitors' center will feature a Tiffany stained-glass window of Jesus Christ, a children's area, a theater, displays on the original temple, and picture windows facing the current temple.

A site plan for a 24,000-square-foot temple visitors' center was submitted to the City of Nauvoo in March. In response to concerns over the proposed location at Wells and Young, Church representatives made a presentation at Nauvoo City Hall at the end of May. The center was described as having a 240-seat theater, a space for interactive experiences, a stained-glass depiction of Jesus Christ, picture windows facing the temple, and a variety of exhibits telling the story of Nauvoo, including artifacts from the original temple and a relocated cutaway model of the current temple. The proposed 120-space parking lot would be open to the community including parishioners of the Catholic church and elementary school across the street. Plans were revised and resubmitted in July with changes that included widening Wells, moving parking lot access, and working with the City to make Wells and Young a four-way stop. The proposed Nauvoo Illinois Temple Visitors' Center would not replace the existing Historic Nauvoo Visitors' Center, located to the northwest on the flats. A decision from the City Council is still pending.

The first phase of a 25-year plan to improve Historic Nauvoo was dedicated on Saturday, May 29, by Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. The property, known as the Temple District of Nauvoo, comprises the temple and its surrounds. Features of the renovation include three restored and one rebuilt historic homes, a new stone-cutting exhibit, a reinvigorated West Grove, and a wayside marker honoring Eliza R. Snow. A new exhibit about the temple has also been added to the visitors' center including a large cutaway model of the temple.

A newly gilded statue of the angel Moroni was placed atop the tower of the Nauvoo Illinois Temple yesterday, replacing the former statue that had been charred by a lightning strike on June 28, 2019. It was a big event for the small town that is home to several Church historic sites. The temple was dedicated in 2002 as a reconstruction of the temple built by the early Saints of Nauvoo in 1846. It was tragically destroyed by arson fire in 1848.

On Friday afternoon, June 28, a severe thunderstorm passing through western Illinois sent lightning toward the Nauvoo Illinois Temple, striking the statue of the angel Moroni and blackening its face and upper torso. The reverberating boom stunned temple patrons, tourists, and Nauvoo residents. Temple lightning strikes are not uncommon, and the steeples of temples are equipped with grounding devices to minimize damage.

Through the end of July, performances of the Nauvoo Pageant will be held just 2 blocks west of the Nauvoo Illinois Temple every Tuesday through Saturday evening. The pageant is a glimpse of the sacrifice and faith of those special settlers who came to Nauvoo and built a city from a swamp.

Celebrating the legacy of the early Latter-day Saints whose faith brought them to a bend in the Mississippi River, the Nauvoo Pageant is a free musical production open to anyone who wishes to taste of the joy and sorrows of the Nauvoo Saints. Performances run Tuesday–Saturday until August 1.