‘Faithful members will be blessed’: Elder Gerrit W. Gong dedicates Taylorsville Utah Temple
Jun 2, 2024, 9:07 PM | Updated: Jun 3, 2024, 7:54 am
The Taylorsville Utah Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was dedicated on Sunday, June 2, 2024. (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)
(The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)
TAYLORSVILLE — The Taylorsville Utah Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was dedicated Sunday by Elder Gerrit W. Gong, of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
“The Taylorsville Utah Temple is close to many faithful members. Many faithful members will be blessed by the opportunity to serve as temple patrons and as temple ordinance workers,” Elder Gong said during the dedication. “Serving as a temple ordinance worker is a special service and blessing. It blesses, refines, sanctifies. It allows others to give and others to receive something they choose and need but cannot do for themselves.”
Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and his wife, Sister Susan Gong, walk around the Taylorsville Utah Temple on Saturday, June 1, 2024.
Those in attendance at dedication of Taylorsville temple
Elder Gong was joined at Sunday’s dedication in Taylorsville by his wife, Susan, who is a Taylorsville native; Elder Hugo E. Martinez, a General Authority Seventy and First Counselor in the Utah Area Presidency, and his wife, Nuria; and Elder Erich W. Kopischke, a General Authority Seventy and assistant executive director of the Temple Department, and his wife, Christiane.
The temple was dedicated in two sessions — 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Services were broadcast to the 38 stakes in the temple district.
According to a church news release, the temple district is also made up of 257 wards and branches and more than 100,000 Church members.
President Russell M. Nelson first announced the Taylorsville Utah Temple in October 2019.
“As the Church grows, more temples will be built so that more families can have access to that greatest of all blessings, that of eternal life,” said President Nelson at the time. “We regard a temple as the most sacred structure in the Church. Whenever plans are announced to construct a new temple, it becomes an important part of our history.”
Elder Gong also presided at the groundbreaking ceremony in Taylorsville in October 2020. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, however, the event was a small one.
The Taylorsville Utah Temple is the Church’s 192nd dedicated temple.
