SARATOGA SPRINGS, Utah — President Henry B. Eyring committed the Church’s latest temple Sunday, Aug. 13, and urged Latter-day Saints in the temple district to react with faith and energy to the brand-new house of the Lord.
The Saratoga Springs Utah Temple is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ 179th devoted temple, and the very first of 6 to be committed in a duration of less than 2 months, with 3 scheduled for Sept. 17 and 2 on Oct. 8.
The Saratoga Springs Utah Temple on the day of its devotion in Saratoga Springs, Utah, on Sunday, Aug. 13, 2023.
Scott G Winterton, Deseret News
Church members “have been given this temple as a sign of the Lord’s trust … and His confidence that [they] will respond with greater faith and energy,” President Eyring, 2nd therapist in the Church’s First Presidency, informed the Church News. “This temple is where you can draw more often on the powers of temple covenants. He knows your hearts. He knows your desire to be lifted and to become a more righteous people — just as the world becomes more contentious and fallen.”
President Henry B. Eyring, 2nd therapist in the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, strolls into the temple with Elder Kevin R. Duncan, General Authority Seventy and executive director of the Temple Department, and his other half, Sister Nancy Duncan, prior to the start of the devotion of the Saratoga Springs Utah Temple in Saratoga Springs, Utah, on Sunday, Aug. 13, 2023.
Scott G Winterton, Deseret News
In addition to the 179 devoted temples, 57 are under building and construction or finished and waiting for devotion, and 79 more places have actually been revealed and remain in preparing phases — for an overall of 315.
During President Russell M. Nelson’s 5 and a half years as President of the Church, he has actually revealed 133 of the 315.
President Henry B. Eyring, 2nd therapist in the First Presidency, shakes hands with Sister Olufunmilayo Ojediran, other half of Elder Adeyinka A. Ojediran, as they welcome him as he comes to the temple prior to the very first session of the devotion of the Saratoga Springs Utah Temple in Saratoga Springs, Utah, on Sunday, Aug. 13, 2023.
Scott G Winterton, Deseret News
Locations of temples
President Eyring said: “Prophets of God have always keenly felt the Lord’s desire to provide temples for His children. I have been blessed to see how the Lord reveals the location of temples through His prophets.
“Every President of the Church has felt inspiration to make temple ordinances available to bless the Saints. They have been inspired to build temples closer to the members, wherever those members live.
“For a time, I was able to observe that inspiration as a member of the Presiding Bishopric. Part of my assignment was to help develop the process of determining where temples should be built. One major objective was to strategically place temples to reduce the travel time of patrons.”
Temples are running, under building and construction or prepared in 39 of the 50 United States and in 74 nations and areas.
The Saratoga Springs temple is Utah’s 18th, and the 5th in Utah County.
“In some places, members may still be required to make heavy sacrifices to enter a temple of God. Yet, the Lord is also generously directing the placement of new temples where members already have temples close by. That is your joy in this new Saratoga Springs Utah Temple.” President Eyring said.
Latter-day Saints stand in line as they await the very first of 2 sessions for the devotion of the Saratoga Springs Utah Temple in Saratoga Springs, Utah, on Sunday, Aug. 13, 2023.
Scott G Winterton, Deseret News
Other temples in Utah County are the Provo, Mount Timpanogos, Payson and Provo City Center temples. The Orem Utah Temple is scheduled to be committed in January 2024, and a temple is under building and construction in Lindon.
Statewide, 10 extra temples are under building and construction or quickly to be committed — for an overall of 28.
A picture taken prior to the devotion of the Saratoga Springs Utah Temple consists of, from delegated right, Bishop L. Todd Budge, 2nd therapist in the Presiding Bishopric, and his other half, Sister Lori Budge; Elder Kevin R. Duncan, General Authority Seventy and executive director of the Temple Department, and his other half, Sister Nancy Duncan; President Henry B. Eyring, 2nd therapist in the First Presidency; Elder Adeyinka A. Ojediran, General Authority Seventy, and his other half, Sister Olufunmilayo Ojediran; and Elder Hugo E. Martinez, General Authority Seventy and very first therapist in the Utah Area presidency, and his other half, Sister Nunia Martinez; in Saratoga Springs, Utah, on Aug. 13, 2023.
Scott G Winterton, Deseret News
Dedication services
Also participating in the sessions Sunday were Elder Kevin R. Duncan, General Authority Seventy and executive director of the Temple Department, and his other half, Sister Nancy Duncan; Elder Hugo E. Martinez, General Authority Seventy and very first therapist in the Utah Area presidency, and his other half, Sister Nunia Martinez; Elder Adeyinka A. Ojediran, General Authority Seventy, and his other half, Sister Olufunmilayo Ojediran; and Bishop L. Todd Budge, 2nd therapist in the Presiding Bishopric, and his other half, Sister Lori Budge.
Following the early morning session, as guests left the temple premises, Greta Smith assessed the 2017 statement that a temple would be built in Saratoga Springs: “At first, I gasped, and I just stood in front of the TV, and I was bawling. We cheered and cried, and then the phone lit up.”
Chelsea Smith, Greta Smith and Marley Smith present for images after the very first session of the devotion of the Saratoga Springs Utah Temple in Saratoga Springs, Utah, on Sunday, Aug. 13, 2023.
Scott G Winterton, Deseret News
Smith has actually resided in Saratoga Springs for 40 years, returning to prior to there was a neighborhood of Saratoga Springs. She went to the devotion with a child and granddaughter and explained the conference as wonderful.
Jenny Brown matured in Kentucky and took a trip hours to get to a temple, initially to Atlanta, Georgia, and after that to St. Louis, Missouri, prior to a temple was committed in Louisville, Kentucky, in 2000. She went to a dedicatory session Sunday with her spouse, Kevin. “It’s wonderful … to have a temple where we can share with our family,” the Lehi local said. “It’s a special experience.”
Attendees of the 2nd session begin lining up as those from the very first session leave the devotion of the Saratoga Springs Utah Temple in Saratoga Springs, Utah, on Sunday, Aug. 13, 2023.
Scott G Winterton, Deseret News
Seated outside the temple in between dedicatory sessions were 3 more locals of west Lehi. Edy Howes explained the session she went to as “heavenly,” and her spouse, Ralph Howes, utilized the term “beautiful.” Liesa Gabriel assessed the previous 6 years from statement to devotion of the temple: “We watched it being built.”
Saratoga Springs Utah Temple history
Late Church President Thomas S. Monson revealed throughout April 2017 basic conference that a temple would be built in Saratoga Springs, among 5 places he determined throughout his Sunday early morning session address.
A ritualistic groundbreaking Oct. 19, 2019, was commanded by Elder Craig C. Christensen, a General Authority Seventy and after that president of the Utah Area. He likewise provided the dedicatory prayer on the temple website.
A public open house April 15 through July 8 drew 587,749 visitors.
The Saratoga Springs temple is at 987 S. Ensign Drive, west of Redwood Road in the Beacon Pointe neighborhood. A meetinghouse was likewise developed on the 22.7-acre website.
Saratoga Springs Utah Temple on Saturday, Aug. 12, 2023.
Scott G Winterton, Deseret News
The three-story temple has to do with 87,000 square feet. Among the Church’s temples, that is smaller sized than the Payson Utah and Oakland California temples and a little bigger than the Idaho Falls Idaho and Gilbert Arizona temples.
Until simply a number of years earlier, the location of Saratoga Springs and surrounding Eagle Mountain to the west was primarily open space.
The combined population of the 2 in the 2000 census was 3,160 locals. The Census Bureau’s 2022 population quote is a combined 103,503. Today, those 2 cities and Lehi to the east make up 3 of Utah’s 20 most-populous cities.
Latter-day Saints vacate the temple after the very first session of the devotion of the Saratoga Springs Utah Temple in Saratoga Springs, Utah, on Sunday, Aug. 13, 2023.
Scott G Winterton, Deseret News
The land around the temple was farmed by M. Tim Welch’s grandpa Ruel Evans from the 1920s to the 1960s as part of a 600-acre dry farm. Welch said the temple website itself was never ever farmed; it was a high, rocky knoll that would have made planting tough.
Evans offered the property to the Church in 1966, and the location around the temple website continued to be farmland. Welch said that when he and his other half left on an objective in 2016, it didn’t look much various than he remembered it as a kid, consisting of a few of the sheds. When the Welchs returned from their objective in July 2019, the temple had actually been revealed, with the location around the temple website having actually started to be established.
Welch’s great-great-great-grandfather David Evans was a creator of Lehi, and the Evans family’s Church roots return to the 1830s. But throughout the generations numerous relative had actually ended up being disaffected with the Church. With a neighboring temple, that’s altering.
“Now, we’re seeing, because of the temple, the Evans family come back,” Welch informed the Church News. During one day of the open house, 55 Evans loved ones went to. Where when the Church was not discussed in extended-family events, now it is.
President Henry B. Eyring, 2nd therapist in the First Presidency, waves to a crowd collected outside the temple following the 2nd session of the devotion of the Saratoga Springs Utah Temple in Saratoga Springs, Utah, on Sunday, Aug. 13, 2023.
Scott G Winterton, Deseret News
Mark Wilkinson belonged to producing a history of the temple website, in his project with his other half, Julie, as co-chairs of the temple committee’s history subcommittee. He sees the Saratoga Springs location of recent fast development as in between bookends of longtime Church history.
Elder Parley P. Pratt in December 1847, simply months after the very first Latter-day Saints leaders pertained to the Salt Lake Valley, brought a rawhide boat up from the valley and checked out the west coast of Utah Lake. Families began settling Lehi to the east in 1851 and in Cedar Fort, to the west of Saratoga Springs and Eagle Mountain, in 1852.
In 1854 a Latter-day Saint leader planted an apple orchard along the west coast of Utah Lake. In 1865, that land was rented by somebody else, and its warm springs ultimately ended up being the Saratoga Springs Resort, which closed after lake flooding in 1983.
Then in the early 2000s, domestic building and construction blew up. Just in the 6 years given that the temple was revealed, Wilkinson said, the variety of stakes in the location — Saratoga Springs, Eagle Mountain and west Lehi — has actually grown by 36%.
President James E. Evanson and Sister Jody K. Evanson of the Utah Orem Mission present with a few of their missionaries at the devotion of the Saratoga Springs Utah Temple in Saratoga Springs, Utah, on Sunday, Aug. 13, 2023.
Scott G Winterton, Deseret News
Church members’ preparations for a brand-new temple
Stakes, wards and members within the brand-new temple district took part in a range of occasions and spiritual experiences over the previous couple of years as they expected conclusion of the Saratoga Springs temple, according to Elder Chad R. Wilkinson, an Area Seventy who served with his other half, Sister Allison Wilkinson, as organizers of the open house and devotion committee.
The Lehi Utah Jordan River YSA Stake put together stake members’ personal experiences from taking part in the open house and other occasions preceding the devotion. Fifty-3 stake members composed products for the job.
Lauren Holbrook of the Hardman Farms YSA 1st Ward composed: “As a speaking usher at the bride’s room and before the celestial room, I had the unique opportunity to teach, testify and introduce visitors to the purposes of the temple. It was powerful to see parents encourage their young children to listen and then share their own testimonies of the importance of the temple in their lives. Missionaries came with friends who didn’t speak English, and through their translation, you could see understanding and peace come into their hearts.”
More than one stake in the temple district held its standard leader trek occasion for youth in the location. One of those stakes is the Eagle Mountain Utah East Stake. Its trek ended at the temple website, “where we paused, talked and reflected on the physical and spiritual beauty of the temple,” said Stake President Taner S. Maia.
Youth from the Eagle Mountain Utah Porter’s Crossing Stake trek towards the Saratoga Springs Utah Temple in June 2022.
Provided by President Nicholas A. Davis
One of the owners of a building and construction supply business remained in the Eagle Mountain Utah Porter’s Crossing Stake and wished to discover a method to help youth get in touch with the temple. At May 2021 seminary graduation, as the temple structure was being built, youth were taught about the value of building a structure on Christ and anchoring themselves to Him. Each senior was welcomed to sign their name to an anchor bolt that would be set into the temple structure, as a suggestion that they would be sealed in Christ and concentrated on their temple covenants, reported stake President Nicholas A. Davis.
Other experiences amongst members in the temple district consisted of:
- The Lone Tree second Ward in the Eagle Mountain Utah Stake dedicated 3 5th-Sunday lessons over the previous year “to helping our ward to get family names ready for those first few temple trips to the Saratoga Springs temple,” Bishop Sean K. Vance reported.
- Youth in the Eagle Mountain Silver Lake Stake throughout a stake youth activity embroidered the Saratoga Springs temple on white scarfs to get ready for the devotion, and ward youth groups planted flowers at the temple.
- The Lehi Utah Gateway Stake collected images from stake members going to temples around the globe. “During June, our members visited 50 different temples around the world and sent pictures that we rotated in the foyer at the stake center where people wait to be interviewed for recommends.” Stake President Peter J. Ehat said.
- Eagle Mountain Utah North Stake President Mark B. James took the personalized shovel from the temple groundbreaking and checked out every second-hour class in the stake, affirming of temples and explaining that simply as the shovels soften the ground in preparation for the temple, “we need to soften our own hearts. I invited them to prayerful set a goal of how they needed to prepare for the temple.”
Primary kids in the Lehi Utah Stake embellished 150 lunch sacks and cards for temple missionary meals throughout the Saratoga Springs Utah Temple open house in 2023.
- Primary kids in the Lehi Utah Stake embellished 150 lunch sacks and cards for temple missionary meals. “Through pictures and words, the children expressed their gratitude for their temple and the missionaries who served there during the weeks of the open house,” said Brina Vance, stake Primary president. The stake Relief Society then filled the sacks with meals.
- Many stakes have objectives to increase the percentage of endowed members who hold present temple advises. One of those stakes is the Saratoga Springs Utah Saratoga Hills Stake, where President Bradley D. Wendel reported: “We want every worthy member in our area to be in and participate in temple blessings. Our stake set a goal of 80%. Today, the week of the temple dedication, we are at 85%. Amazing.”
Saratoga Springs Utah Temple on Saturday, Aug. 12, 2023.
Scott G Winterton, Deseret News
