If you follow events in Mormonism you’ve surely heard about the Church’s latest temple opening in Haiti.
As usual, the Church is long on pointing out details of the temple’s interior, and short on exterior events of the host country where they’ve invited themselves to reside.
As a side item here – there are roughly 19,000-23,000 members of the Church which means they make up a mere 0.2% of the Haitian population of roughly 10 million.
The Church claimed at least 80% of Haiti is Catholic, but their numbers are way off. Our research shows it’s more like 57-58%. See report below.
Images of their upscale furnishings reminded me of when I lived in Vegas, and my visit to the Liberace Museum. It’s a flamboyant display of opulence, and something no Haitian will ever know in their lifetime. Everything is overbuilt, and overstated.
The Church’s news release mainly focused on the Swarovski crystal chandeliers from Austria, hand blown Venetian glass from Italy, and high end light fixtures, ‘Italamps’, also from Italy.
The meager offering to their host country was having palm branches painted on the interior walls which are prevalent in Haiti. The Church also pointed out it’s a reminder of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. For more info, see LDS Living.com. Haiti officially recognized the Church in 1980.
One thing you can count on…the 10,000+ square foot building certainly isn’t a reflection of what’s taking place outside those walls.
Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, and one of the poorest in the world. While the Church didn’t publish the cost of their venture, it’s safe to say it’s in the hundreds of millions. They obviously have no shame whatsoever. (more…)
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Today we’re taking a look at the outside architecture of the original Nauvoo Temple. Whenever I see pictures of it, I can’t help but wonder what people must’ve thought as they looked at the thirty scary sunstone faces encircling the top of that building. They also saw another one up close and personal, sitting at the front door.
Ensign, ‘Come to the Temple,’ February 1995
