Deseret Peak Temple open house begins Thursday

TOOELE — The newest temple in Utah for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is ready for visitors.

The Deseret Peak Temple in the Tooele Valley will be dedicated on Nov. 10. Public tours begin Thursday and run through Oct. 19, excluding Sunday and General Conference weekend. On Monday, members of the media got a first look inside.

The Deseret Peak Temple is the first temple in Tooele County. Once it’s dedicated, it will be the 200th operating temple of the Church and the 30th temple in Utah.

The Deseret Peak Utah Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Worthy members of the faith make sacred agreements in temples to unite their families forever. (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)

It will serve Church members from Lake Point to Tooele, Grantsville, and even Wendover. Before, the closest temples were Salt Lake City, Bountiful, and the Jordan River Temple, which was close to an hour’s drive each way in some cases.

“This is really a bedroom community across this valley. And so this temple is going to be a very, very special thing,” said Area President Elder Kevin W. Pearson.

“To have (the temple) right on their doorstep is a beautiful thing. Not just so much about the hour drive, but to have it right there and all that it represents. The house of the Lord is a sweet blessing,” added General Authority Seventy, Elder Steven R. Bangerter.

A waiting room inside the Deseret Peak Utah Temple. We are all children of God, and He has a plan for our happiness. (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)

Some local youth were even excited about what it means to have a temple that close.

“I mean, parents can drive, and now kids can probably walk, like some kids live like 10 minutes away, so they can just walk to the temple and not have to ask your parents to drive,” said 8th grader Reggie Jensen.

Inside the temple, there are beautiful paintings of Jesus Christ unique to this Deseret Peak Temple, architecture that represents the unique nature of the valley, and even symbolism in the lighting, which Church leaders said was meant to shift a focus toward the heavens.

“It’s a place to get away from the world and to get closer to God. And that’s what that’s its primary purpose,” Elder Pearson said.

The bride’s room of the Deseret Peak Utah Temple. No ordinances are performed in this room; it is a space for women to prepare for their temple sealing. The room’s beauty can be thought of as a representation of how much Heavenly Father loves His daughters. (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)

Primary General President Susan Porter, who attended the media event as well, said even the placement of the spire has symbolism.

“You immediately look up at that spire and feel there’s something settled. There’s something eternal. God loves his children, and here’s evidence of it,” she said.

The temple took around four years to build, and due to the Tooele Valley’s flat landscapes, it is visible for miles, making it a highly visible beacon.

“It does represent in a physical (light), but particularly for us, represents the light of Christ. He is the light and life of the world,” Elder Bangerter said.

Elder Steven R. Bangerter, General Authority Seventy, speaks at the news conference during media day for the Deseret Peak Utah Temple in Tooele, Utah, on Monday, Sept. 23, 2024. (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)

And that light is something Jensen hopes everyone will come to see.

“The temple’s awesome. You should go to it. It’s. It’s amazing,” Jensen said.

Church leaders said that around 100 thousand people had already reserved time to tour the new temple.