Mormon temple planned for Phila.

The Mormon Church is planning to build a multi-level temple on North Broad Street, where churchgoers from the region will be able to perform the faith's sacred rituals.

Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Philadelphia and at Penn praised the announcement, which they said came as somewhat of a surprise.

"I am very excited about the prospect of the temple being built here because there are so many people who have such great fulfilling experiences" worshipping in temples, said Wharton junior Jordan Bennett.

Mormon communities have chapels that hold weekly services, but temples are sacred places where Mormons perform certain ordinances for salvation.

Because temples tend to be located in regions with large Mormon populations, many were surprised with the announcement, which came during the Church's October general conference.

The Mormon Church bought the acre-plot of land where the temple will reside about a year ago, but few rumors circulated about the prospect of a temple being built there.

"It was an answer to many people's prayers," said Kevin Schmidt, Philadelphia spokesman for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

There were several factors that made Philadelphia an attractive location.

"Philadelphia has always been a significant city historically, for the religion and on a national level," Schmidt said.

Mormon communities in Philadelphia, New Jersey and Delaware all stand to benefit from the Philadelphia temple.

"It's going to expand the membership of churchgoers and reactivate a lot of members in this area," said Gerald Prue, the director for the LDS Family History Center in Philadelphia.

"A temple is a very special place," College sophomore Conor Turley said. "It's awesome that it's going to be here."

Turley, like many Mormons in the area, had to travel to the temples in Washington D.C. and Manhattan until the announcement.

The multi-storied temple on Broad and Noble streets will have a visitors' center and offices on the lower floors and temple facilities for members on its top floors, according to Prue.

Construction is expected to take about three to five years.

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