Dallas Texas Temple

© 2002, Rick Satterfield. All rights reserved.

The Dallas Texas Temple was the first temple built in Texas.

Excitement ran high at the announcement of the temple. In Tulsa, Oklahoma, for example, temple recommend interviews tripled, and Laurels began making plans for a trip to perform baptisms for the dead. In Corpus Christi, members started committing to attend the temple, and the youth were elated. Members of the Shreveport Louisiana Stake contributed two-thirds more than requested to the construction fund.¹

The temple sparked profound opposition among local Bible Belt religious leaders who maintained a negative view of the Church.² One major newspaper even reported that "alarmed" Southern Baptists were arming themselves against a Mormon invasion.³

Members readily answered the call to serve. The contractor was pleasantly surprised at the turnout of several hundred members to the request for cleanup help. Others, like sisters in Harlingen who lived far from the temple, contributed knitted goods. A widow who was asked to donate twenty dollars gave one hundred dollars instead saying: "This is money I've been saving to go to the temple in Salt Lake City, but I'll contribute it to the building fund and go to the temple here."⁴

Of the more than 88,000 visitors to the open house, about 56 percent were nonmembers—many having been invited by missionary-minded members. Visitors valued their experience, expressing appreciation for the Church and its efforts. Indeed, less than a week after the open house concluded, one visitor had already been baptized; several others followed.⁵

Ordinance work has been performed for highly recognized historical figures of special significance to the citizens of Texas. For example, work was completed in 1986 for those involved in the tragedy at the Alamo on March 6, 1836. In addition, work for 1,500 "Trail of Tears" Indians, Choctaws, was performed in the temple.⁶