Payson Utah Temple
On 25th January 2010, President Thomas S. Monson, prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (also called the LDS or Mormon Church), announced that a Mormon temple is planned for the city of Payson, Utah. The new temple will help relieve the pressure of use on the nearby Provo Utah Temple.
The city of Payson is south of the Provo-Orem area, Springville and Spanish Fork, along the I-15 freeway. The proposed temple site is on the south-west of Payson, near the I-15 highway, and when the building is completed, the temple district will encompass an area serving almost 80,000 members of the Mormon Church.
There are currently 14 other temples in operation and announced throughout the state of Utah.
In early fall of 2011, the LDS Church released a rendering of the future Payson Temple:
The groundbreaking for the Payson Utah Temple took place on Saturday, October 8, 2011. About 6,000 people braved rain and cold to witness the event. Prayers to lift the rain for the event were answered, but the unseasonable cold remained. Elder Dallin H. Oaks presided over and offered the dedicatory prayer at the service, witnessed via TV transmission by other Latter-day Saints gathered in meetinghouses elsewhere in the temple district, which stretches from Spanish Fork on the north to Nephi on the south. [1]
When the temple is completed, it will be about 96,000 square feet in size, and will serve approximately 78,000 church members in 22 stakes, including nine in Spanish Fork and six in Payson. Said Elder Oaks, "Standing just adjacent to I-15, the major north-south artery in Utah, the Payson Temple will be a dominant and visible influence on the millions who pass here, by day and by night."
Elder William R. Walker of the Quorum of the Seventy addressed the congregation during the ceremony. Elder Walker is the executive director of the Church's Temple Department. Other speakers on the program were Elder Walker's wife, Vicki V. Walker, and Elder Steven E. Snow of the Presidency of the Seventy.
Open House and An Inside Look
An open house for the Payson Utah Temple, located at 1494 South 930 West, Payson, Utah, was held from Friday, 24 April 2015 through Saturday, 23 May 2015. An open house was not conducted on Sunday 26 April, 3 May, 10 May, or 17 May. Admission was free to the general public, including children of all ages, but reservations were requested and modest dress was required.
The open house tours began with a 12-minute video providing an overview of temples and why they are significant to members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Following the video, a tour host escorted visitors through the temple, explaining the purpose of each room and answering questions as time allowed. At the conclusion of the tour, visitors were invited to a reception area where they could get any further questions that they had answered.
The following pictures from Mormon Newsroom of the inside of the Payson Utah Temple were officially released by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints:
Payson Utah Temple
Sealing Room
Ordinance Room
Celestial Room
Baptistry
Stained glass ceiling
Recommend desk
Patron's lobby
Interior stair
Interior stained glass
Breezeway
A Cultural Celebration - Fill the World With Love
On Saturday, 6 June 2015, despite a storm that rolled in prior to their performance, nearly 13,000 youth of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints participated in a cultural celebration entitled Fill the World with Love. The celebration was held at LaVell Edwards Stadium on the Brigham Young University campus in Provo, Utah, and commemorated the heritage of the Payson region through narration, song, and dance.
First Counselor in the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ, President Henry B. Eyring, told the youthduring the celebration, “You will never forget the satisfaction as you discovered that through effort and determination you can do more than you thought possible.”
The Payson Utah Temple is Dedicated
The Payson Utah Temple was dedicated in three sessions on Sunday, 7 June 2015 at 10:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m., and 4:00 p.m. All sessions were broadcast to the stakes belonging to the Payson Utah Temple District, and the three-hour block meetings were cancelled that day in order that the Saints could attend this sacred event.
President Henry B. Eyring presided over the services. He offered the dedicatory prayers in the first two sessions, and Elder Neil L. Andersen offered the dedicatory prayer during the third session. Also in attendance were members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Elders Russell M. Nelson, Dallin H. Oaks and Quentin L. Cook. Elders Ronald A. Rasband and Ulisses Soares of the Presidency of the Seventy, Elder Kent F. Richards, a member of the Seventy and executive director of the Temple Department, Bishop Gerald Causse of the Presiding Bishopric and Carol F. McConkie, first counselor in the Yong Women General Presidency were also present. Meridian Magazinehas published a photo essay of the day's events.
The Payson Temple is the largest temple that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has built in some time. It is the 146th operating temple of the Church and will serve members from 27 stakesin Southern Utah Valley and Central Utah.
