LDS Indiana Temple open to non-Mormons before dedication

CARMEL, Ind. (AP) – The first temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Indiana will open Friday in suburban Indianapolis for three weeks of public tours before its dedication next month makes it off-limits to non-Mormons.

LDS church leaders expect 75,000 visitors to tour the Indianapolis Temple through Aug. 8. The 34,000-square-foot structure stands 106 feet tall.

The temple will be the 148th for the church worldwide and one of fewer than 20 in the U.S. east of the Mississippi River.

Elder Paul Sinclair of Zionsville says the temple’s purpose isn’t necessarily to attract more members, but to serve about 30,000 existing Latter-day Saints in Indiana and eastern Illinois. The nearest LDS temples now are in Chicago, St. Louis, Louisville, Kentucky and Columbus, Ohio.