Mount Timpanogos Utah Temple
Encyclopedia
The Mount Timpanogos Utah Temple is the 49th operating temple
of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The temple is located in American Fork, Utah
and is the second temple built in Utah County and the ninth in Utah
.
in general conference on Oct. 3, 1992. The precise location wasn't revealed for another six months at the following Conference when it was announced the temple would be constructed in American Fork on lands previously used for a church welfare farm. The Mount Timpanogos Temple overlooks the cities of American Fork
, Manila
, Cedar Hills
, Highland
and Alpine
as well as nearby Utah Lake
. Mount Timpanogos
, a majestic 11,750-foot peak, and the Wasatch Mountains serve as a backdrop.
Ground was broken for the Mount Timpanogos Utah Temple a year after its announcement. Approximately 12,000 people gathered on the temple site for the ceremony. During the services, the location of the Madrid Spain Temple
was announced.
Twenty-thousand people attended a ceremony as the angel Moroni statue was lifted to its resting place on the 190 feet (57.9 m) spire of the temple in July 1995. Once the statue was in place, the throngs of visitors broke into applause and then spontaneously began to sing The Spirit of God
.
A total of 679,217 people toured the Mount Timpanogos Utah Temple during the six weeks (running from 10 August – 21 September 1996) of its public open house. More than 800 children's choirs - made up from nearly every ward and branch in the temple district - performed near the front entrance to the temple at least once during the open house.
. The dedication of the temple lasted an entire week with three sessions on Sunday and four on each of the following days for a total of 27 dedicatory sessions.
Before the dedication, President Hinckley and his two counselors in the First Presidency
, President Thomas S. Monson
and President James E. Faust
, applied mortar to the cornerstone of the temple. They were followed by President Boyd K. Packer
, then Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles; Elder W. Eugene Hansen
of the Seventy and executive director of the Temple Department; Robert J. Matthews
, temple president; Stephen M. Studdert
, vice chairman of the temple committee; and President Hinckley's wife, Sister Marjorie Hinckley.
A total of 11,617 participated in the first dedicatory session, of which about 2,900 met in the temple. The others attended the session in the American Fork Tabernacle, 12 stake centers in Utah and Wasatch counties, and the Salt Lake Tabernacle
on Temple Square
in Salt Lake City, locations to where proceedings of subsequent sessions were also transmitted. Like at the temple, admittance to the other locations was for worthy members of the Church with a ticket from their bishops. Speakers for the first session were President Hinckley, President Monson, President Faust and President Packer. They were accompanied to the temple by their wives, Sister Hinckley, Sister Frances Monson, Sister Ruth Faust and Sister Donna Packer.
About 38,000 attended the three sessions of dedication on the first day. During the week, President Hinckley presided over and spoke in 11 dedicatory sessions, plus the cornerstone session. President Monson and President Faust each presided over eight dedicatory sessions, and each spoke in 11 sessions, which included the cornerstone session. A total of 52 General Authorities addressed the sessions, as well as the temple presidency
and matron.
The floor plan of the Mount Timpanogos Utah Temple is an adaption of the floor plan created for the Bountiful Utah Temple
. The temples are nearly identical from the outside, though the two temples' spires are noticeably different.
Temple (LDS Church)
In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , a temple is a building dedicated to be a House of the Lord, and they are considered by Church members to be the most sacred structures on earth. Upon completion, temples are usually open to the public for a short period of time...
of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The temple is located in American Fork, Utah
American Fork, Utah
American Fork is a city in Utah County, Utah, United States, at the foot of Mount Timpanogos in the Wasatch Range, north of Utah Lake. It is part of the Provo–Orem, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 26,263 at the 2010 census, nearly a 20% growth since the 2000 census...
and is the second temple built in Utah County and the ninth in Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
.
Announcement
The temple was announced by Church President Gordon B. HinckleyGordon B. Hinckley
Gordon Bitner Hinckley was an American religious leader and author who served as the 15th President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from March 12, 1995 until his death...
in general conference on Oct. 3, 1992. The precise location wasn't revealed for another six months at the following Conference when it was announced the temple would be constructed in American Fork on lands previously used for a church welfare farm. The Mount Timpanogos Temple overlooks the cities of American Fork
American Fork, Utah
American Fork is a city in Utah County, Utah, United States, at the foot of Mount Timpanogos in the Wasatch Range, north of Utah Lake. It is part of the Provo–Orem, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 26,263 at the 2010 census, nearly a 20% growth since the 2000 census...
, Manila
Manila, Utah
Manila is a small town located in at the northern edge of Daggett County, Utah, just south of the Wyoming border. The town is at the junction of State Route 43 and State Route 44, and is the county seat of Daggett County...
, Cedar Hills
Cedar Hills, Utah
Cedar Hills is a city in Utah County, Utah, United States. The population was 3,094 at the 2000 census, and was estimated to be 9,551 in 2008. The city began growing rapidly during the 1990s, with the largest growth rate of any municipality in the state. It is located east of Alpine and Highland on...
, Highland
Highland, Utah
Highland is a city in Utah County, Utah, United States. It is approximately thirty miles from Salt Lake City and is part of the Provo–Orem, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area. According to the 2010 census the population was 15,523, a 90.0% increase over the 2000 figure of 8,172...
and Alpine
Alpine, Utah
Alpine is a city in Utah County, Utah, United States. It is part of the Provo–Orem, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 9555 at the 2010 census. Alpine has been one of the many quickly-growing cities of Utah since the 1970s, and especially the 1990s. It is located on the...
as well as nearby Utah Lake
Utah Lake
Utah Lake is a freshwater lake in the U.S. state of Utah. On the western side of Utah Valley, the lake is overlooked by Mount Timpanogos and Mount Nebo. The lake's only river outlet, the Jordan River, is a tributary of the Great Salt Lake and is highly regulated with pumps. Evaporation accounts...
. Mount Timpanogos
Mount Timpanogos
Mount Timpanogos, sometimes informally referred to as Timp, is the second highest mountain in Utah's Wasatch Range. Timpanogos rises to an elevation of 11,749 feet above sea level in the Uinta National Forest...
, a majestic 11,750-foot peak, and the Wasatch Mountains serve as a backdrop.
Ground was broken for the Mount Timpanogos Utah Temple a year after its announcement. Approximately 12,000 people gathered on the temple site for the ceremony. During the services, the location of the Madrid Spain Temple
Madrid Spain Temple
The Madrid Spain Temple is the 56th operating temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints .The Madrid Spain Temple, built in Moratalaz, a district of Madrid, was announced in 1996...
was announced.
Twenty-thousand people attended a ceremony as the angel Moroni statue was lifted to its resting place on the 190 feet (57.9 m) spire of the temple in July 1995. Once the statue was in place, the throngs of visitors broke into applause and then spontaneously began to sing The Spirit of God
The Spirit of God Like a Fire Is Burning
"The Spirit of God Like a Fire Is Burning" is a hymn of the Latter Day Saint movement. It was written by W. W. Phelps, one of the most prolific hymnwriters of early Mormonism....
.
A total of 679,217 people toured the Mount Timpanogos Utah Temple during the six weeks (running from 10 August – 21 September 1996) of its public open house. More than 800 children's choirs - made up from nearly every ward and branch in the temple district - performed near the front entrance to the temple at least once during the open house.
Dedication
The Mount Timpanogos Utah Temple was dedicated on October 13, 1996 by Church President Gordon B. HinckleyGordon B. Hinckley
Gordon Bitner Hinckley was an American religious leader and author who served as the 15th President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from March 12, 1995 until his death...
. The dedication of the temple lasted an entire week with three sessions on Sunday and four on each of the following days for a total of 27 dedicatory sessions.
Before the dedication, President Hinckley and his two counselors in the First Presidency
First Presidency (LDS Church)
The First Presidency is the presiding or governing body of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . It is composed of the President of the Church and his counselors. The First Presidency currently consists of President Thomas S. Monson and his two counselors, Henry B...
, President Thomas S. Monson
Thomas S. Monson
Thomas Spencer Monson is an American religious leader and author, and the 16th and current President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . As president, Monson is considered by adherents of the religion to be a "prophet, seer, and revelator" of God's will on earth...
and President James E. Faust
James E. Faust
James Esdras Faust was an American religious leader, lawyer, and politician. Faust was Second Counselor in the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1995 until his death, an LDS Church apostle for 29 years, and a general authority of the church for 35...
, applied mortar to the cornerstone of the temple. They were followed by President Boyd K. Packer
Boyd K. Packer
Boyd Kenneth Packer is an American educator and religious leader, and the current president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . He served as Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve from 1994 to 2008, and has been an apostle and member of...
, then Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles; Elder W. Eugene Hansen
W. Eugene Hansen
Warren Eugene Hansen has been a general authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints since 1989. He became a member of the First Quorum of the Seventy in 1989 and was a member of the Presidency of the Seventy from 1993 to 1998...
of the Seventy and executive director of the Temple Department; Robert J. Matthews
Robert J. Matthews
Robert James Matthews was a Latter-day Saint religious educator and scholar, teaching in the Departments of Ancient Scripture and Religious Education at Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah....
, temple president; Stephen M. Studdert
Stephen M. Studdert
Stephen M. Studdert served as a White House Advisor to U.S. Presidents George Bush, Ronald Reagan, and Gerald Ford.Mr. Studdert has represented U.S. Presidents in diplomatic assignments to over one hundred nations...
, vice chairman of the temple committee; and President Hinckley's wife, Sister Marjorie Hinckley.
A total of 11,617 participated in the first dedicatory session, of which about 2,900 met in the temple. The others attended the session in the American Fork Tabernacle, 12 stake centers in Utah and Wasatch counties, and the Salt Lake Tabernacle
Salt Lake Tabernacle
The Salt Lake Tabernacle, also known as the Mormon Tabernacle, is located on Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah along with the Salt Lake Assembly Hall and Salt Lake Temple.-History:...
on Temple Square
Temple Square
Temple Square is a ten acre complex located in the center of Salt Lake City, Utah, owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . In recent years, the usage of the name has gradually changed to include several other church facilities immediately adjacent to Temple Square...
in Salt Lake City, locations to where proceedings of subsequent sessions were also transmitted. Like at the temple, admittance to the other locations was for worthy members of the Church with a ticket from their bishops. Speakers for the first session were President Hinckley, President Monson, President Faust and President Packer. They were accompanied to the temple by their wives, Sister Hinckley, Sister Frances Monson, Sister Ruth Faust and Sister Donna Packer.
About 38,000 attended the three sessions of dedication on the first day. During the week, President Hinckley presided over and spoke in 11 dedicatory sessions, plus the cornerstone session. President Monson and President Faust each presided over eight dedicatory sessions, and each spoke in 11 sessions, which included the cornerstone session. A total of 52 General Authorities addressed the sessions, as well as the temple presidency
Temple President
Temple president is a priesthood leadership position in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. A temple president's primary responsibility is to supervise the affairs of an LDS temple in both an administrative and spiritual capacity....
and matron.
Temple Facts
The Mount Timpanogos Utah Temple has a total of 107240 square feet (9,962.9 m²), four ordinance rooms, and eight sealing rooms.The floor plan of the Mount Timpanogos Utah Temple is an adaption of the floor plan created for the Bountiful Utah Temple
Bountiful Utah Temple
The Bountiful Utah Temple is the 47th operating temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.The Bountiful Temple is the eighth temple constructed in the state of Utah. The history of this temple site began back in 1897, when John Haven Barlow Sr. purchased of land from the United...
. The temples are nearly identical from the outside, though the two temples' spires are noticeably different.
Temple Presidents
- Robert J. MatthewsRobert J. MatthewsRobert James Matthews was a Latter-day Saint religious educator and scholar, teaching in the Departments of Ancient Scripture and Religious Education at Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah....
, 1996–1999 - Dee F. Andersen, 1999–2002
- Rex D. PinegarRex D. PinegarRex Dee Pinegar has been a general authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints since 1972. He has twice served as a member of the church's seven-man Presidency of the Seventy....
, 2002–2005 - Lawrence S. Clarke, 2005–2008
- L. Edward BrownL. Edward BrownLowell Edward Brown was an Idaho politician and a general authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ....
, 2008–present
See also
- Temple (Latter Day Saints)
- List of temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
- List of temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by geographic region
- Comparison of temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day SaintsComparison of temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day SaintsBelow is a chronological list of temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with sortable columns. In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a temple is a building dedicated to be a House of the Lord, and considered by church members to be the most sacred structures on earth...
- Temple architecture (Latter-day Saints)
- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in UtahThe Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in UtahAs of year-end 2007, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints reported 1,823,613 members in 523 stakes, 1 district, 4,666 Congregations , and 5 missions...