Palmyra New York Temple Pictures

About the Palmyra New York Temple

Of all the temples built by the Church, only three stand on ground of profound historical significance to the early Restoration — the Palmyra New York Temple, the Nauvoo Illinois Temple, and the Winter Quarters Nebraska Temple. Palmyra's site is perhaps the most singular of all: it rises on the eastern end of the original 100-acre Smith Family Farm, within view of the Sacred Grove where 14-year-old Joseph Smith prayed for guidance and received a vision of God the Father and Jesus Christ, and just three miles from the Hill Cumorah, where he later obtained the gold plates. President Gordon B. Hinckley and President Thomas S. Monson presided over the groundbreaking on May 25, 1999, with President Hinckley telling those gathered, "This is where the First Vision occurred, and I think it appropriate that we build a House of the Lord on this ground... I regard this temple as perhaps the most significant, in one respect, in the entire Church."

The temple's art-glass windows depict the trees and light of the Sacred Grove, and a backlit mural of the First Vision hangs in the temple's hallway. At President Hinckley's personal request, the windows in the waiting area were left clear rather than etched, offering an actual view of the Sacred Grove itself — a detail that required relocating an administration office during construction. Finished in Bethel White granite and topped with a gold-leafed angel Moroni, the temple was dedicated on April 6, 2000, precisely 170 years after the Church's formal organization in Fayette, New York, just 30 miles away. More than 1.5 million Latter-day Saints participated in the dedication through a closed-circuit broadcast, the largest gathering of Church members ever to take part in a single dedicatory event.

Palmyra Temple Photos, Art & Prints

Surrounded by the same rolling farmland and wooded groves that shaped Joseph Smith's youth, the Palmyra Temple offers photographers a rare opportunity to capture sacred architecture within sight of the actual Sacred Grove. The temple's tree-themed stained glass and gently sloping hilltop setting connect every image to the story of the Restoration itself, especially in the soft golden light of a New York autumn. Our collection features photography and fine art capturing the Palmyra Temple throughout the seasons of the Finger Lakes region.

Palmyra Temple prints make a meaningful and inspirational gift for members throughout New York and for anyone who treasures the sacred history of the Restoration. Perfect for weddings, mission homecomings, new homes, and other milestone occasions.