Taylorsville Utah Temple
On 5 October 2019, during the 189th semiannual general conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, President Russell M. Nelson announced that a temple will be built in Taylorsville, Utah.
Mayor Overson said at the time, "This is such good news for our city. We look forward to the serenity, peace and beauty that a temple is sure to bring to our community, as well as the contribution it’s expected to make to Taylorsville’s rich mosaic." She further said, "We have long enjoyed a good partnership with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,” she said, “and we look forward to working even more closely on this project."
The Taylorsville Utah Temple will be located on a 7.5-acre site at 2603 West 700 South in Taylorsville, Utah. It will be a three-story temple with a center spire covering 70,460 square feet. It was designed to reflect the pioneer heritage of the area, giving it a historic look similar to the Provo City Center Temple. The temple will have four ordinance rooms (stationary) and four sealing rooms. Two-level parking is also planned for the site, providing both surface and underground parking spaces.
The Church owns the property where the temple will be built. A church meetinghouse sits on the site, which is bordered by 4700 South to the north and I-215 to the east. The meetinghouse currently serves as the stake center for the Taylorsville Utah Valley Park Stake. It will be demolished and it will not be replaced.
The temple will be easily accessible from I-215, and prominent in the city and the valley. The Taylors Landing and Westwood Shopping Centers are located across the street. The temple site also is located on the Midvalley Connector Bus Rapid Transit line that is under development along 4700 South.
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Groundbreaking Announced for Taylorsville Utah Temple
Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles will preside at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Taylorsville Utah Temple sometime in October 2020. The exact date has not yet been set.
Attendance at the groundbreaking ceremony will be by invitation only in keeping with local government safety guidelines. According to a church statement, photos and video of the event will be made available following the services.
The Taylorsville Utah Temple will be the twenty-third temple built in Utah and the fifth built in the Salt Lake Valley, following the Salt Lake Temple (1893), the Jordan River Utah Temple (1981), the Draper Utah Temple (2009), and the Oquirrh Mountain Utah Temple (2009).
Utah currently has 24 temples announced, under construction, under renovation or in operation.
Groundbreaking Ceremony Held for the Taylorsville Utah Temple
Ground was broken on Saturday, 31 October 2020, for a new temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to be constructed in Taylorsville, Utah. Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles who was recently in the news when he and his wife, Susan Lindsay, caught and recovered from COVID-19, presided at the event.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the groundbreaking ceremony was private. About 25 people attended the event by invitation, wearing masks and sitting in upholstered folding chairs spread far apart in an open field under a cloudless but hazy blue sky on a cool morning. Guests included local leaders representing the communities in the temple district along Utah’s Jordan River corridor, including Kearns, West Valley City, Taylorsville, Bennion, Murray, and Cottonwood. Neighbors from the homes on the temple’s southern border peered over a cinderblock wall to watch and listen to the ceremony.
In his site dedication prayer, Elder Gong mentioned the settlement of the west side of the Salt Lake Valley, when Joseph and Susanna Harker, of England, crossed the Jordan River in 1848 to establish a fort and a home right in the valley’s center. The Harkers’ great-great-great grandson, Max Harker, 17, spoke at the groundbreaking and related how they gave up their home, their country and lost two children traveling to Utah. He encouraged those in attendance and those who will watch video of the ceremony to engage in family history and temple work. He said, "I am thrilled for a temple to be built here in Taylorsville. I'm excited to continue the legacy of Joseph Harker."
During the dedicatory prayer, he said, "Gathered in these times, in person and via technology, we acknowledge and rejoice with faithful generations, including in historic 'over Jordan' communities, who have, here at heart, made this valley home. We celebrate the continuing legacy and promise of their righteous lives and examples." He continued, "Grateful roots and wings, we come as one from across our generations, communities, heritages and languages — one in heart and mind, one in the restored gospel of Thy Son Jesus Christ, one in the household of faith and fellowship of the saints."
In his site dedication, Elder Gong also prayed that the temple would radiate as a blessing to the community, which was named for John Taylor, the third president and prophet of the Church.
Elder Craig C. Christensen, Utah Area President, conducted the groundbreaking service. He commented, "This temple will be not just a blessing to the members of the church, but everyone in this community will take some sense of ownership and pride. We’re just watching the temples start to dot this land. It’s a reflection of the strength of the saints in Utah."
The Taylorsville Temple is expected to be completed by 2023. It will be the fifth in the Salt Lake Valley, sitting about halfway between the Salt Lake Temple and Jordan River Utah Temple. The Taylorsville temple marks the 10th of 21 groundbreakings in 2020. The previous nine were for the Alabang Philippines, Richmond Virginia, Layton Utah, Auckland New Zealand, Feather River California, Orem Utah, San Pedro Sula Honduras, Brasília Brazil, and Moses Lake Washington temples.
Utah has 25 temples announced, under construction, under renovation, or in operation. Utah currently has 17 operating temples. In addition to Taylorsville, temples have been announced in Lindon, Syracuse, Tooele Valley, and Washington County (Red Cliffs). Temples in Layton, Orem, and Saratoga Springs are currently under construction.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has 168 operating temples in the world.
