It seems that in certain areas like Europe the membership is declining rapidly. Have any temples seen such little use that they should really be closed?

I know that some temples' visitors centers are closing (London's, for example). It's only a matter of time before some temples follow suit.

So do they board up the visitor centers or repurpose them in some way?

...why not sell them to the Masons? Perfect for most rituals. Maybe some need remodeling in order to have the requisite stage and theatrical performances. Will need a few bank teller-type windows to accommodate the different degree payments.....win-win.

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/scottish-rite-temple

Mormonism is all about appearance, not substance. They won't close temples. That would appear like they're going backward, not expanding, exponentially, on their "16 million members". They have plenty of funds to keep the lights on and positions staffed, to perpetuate the illusion that the temples are being utilized-even when they are not.

I agree with you totally. I'm just wondering how many of you live close enough to a temple to know if there are many temples that aren't doing much business or practically no business at all.

We all know that TSCC tries to make things appear rosy and bright but enough people on this board are Name Only members and may know the real stats. I'm just curious. If the business men running LDS, Inc. get scared enough, who knows what they might do. It will be interesting to watch. Keeping a temple running with nobody coming nor attending will cost quite a bit. Maybe they will have callings for members to run on treadmills in temples to generate electricity off the grid. This will keep the lights glowing and cars parked in the parking lots with no cost to LDS, Inc. We will see.

The last time I attended a Mormon sacrament meeting (about 15 years ago) they were putting the thumbscrews on the members to attend the temple. It was the St. Louis temple (a very large temple) so I'm especially curious how they can keep a large temple like that one humming with activity when they couldn't do it 15 years ago. And now there is another new temple that took many from that district away. They've got to be having problems keep those temples busy.

What if a temple is quiet for a moment, and then 94 people are crowded into one endowment session, then things get quiet again. Should they be shut?

(This really did happen)

The push has been on in Central Arizona for the last three years that I know of

There is a very small temple off of Pinnacle Peak in the west Phoenix/Peoria (Arizona). It seems like it's around 59th Ave. It looks more like a stake center except that it has a gold angel Moroni on top, and sits next to a similar sized building that is probably either a stake center or a ward house. I call it a McTemple since it's not much bigger then a hamburger stand.

Does anyone here know if that temple gets any significant use by the members? Or by visitors? Anyone with half a brain would probably get married in either the Mesa Temple, or in the Gilbert temple (both local to the area). What kind of engaged couple pays ten percent of their income and lives the law of chastity through their engagement, so they can get married in a McTemple?

Phoenix Temple, 64,000 sq. ft. so sort of medium-sized but very limited schedule.

https://ldschurchtemples.org/phoenix/

The Sacramento, CA temple gets very little use. It runs by appointment only, a few days a week.

Pooped is not far off at all. Mormons like crowds, and they like to have fewer sessions, if they can have more people crammed into those sessions. I suppose that gives the illusion of crowds of people flocking to the Mormon churches.

Paying the building's utilities is probably way cheaper than paying taxes on valuable residential view lots. I like the idea of minions running to treadmills for the power.

Guess what--temple have no windows. No one can tell from the outside that most of the temple has the lights out. They probably just keep the parking lights and entrance lights off. Visitors centers have windows, I believe. The Mormons haven't figured out how to have cars appear in the temple parking lots. Whenever I pass by a Mormon temple, here in Utah, the parking lot is always empty. Maybe they could offer commuter park-and-ride parking space, or low-cost auto and SUV storage, or a heliport. Maybe they could re-purpose areas of the parking lot for a playground or baseball field, or green space (all maintained by members' free labor) and be all humanitarian about it. The Mormons will announce the re-porposing, encouraging members to carpool to the very crowded temples.

I mean, temple lights are always ON (not off) in the parking lots and entrance, and lighting up the steeple and Moroni. The neighborhood hates this.

I never could understand why the church built a temple in Rome--they couldn't possibly have enough active members to justify it. Someone told me they thought the LDS leaders wanted it in order to "nosethumb" at the Catholic church. Some claim that people going into the Vatican laugh at it.

The Church of Maimon built a temple in the backyard of the Church of Babylon.

They could do without the Kirtland temple. Heck they probably wouldn't lose any sleep over it.

Mormons don't own the Kirtland temple. That's owned by Church of Christ. They have it open for visitors. You can see the hooks where they hung the "veil" while JS was supposedly visited by angels.

Mormons do own some property around the temple -- it's a small historical village with the old houses you can tour.