More than a decade after former President Thomas S. Monson announced the construction of the Rome Italy Temple in the October 2008 General Conference, the temple was dedicated on March 10. All members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and First Presidency traveled to the Eternal City for this historic event.
In the dedicatory prayer, President Russell M. Nelson said, “In this ancient and great city that has stood since biblical times, we acknowledge the ministry of two of Thy Son's early Apostles, Peter and Paul, who once blessed this land with their labors.”
While in Rome, President Nelson and Elder M. Russell Ballard met with Pope Francis inside the Vatican the day before the dedication, the first meeting between a Latter-day Saint president and a pope.
According to Newsroom, following the fourth dedicatory service, President Nelson said, “This is a hinge point in the history of the Church. Things are going to move forward at an accelerated pace of which this is a part. We think the Church is an old Church. It's 189 years old. But it's only the beginning.
“Just project out what the next future will be and the Church is going to have an unprecedented future. Unparalleled. We're just building up what’s ahead now."
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Of the temple, Megan Hansen, a returned missionary who served in Italy and is a BYU–Hawaii alumna, said, “It’s the most amazing, beautiful, artistically inclusive and biblically symbolic temple I’ve seen. The roads are made from stones that the Church purchased from the Italian government that made up the old roads of Rome.”
Olive trees, Bianco Sardo granite and statues sculpted after ancient Roman models embellish the Italian-style piazza, composed of marble sourced and crafted of fine travertine, a regional regality of specialized stone.
Italian Renaissance artist Michelangelo inspired the temple architecture. Hansen said, “Michelangelo’s famous symbol is everywhere within the temple and the baptismal font is even oval shaped."
The oval designs are similar to the Piazza del Campidoglio and the circular staircases near Capitoline Hill in Rome.
The temple grounds are filled with olive tress. “There’s tremendous symbolism in olives and in olive trees,” said Apostle Elder David A. Bednar. “Whenever you cut the roots of an olive tree, they’ll sprout. They don’t die; they will continue to sprout. Some have suggested perhaps that’s symbolic of the hope of the Resurrection.”
Other interior features include an instruction room mural featuring Italian landscape scenes from the sea to the hills, the Baroque-style bridal room with its crystalline sconces and hand-painted chairs, the crystal chandelier and artisan-crafted furnishings of the celestial room. Woven off-white carpets can be found in the celestial and sealing rooms, an elliptical font with inlaid stones and Roman-style acanthus leaves in the baptistry, and original paintings of the Savior are located throughout the temple.
A Christus statue, along with 12 statues of the original Twelve Apostles, can also be found on the temple grounds. Hansen explained, “The Christ statue and the Twelve Apostles are exact replicas of those found in the Church of Our Lady, Copenhagen Cattedrale. They were sculpted by a Danish artist, but he was trained, studied and lived his life in Italy. The statues are made of marble from the same Italian quarry in Carrera that the original statues were cut from as well."
All 15 members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and First Presidency posed for a photo, with the Christus and Twelve Apostles statues as the background. This was the first group photo taken of the leaders in two decades, according to the Church’s Newsroom. The location of the temple also carries significance, as the apostles Peter and Paul preached the gospel to the Roman people.
Jim Tueller, a BYUH History professor, said, “The traditions hold that both Peter and Paul were martyred there in Rome when they were missionaries. For Western Christianity, Rome was the head of the Church, the citta sacrata, [sacred city] you go to pilgrimage.”
Tueller continued, “Iconography are the pictures of painting that one can use to identify Peter in the Renaissance. Most iconography of Peter shows him with the keys because he holds the keys, and the keys are often portrayed as for the city of Rome but also the history of Christianity and the Roman Empire.
“Keys symbolize the authority, in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints we refer to the keys as the priesthood from no formal clergy.”
Carol Peterson, an English administrative assistant who served her mission 40 years ago in Italy, returned to the country to visit the temple. “The idea that there is actually a temple there hopefully will bring the Church just a little more to the forefront. They have the Family History Library and Visitor’s Center and it is a welcoming invitation. It’s absolutely incredible, especially as we approach the Second Coming.
“It’s [Italy's] amazingly beautiful people will come without really knowing what the temple is. When I served my mission, tons of people had never even heard of Mormons. Now that is changing because of the temple.”
Hansen shared, “The members in Rome and from all over the country have taken time off of work and school to come volunteer for the open house and to clean and prepare the temple.
“Can you imagine being a student and going to the Laie temple every day after class to give tours, organize, clean, explain, and talk to visitors until 9 p.m.? It’s amazing.”
Pres. Nelson said, “We are grateful for the support of church, government and civic leaders who have offered much-appreciated goodwill in our desire to build this holy temple here in Rome.”
Peterson said she gave photos of temples to a shop owner she often visited as a missionary. While she was visiting Napoli, Italy, she went to his shop and met with him again. Although the man is not a member of the Church, he was inspired by the photos of the temple, created a stone shell and donated it to the Temple Visitors' Center.
"‘La chiesa mormona’ [the Mormon Church] is considered an American church so having the temple and temple grounds be so heavily influenced by Italian culture will really help Italians feel comfortable. It will help them remember this is Christ’s Church, not an American church,” said Hansen.
The Rome Temple began operation on March 19. It is projected to serve about 27,000 Latter-day Saints in Italy. It is the Church's 162 operating temple, with another 40 announced or under construction.
Writer: Geena DeMaio