Keywords

Taipei Temple, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Mormon studies

Abstract

MANY PRISONERS SUFFERED at the Taihoku Prison in Taipei, Taiwan, during World War II. Yet, less than two decades later, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints purchased a portion of this land and transformed it from a desolate site into a warm and inviting chapel where Latter-day Saints sought to bring their friends. Elder Gordon B. Hinckley dedicated it on October 16, 1966. Fewer than five thousand members resided in Taiwan at the time. In 1984, Hinckley returned to the same plot of land to dedicate a temple adjacent to the chapel. During one of his addresses, he noted, "This house, built on what was once prison property, will open the prison doors of the veil of death."

Original Publication Citation

John Hilton III. John Hilton III. “History of the Taipei Temple” Journal of Mormon History, 43(2) pp. 172-188 (2017).43(2) pp. 172-188 (2017).