Church announces groundbreaking for temples in Lindon and New Mexico
Jan 31, 2022, 12:12 PM | Updated: 12:22 pm
Artist renderings of the Lindon Utah Temple (left) and Farmington New Mexico Temple (right). (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)
(The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)
SALT LAKE CITY — Groundbreaking dates have been announced for temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Utah County and New Mexico.
Church officials said ground will be broken for the Lindon Utah Temple on April 23 and for the Farmington New Mexico Temple on April 30.
The temples were announced by President Russell M. Nelson in October 2020 and April 2021, respectively. Attendance at both groundbreaking ceremonies will be by invitation only.
Lindon Utah Temple
Elder Kevin W. Pearson of the Quorum of the Seventy and Utah Area President will preside at the groundbreaking.
Church leaders announced in December that the Lindon Utah Temple will be built at a site near 800 East and Center Street.
Plans call for an 81,000-square-foot, three-story building at the site.
Utah has 28 temples announced, under construction, under renovation or in operation. Temples have been announced or are currently under construction in Ephraim, Heber Valley, Layton, Orem, St. George (Red Cliffs), Saratoga Springs, Smithfield, Syracuse, Taylorsville and Tooele (Deseret Peak).
Farmington New Mexico Temple
The Farmington New Mexico Temple will be built on a 6.62-acre site located at the intersection of College Boulevard and Windsor Drive. Officials said the single-story structure will be about 25,000 square feet and have a meetinghouse on-site.
This will be New Mexico’s second temple. The Albuquerque New Mexico Temple was dedicated in March 2000.
An artist’s rendering of the Farmington New Mexico Temple. (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)
Latter-day Saints consider temples to be the “house of the Lord” and the most sacred places of worship on earth. Temples differ from the Church’s meetinghouses (chapels). All are welcome to attend Sunday worship services and other weekday activities at local meetinghouses. The primary purpose of temples, however, is for faithful members of The Church of Jesus Christ to participate in sacred ceremonies, such as marriages, which unite families forever, and proxy baptisms on behalf of deceased ancestors who did not have the opportunity to be baptized while living.
