A Great and Marvelous Work—
Part Five: 1951–1995

Images of an Era:

Making Ready for a Worldwide Church

9 Apr. 1951: David O. McKay became ninth President of the Church.

25 Nov. 1952: Elder Ezra Taft Benson, an Apostle, appointed U.S. secretary of agriculture by President Dwight D. Eisenhower.

12 Feb. 1955: Groundbreaking for Church College of Hawaii.

11 Sept. 1955: Swiss Temple dedicated.

11 Mar. 1956: Los Angeles Temple dedicated.

20 Apr. 1958: New Zealand Temple dedicated.

7 Sept. 1958: London Temple dedicated.

Oct. 1961: All-Church Coordinating Council established to correlate curriculum and activities for children, youth, and adults.

17 Nov. 1964: Oakland Temple dedicated.

Jan. 1965: Home evening manual placed in homes.

1 Jan. 1966: All Church auxiliary organizations began curriculum year at same time.

1 Jan. 1968: Regional representatives began service.

18 Jan. 1970: President David O. McKay died.

23 Jan. 1970: Joseph Fielding Smith became 10th President of the Church.

Jan. 1971: New English Church magazines began publication: Ensign, New Era, and Friend.

27–29 Aug. 1971: First area conference held, Manchester, England.

18 Jan. 1972: Ogden Temple dedicated.

9 Feb. 1972: Provo Temple dedicated.

2 July 1972: President Joseph Fielding Smith died.

7 July 1972: Harold B. Lee became 11th President of the Church.

Apr. 1973: Welfare Services Department formed.

26 Dec. 1973: President Harold B. Lee died.

30 Dec. 1973: Spencer W. Kimball became 12th President of the Church.

Aug. 1974: First branch for single adults organized.

19 Nov. 1974: Washington D.C. Temple dedicated.

24 July 1975: The 28-story Church Office Building dedicated, Salt Lake City.

3 Oct. 1975: First Quorum of Seventy organized.

3 Apr. 1976: Two revelations added to Pearl of Great Price that later became D&C 137 and D&C 138.

1 Oct. 1976: Assistants to the Twelve called to the First Quorum of the Seventy.

8 June 1978: First Presidency announced revelation granting the priesthood to all worthy male members. Sustained by Church on 30 Sept. Became D&C—Official Declaration 2.

16 Sept. 1978: First annual women’s meeting held.

30 Sept. 1978: Except for the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, emeritus status was announced for the General Authorities of the Church.

30 Oct. 1978: São Paulo Temple dedicated.

Aug. 1979: New Latter-day Saint edition of English King James Bible published with Topical Guide, Bible Dictionary, and other study aids.

2 Mar. 1980: Three-hour Sunday meeting schedule began in United States and Canada.

27 Oct. 1980: Tokyo Temple dedicated.

17 Nov. 1980: Seattle Washington Temple dedicated.

1981: Satellite receiving dishes installed at stake centers for receiving Church broadcasts.

26 Sept. 1981: New English editions of Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price published with improved indexing, cross-referencing, and other study aids.

16 Nov. 1981: Jordan River Temple dedicated.

1 June 1983: Atlanta Georgia Temple dedicated.

5 Aug. 1983: Apia Samoa Temple dedicated.

9 Aug. 1983: Nuku‘alofa Tonga Temple dedicated.

15 Sept. 1983: Santiago Chile Temple dedicated.

27 Oct. 1983: Papeete Tahiti Temple dedicated.

2 Dec. 1983: Mexico City Temple dedicated.

Apr. 1984: Personal Ancestral File• for home computers made available for family history work.

4 Apr. 1984: Museum of Church History and Art dedicated.

25 May 1984: Boise Idaho Temple dedicated.

June 1984: Area Presidencies established, with members called from the First Quorum of the Seventy.

20 Sept. 1984: Sydney Australia Temple dedicated.

25 Sept. 1984: Manila Philippines Temple dedicated.

19 Oct. 1984: Dallas Texas Temple dedicated.

17 Nov. 1984: Taipei Taiwan Temple dedicated.

14 Dec. 1984: Guatemala City Temple dedicated.

29 June 1985: Freiberg Germany Temple dedicated.

2 July 1985: Stockholm Sweden Temple dedicated.

2 Aug. 1985: Revised LDS hymnbook published.

9 Aug. 1985: Chicago Illinois Temple dedicated.

24 Aug. 1985: Johannesburg South Africa Temple dedicated.

23 Oct. 1985: The Family History Library dedicated.

5 Nov. 1985: President Spencer W. Kimball died.

10 Nov. 1985: Ezra Taft Benson became 13th President of the Church.

14 Dec. 1985: Seoul Korea Temple dedicated.

10 Jan. 1986: Lima Peru Temple dedicated.

17 Jan. 1986: Buenos Aires Argentina Temple dedicated.

4 Oct. 1986: Seventies quorums in stakes discontinued.

24 Oct. 1986: Denver Colorado Temple dedicated.

15 Feb. 1987: Tabernacle Choir performed 3,000th radio broadcast.

28 Aug. 1987: Frankfurt Germany Temple dedicated.

1 Apr. 1989: Second Quorum of Seventy organized.

16 May 1989: BYU Jerusalem Center dedicated.

19 Aug. 1989: Portland Oregon Temple dedicated.

16 Dec. 1989: Las Vegas Nevada Temple dedicated.

2 Apr. 1990: FamilySearch® software released for use in Family History Centers™.

25 Aug. 1990: Toronto Ontario Temple dedicated.

25 Apr. 1993: San Diego California Temple dedicated.

30 May 1994: President Ezra Taft Benson died.

5 June 1994: Howard W. Hunter became 14th President of the Church.

9 Oct. 1994: Orlando Florida Temple dedicated.

8 Jan. 1995: Bountiful Utah Temple dedicated.

3 Mar. 1995: President Howard W. Hunter died.

President David O. McKay, whose nearly 19-year administration became the third longest in Church history, oversaw a period of dynamic change and growth. (David O. McKay, by Alan Gittins.)

Above: The New Zealand Temple was dedicated in 1958. (Photo by Michael McConkie.) Right: The first of many area conferences was held in Manchester, England, in 1971, presided over by President Joseph Fielding Smith, shown at the pulpit. (Photo courtesy of Church News.) Below right: Many Latter-day Saints have enjoyed participating in roadshows. (Photo courtesy of LDS Church Archives.) Below center: The Church’s pavilion at the 1964–65 New York World’s Fair. (Photo by Nelson Wadsworth.)

A hand-painted batik textile, above, represents the establishment of the Church in Africa following the 1978 revelation on priesthood. (Artwork by Emile Wilson, courtesy of Museum of Church History and Art.)

In 1971 the Church published three new magazines—one each for children, youth, and adults. Within a decade new English editions of the scriptures became available with interscriptural footnotes and study aids. (Photo by Tamra Hamblin.)

Elders Spencer W. Kimball and Mark E. Petersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles visit with youth in the Church’s Indian placement program, an established program of the time. (Photo courtesy of LDS Church Archives.)

Above: Stake centers had satellite receiving dishes installed so that members could watch general conference and other Church broadcasts. Below: The Apia Samoa Temple was dedicated in 1983. (Photo by Floyd Holdman.)

As missionaries began serving in increasing numbers worldwide, a missionary training center was built in Provo, Utah, where thousands of elders and sisters studied foreign languages each year. Later, more training centers followed in many other parts of the world.

Two elders serving in Russia prepare to share the gospel message with the people of Moscow, Russia, where the Church was granted official recognition in 1991. (Photo by Nikolai Ignatiev.)

President Ezra Taft Benson. (Ezra Taft Benson, by Knud Edsberg, courtesy of Museum of Church History and Art.)

With the introduction of a new hymnbook in 1985, Latter-day Saints learned new hymns and enjoyed old favorites. (Photo of child by C. J. Walker.)

The Mormon Tabernacle Choir, above, in Moscow during their 1991 Eastern European tour. Left: The Frankfurt Germany Temple was dedicated in 1987. (Choir and Frankfurt temple photos by Craig Dimond.) Below: Arches grace the outside of the BYU Jerusalem Center, completed in 1989. (Photo by J. Scott Knudsen.)

Courtesy of LDS Church Archives