Why Build the Kirtland Temple?

I'm trying to figure out why the Kirtland Temple needed to be built. Before a few days ago, I assumed that the Kirtland Temple was just like any other temple, a place where sacred, essential, saving ordinances could be performed. However, according to the Primary lesson manual, "the Kirtland Temple was not designed for the ordinances we now perform in temples." Then, what was it designed for?

The manual says that the temple was to be "a sacred place where heavenly beings could come to restore priesthood keys and a meetinghouse where the Saints could gather to worship and to learn the gospel." But there are plenty of places where the Saints could gather to learn and worship, and Peter, James, John, and John the Baptist proved that one does not need to be in a temple to restore priesthood keys. There most have been another reason.

Maybe these priesthood keys were extra special, or maybe there's something special about the translated beings who appeared in the Kirtland Temple that made it so they couldn't appear except in a temple. There are definitely things I don't know about temples and heavenly beings.

Right now, my theory is that the Kirtland Temple was built and dedicated to set up the right conditions for the early saints to have a powerful, religious experience. Up to that point, Joseph Smith had pretty much gotten used to spiritual manifestations, as he had received several, perhaps even dozens, of manifestations by then, but I don't know how many other early saints had had a spiritual experience of that nature. Assuming that they were like the rest of us, I'm guessing that most of them had never seen a vision, but the dedication of the temple provided a unique opportunity for them. According to the manual, "Everyone present felt a holy, joyful feeling. Many people saw angels or heard angels singing, and others saw visions, prophesied, or spoke in tongues. Several people saw a heavenly messenger, whom Joseph Smith said was the Apostle Peter, in the temple."

I don't know if this was the main purpose for the construction of the Kirtland Temple, but I do think it was one of its purposes, and while I may not understand all the reasons why this temple had to be built, I think that this reason alone was enough to make building the temple worth what the early saints went through to make it happen. Spiritual experiences of that nature are rare, and the can have a powerful effect on a person. I would think that being present for the dedication of the Kirtland Temple and the spiritual manifestations that accompanied it strengthened the faith of the early saints and might have helped them gain the faith and courage they would need for the trials they were soon to face. I think that most of the other things that happened in the Kirtland Temple could have happened elsewhere, but allowing the entire congregation to have a spiritual experience of that nature might have been reason enough to build it.