Committee to build the House of the Lord

A committee assigned to raise and collect funds and support the building of the House of the Lord in Kirtland; also called the building committee, “Chapel committee,” and later, the Kirtland Temple Committee. The committee was originally formed in May 1833 with three members—Hyrum Smith, Jared Carter, and Reynolds Cahoon—and was directed to raise funds to build “a school house for the purpose of accommodating the Elders.” In June 1833, the committee members were further instructed to “take the oversight of the building of the House of the Lord.” They were responsible for obtaining materials and raising funds for the project. The committee initially attempted to raise funds through the means of subscriptions, or promised donations, from church members. By 1835, the committee established a “committee store” to supply goods to the workers building the House of the Lord and to sell goods to support its construction.