The property upon which the visitors' center stands was first purchased on December 19, 1831, by Edward Partridge, acting on behalf of Smith.

"[4][5] A January 2009 online article by Community of Christ researcher John C. Hamer entitled "The Temple Lot: Visions and Realities" helps clear up the confusion.

Its style of presenting LDS Church beliefs and doctrines in a modern audio-visual and interactive format was the brainchild of Bernard P. Brockbank, a church general authority, who had overseen implementation of the same style at the 1964 New York World's Fair.

An October 1952 Kansas City Times essay written by a friend and admirer of RLDS Church Historian Heman C. Smith (1850–1919)[8][9] published the rumor that the LDS Church intended to build a temple on the site today occupied by the center.

[10] In his 2004 book Images of New Jerusalem author Craig S. Campbell examines the rumor, but is skeptical that the building may be "converted someday" into a temple.