The endeavor to build the first temple of this dispensation began in December 1832 when the Lord commanded the Saints at Kirtland, Ohio, to "establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of God." (D&C 88:119.)

Five months later, on June 1, 1833, the Lord gave a continuation of divine directions to build houses for worship and instruction, especially the House of the Lord. In this latter revelation, recorded as Section 95 of the Doctrine and Covenants, the Lord chastised the members at Kirtland for their delay and admonished them to move forward with building the temple.From Church History in the Fulness of Times (pp. 162-63) is this insight: "The Prophet [Joseph Smith] once asked a conference of high priests how the temple should be constructed. Some favored building it of logs. Others preferred a frame structure. `Shall we, brethren,' said he, `build a house for our God, of logs? No, I have a better plan than that. I have a plan of the house of the Lord, given by himself; and you will soon see by this, the difference between our calculations and his idea of things.' (Lucy Mack Smith, History of Joseph Smith, ed. Preston Nibley, Bookcraft, 1958, p. 230; see also History of the Church 1:352.)

"Truman O. Angell, one of the construction supervisors, testified that the Lord's promise to show the Prophet the building's design was literally fulfilled. He said that when the First Presidency knelt in prayer, `the Building appeared within viewing distance.' Later, while speaking in the completed temple, Frederick G. Williams said that the hall in which they met coincided in every detail with the vision given them. (Autobiography of Truman O. Angell.)

"The temple's exterior looked like a typical New England meetinghouse, but its interior was unique. The Lord had specified that the building should include two large rooms, one above the other, each measuring fifty-five by sixty-five feet. The lower hall was to be the chapel, for praying, preaching, and administering the sacrament. The upper hall was for educational purposes. (See D&C 95:8, 13-17.)

"Construction on the temple began 6 June 1833. In response to the Lord's admonition, a committee was directed to procure materials for the work. A stone quarry was located two miles south of the building site, and a wagon load of stone was immediately quarried. Hyrum Smith and Reynolds Cahoon started digging a trench for the foundation. But the Saints were so poor, an early member recalled, that `there was not a scraper and hardly a plow that could be obtained among the Saints.' (Benjamin G. Johnson, My Life's Review, Independence, Mo.: Zion's Printing and Publishing Co., 1947, p. 16.)

"Nevertheless, `unity, harmony and charity abounded to strengthen' them to fulfill the commandment to build the temple." (History of the Church 1:349.)