Temple Locale Architecturally inspired by the local culture, the elegant Stockholm Sweden Temple stands among slender pines and bilberry sprigs on a beautifully wooded site in Västerhaninge, about 20 miles south of Stockholm. Adjacent to the temple site are a patron and missionary housing facility, the stake center for the Stockholm Sweden South Stake, and the temple president's residence. The grounds are exceptionally handsome, featuring verdant landscaping, cobblestone pathways, and a charming rotunda. Temple Facts The Stockholm Sweden Temple was the first temple built in the Nordic countries. At a Scandinavian Area General Conference held in August 1974, President Spencer W. Kimball asked, "Is there any reason why you shouldn't have a temple? Do you want a temple? Would you use it? You can have a temple! You can have a temple in each of your lands! But all of this is taken care of as we proselyte and bring converts into the Church." Swedish architect John Sjöström was selected to design the Stockholm Sweden Temple. He went to great lengths to harmonize the temple with local architecture. In preparation for the groundbreaking ceremony of the Stockholm Sweden Temple, a torch was used to cut through the ice so that the earth could be turned. It froze again overnight, and the ice had to be cleared a second time. Construction of the Stockholm Sweden Temple was unexpectedly delayed for over a year when the government asked the Church to suspend construction so that anything of value might be removed from ancient Viking graves discovered on site. "It's like being in heaven," commented a visitor to the open house of the Stockholm Sweden Temple. The response was positive from the 47,609 visitors who toured the building, resulting in the distribution of 2,200 Books of Mormon and 1,213 referral cards. More than half of the referrals came from within boundaries of the ward where the temple is located. The cultural diversity of the Stockholm Sweden Temple District was evidenced in the translation of the dedicatory sessions—four of which were translated into Swedish, three into Finnish, two into Norwegian, and two into Danish. At the first dedicatory session of the Stockholm Sweden Temple, President Gordon B. Hinckley stated, "This is the most significant day in the history of the Church in Scandinavia." After 1989, the Stockholm Sweden Temple District, which had only served the Nordic countries, eventually grew to include the Baltic States and all of Russia. On August 23, 1995, Swedish eyes turned to the Stockholm Sweden Temple where President Thomas S. Monson assisted in welcoming Their Majesties King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia to the grounds of the temple for their annual "Eriksgata" excursion. A plaque on the temple grounds memorializes the occasion.