Construction of the Kirtland Temple was a community effort involving significant contributions from church members, including the establishment of a sawmill and an ashery to supply building materials.

The temple features unique architectural elements such as adjustable pews and dual pulpits, reflecting its multifunctional use for worship and education.

Throughout its history, the Kirtland Temple has undergone various ownership changes and legal disputes, ultimately maintaining its status as a place of worship and historical significance within the Latter Day Saint movement.

In December 1830, Joseph Smith, the founder of the Church of Christ (Latter Day Saints), said he received a revelation directing members of the faith to "assemble together in Ohio.

The First Presidency, which included Smith, Sidney Rigdon, and Frederick G. Williams, oversaw the laying of the temple cornerstone at a ceremony on July 23, 1833.

"[4][6][7] According to the diary of Truman O. Angell, the First Presidency reported a detailed shared vision of the inside and outside of the temple, to help show church volunteers the envisioned structure.

[16] Unlike earlier versions, Smith's school required a dedicated temple and ceased formal operations by 1836 as focus shifted to other community preparations.

For example, the arrangement of two series of four-tiered pulpits on each end of the assembly rooms for seating the presidencies of the Melchizedek and Aaronic priesthoods was different from other buildings.

In order to speed up the building process, in the fall of 1833 church members built a sawmill on Stoney Brook in Kirtland.

Logs of walnut, cedar, cherry, and white oak were floated on the Chagrin River a few hundred yards to the sawmill where they were cut and used to build the temple.

They produced carpets and curtains from white canvas, which were utilized to partition the spacious first and second floors of the temple into more private, smaller sections.

Either way, he was baptized by Brigham and confirmed by Joseph while in Canada, and Millet came afterwards to help provide methods, labor, and financial support for the building of the Kirtland Temple.

[31] At the time of its construction, none of the ordinances now associated with Latter-day Saint temple worship, such as baptism by proxy, endowments, and sealings, had been instituted.

[5][4] A reported "one thousand persons" attended the gathering, which introduced such traditional dedication rites as the Hosanna Shout and singing of the hymn written by W. W. Phelps entitled "The Spirit of God Like a Fire Is Burning."

Following a two-and-a-half-hour sermon given by Rigdon, Smith offered a dedicatory prayer that had been prepared by a committee of church leaders,[41] which he indicated was given to him by revelation.

[42] Two other church leaders, Brigham Young and David W. Patten, were reported to have been inspired to speak in tongues following the prayer (Messenger and Advocate (March 1836)).

When the afternoon meeting assembled, Joseph, feeling very much elated, arose the first thing and said the personage who had appeared in the morning was the Angel Peter come to accept the dedication.

[43]On Easter Sunday, April 3, 1836, coinciding with the Jewish Passover, Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery reported experiencing a significant event at the Kirtland Temple.

[45] These keys were said to represent various aspects of religious authority, including the gathering of Israel, the gospel of Abraham, and sealing powers.

In addition, Smith said the streets looked like they were paved with gold, and then taught that any who died without learning about the (restored) gospel who would have embraced it would go to the Celestial Kingdom (The highest level of Heaven in Latter Day Saint theology).

Parrish's group dissolved and by 1841 the remaining Latter Day Saints in Kirtland had come back into communion with the main body of the church, which had subsequently relocated to Nauvoo, Illinois.

In 1845, the Latter Day Saints in Kirtland, under the leadership of S. B. Stoddard, Leonard Rich, and Jacob Bump organized their own church in opposition to those of Brigham Young, James J. Strang and other leaders.

By 1848, another Latter Day Saint faction led by Hazen Aldrich and James Collin Brewster was organized in Kirtland and maintained control of the temple.

In 1860, a probate court in Ohio sold the Kirtland Temple as a means of paying off some debts owned by Joseph Smith's estate.

Until early 2024, the building was used for approximately 50 to 60 worship services, classes, retreats and other special events throughout the year primarily by various Latter Day Saint denominations.

During the busy summer months, college-aged adults augmented the temple's staff as part of the Alma Blair Internship Program.

[61] Under the ownership of the LDS Church, tours are guided by sister and senior missionaries, managed as part of the larger Historic Kirtland Village sites.

The temple held community services for Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and Holy Week, as well as the annual Emma Smith Hymn Festival in June.

Additionally, members of various Latter Day Saint denominations travel to the temple where they are permitted to hold their own services with prior arrangement.

Until 2024, there was also a museum gift shop which featured a broad selection of books on Latter Day Saint history and the various expressions of the movement.