Jordan River Utah Temple

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Jordan River Utah Mormon Temple

The Jordan River Utah Temple is the 20th operating temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The building of the Jordan River Temple was announced on February 3, 1978. It is one of ten operating temples in the state of Utah.

A site dedication and groundbreaking ceremony were held on June 9, 1979. The ceremony and dedication were presided over by Spencer W. Kimball. Usually during the groundbreaking ceremony a small shovel-full of dirt is turned to represent the beginning of construction, but President Kimball felt that he should follow his oft-quoted motto "lengthen your stride," and used a large power scoop shovel to begin the building process instead of the small traditional groundbreaking ceremony shovel. The Jordan River Temple was open to the public for tours September 29th through October 31, 1981. Over half a million people toured the temple during its open house.

Marion G. Romney, a member of the First Presidency, dedicated the Jordan River Temple in fifteen sessions held during November 16th through the 20th 1981. President Spencer W. Kimball was not able to give the dedicatory prayer, although he had prepared it, because he was recovering from a recent surgery, but he was in attendance at the first dedicatory session. More than 160,000 members were able to attend the dedicatory services. For a group of thirty in attendance at the dedication, it was a very spiritual and nostalgic event. These thirty elderly men and women had been at the historic dedication of the first temple in the Salt Lake Valley, the Salt Lake Temple. Most were very young but remember the event vividly. The Jordan River Temple serves Mormon members in Southern Salt Lake County, Utah. Geographically, this is the smallest Mormon temple district in the world, but the temple is one of the Church's busiest.

The Jordan River Utah Temple is the fourth largest Mormon temple and has a total of 148,236 square feet, six ordinance rooms, and seventeen sealing rooms. The temple also has the largest capacity, with each ordinance room able to accommodate 125 people. The temple site is 15 acres. The exterior of the temple is finished with cast stone with white marble chips. Unlike many of the temples, which are built mostly with tithing funds, the Jordan River Temple site was given to the Church and all of its construction was paid for by members in the 134 stakes within the temple district.

External links

Temples in Utah


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