Jordan River Mormon Temple

Jordan River, Utah - Mormon Temple

The building of the Jordan River, Utah Mormon temple was announced on February 3, 1978. With its completion the Jordan River temple became the 20th operating Mormon temple worldwide.

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 of the Mormon Church at the time, Spencer W. Kimball, felt that he should follow his oft-quoted motto "strengthen your stride," and used a large power scoop shovel to begin the building process instead of the small traditional groundbreaking ceremony shovel. 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.

The Jordan River Mormon temple was open to the public for tours September 29th through October 31, 1981. The Jordan River temple is the fourth largest Mormon temple with a total floor area of 148,236 square feet, six ordinance rooms, and seventeen sealing rooms. The Jordan River temple has the largest capacity. Each ordinance room can accommodate 125 people. 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 temple serves Mormon members in Southern Salt Lake County, Utah. Geographically, this is the smallest Mormon temple district in the world, but also one of the busiest temples.

Mormon Temples

Jordan River, Utah - Mormon Temple

Meta