Oquirrh Mountain Utah Temple | Church News Almanac
Dedication of the Oquirrh Mountain Utah Temple
When the Latter-day Saint pioneers first came to the Salt Lake Valley in the mid-1800s, Church President Brigham Young sent a group of Saints to settle the area west of the Jordan River in Utah. This area grew with time, and the Jordan River Utah Temple was built in South Jordan, Utah, in 1981 to accommodate the Saints who lived west of the Jordan River.
As the area continued to grow into the 21st century, history would be made — South Jordan would be the first city to have two temples built within its borders. This second temple was announced for Daybreak, a community in South Jordan, by President Gordon B. Hinckley — 15th President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — in October 2005 general conference.
Later, the temple was named the Oquirrh Mountain Utah Temple, and almost 600,000 people visited the building during its open house from June 1 through Aug. 1, 2009, before it was dedicated. The Oquirrh Mountain Utah Temple was dedicated in nine sessions over three days, from Aug. 21 to Aug. 23, 2009.
Eight of the sessions were presided over by Church President Thomas S. Monson, who became 16th President of the Church a year and a half before. President Henry B. Eyring, first counselor in the First Presidency, read President Monson’s dedicatory prayer in the last session.
Dedicatory prayer excerpt: “We humbly pray, Father, that Thou wilt accept this holy edifice. Pour out Thy blessings upon it and let Thy Spirit attend and guide all who officiate herein, that holiness will prevail in every room. May all who enter have clean hands and pure hearts, and may they participate with faith in the ordinances to be given herein and depart with a feeling of peace, praising Thy holy name.”
Read the dedicatory prayer of the Oquirrh Mountain Utah Temple here.
Timeline of the Oquirrh Mountain Utah Temple
October
01
2005
December
16
2006
Groundbreaking
June
01
2009
Open house
The public was invited to tour the Oquirrh Mountain temple during its open house from June 1 through Aug. 1, 2009. Almost 600,000 Latter-day Saints, nonmembers, media personnel and religious leaders of other faiths visited the house of the Lord during this two-month open house.
May
30
2009
Cultural celebration
Youth from 26 stakes from the southwest end of the Salt Lake Valley performed in a cultural celebration in honor of the temple on May 30, 2009. Although cultural celebrations for temples are usually held the night before the dedication, this celebration was part of a larger event that included the cultural celebration for the Draper Utah Temple, held a day earlier on May 29, 2009.
August
21
2009
Dedication
The Oquirrh Mountain Utah Temple was dedicated in nine sessions over three days, from Aug. 21 to Aug. 23, 2009. Eight of the sessions were presided over by President Thomas S. Monson — who became 16th President of the Church a year and a half before — including the first session on Aug. 21, his 82nd birthday. Elder Henry B. Eyring, first counselor in the First Presidency, read President Monson’s dedicatory prayer in the last session.
SEE ALL Timeline of the Oquirrh Mountain Utah Temple
Church President Gordon B. Hinckley announced plans to build a temple in Daybreak, a community in South Jordan, Utah, in October 2005 general conference. The temple was later announced to be the Oquirrh Mountain Utah Temple, and a groundbreaking ceremony was held for the temple on Dec. 16, 2006.
Almost 600,000 people visited this house of the Lord during its open house from June 1 through Aug. 1, 2009. The temple was dedicated by Church President Thomas S. Monson on Aug. 21, 2009.
Architecture and Design of the Oquirrh Mountain Utah Temple
The Oquirrh Mountain Utah Temple has an area of approximately 60,000 square feet and was built on 11 acres of land. The temple grounds are decorated with flower gardens, a large fountain and grass fields.
On the interior, the temple features four ordinance rooms, six sealing rooms, a baptistry and a celestial room. Materials for the temple included limestone for the walls and floors, from Morocco and Egypt; white oak wood used throughout the temple, from Indiana and Kentucky; and white oak doors and sycamore, from the German Alps.
Interior Photos of the Oquirrh Mountain Utah Temple
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