Portland's Legal Battle

No temple in the history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints faced a longer or more contentious legal battle before construction than the Portland Oregon Temple. From its announcement in 1984 to its dedication in 1989, the temple project was subjected to an extraordinary campaign of organized opposition that tested the resolve of local Church members and the limits of religious liberty in American zoning law.

The site chosen for the temple was a 7.3-acre parcel in the Lake Oswego area, a wooded residential neighborhood in suburban Portland. When the Church's plans became public, a vocal group of neighbors organized to block the project. Their objections centered on the temple's height, its illuminated steeple, increased traffic, and the perceived incompatibility of a large religious structure with a residential area. The opposition was intense, personal, and sustained.

Over the next several years, the project was subjected to 27 public hearings before various planning commissions and governing bodies. Opponents filed 8 separate lawsuits in state and federal courts. Four citizen petition drives were organized to block or modify the project. At every turn, the Church was forced to defend its right to build a house of worship, often against arguments that had little to do with land use and much to do with unfamiliarity with the faith.

The Church eventually prevailed in every legal challenge. Construction began and proceeded — though not without further difficulties. Persistent rain during the first three years of construction forced a complete redesign of the foundation drainage system. When the temple was finally completed and dedicated on August 19, 1989, the surrounding community's attitude had shifted dramatically. The meticulously landscaped grounds became a neighborhood asset, and in 1994, the Royal Rosarians of Portland — the city's official ambassadors — awarded the temple first place for commercial rose plantings, a remarkable turnaround from the hostility of just a few years earlier.