The public is invited to tour the Indianapolis Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Indiana’s first Mormon temple. Tours are by appointment. (Image provided)

The public is invited to tour the newly completed Indianapolis Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the first Mormon temple in Indiana.

The First Presidency of the Church has announced that the open house will be by reservation Friday, July 17, through Saturday, Aug. 8, and run every day except Sundays, July 19 and 26 and Aug. 2. Free reservations for the open house can be made by visiting www.templeopenhouse.lds.org or by calling (855) 537-2000.

The temple is located in Carmel on the southwest corner of the intersection of West 116th Street and Spring Mill Road. Tours, consisting of a 10-minute video presentation followed by a 40-minute walking tour through the temple, will begin at the Latter-day Saint chapel adjacent to the temple.

Following the public open house, the temple will be formally dedicated on Aug. 23. The dedication will be preceded by a cultural celebration featuring music and dance by the youth of the church, to be held on the evening of Aug. 22 at the Michael Carroll Track & Field Stadium on the campus of Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis. Attendance at the cultural celebration is by invitation only.

The Indianapolis Temple will be the 148th temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the world. The temple will serve approximately 30,000 Mormons in Indianapolis, South Bend, Lafayette, Muncie, Fort Wayne, Bloomington and Champaign, Ill.

Plans for a temple in Indiana were first announced by church president Thomas S. Monson in October, 2010. Construction began with a formal groundbreaking on Sept. 29, 2012.

The exterior of the 34,000-square-foot temple features limestone from Turkey and stunning art glass designed with the blossom of the tulip poplar, the Indiana state tree. The architecture echoes some of the historically significant buildings in downtown Indianapolis. The building stands 106 feet tall and is crowned with a gilded statue of the angel Moroni, who is significant to Latter-day Saints for his role in the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

The interior design of the temple also incorporates the tulip poplar blossom, as well as the circle within a square motif that is found in the original street and block platting of Indianapolis in 1821. Other design features include marble flooring, decorative painting with gold leaf and an original oil painting wall mural depicting landscape scenes of Indiana.

Latter-day Saint temples differ from the chapels where members meet for Sunday worship services. Temples are considered “houses of the Lord” where the teachings of Jesus Christ are reaffirmed through marriage, baptism and other ceremonies that unite families for eternity.

More information about the purpose of temples, can be found at www.mormonnewsroom.org