Elko Nevada Temple
During the 191st Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, on 4 April 2021, President Russell M. Nelson announced plans to construct the Elko Nevada Temple.
Nevada borders California in the Western United States and is home to nearly 182,000 Latter-day Saints in 42 stakes and some 362 congregations. Located on Interstate 80, the city of Elko is 230 miles west of Salt Lake City and 290 miles east of Reno.
The first mission of the Church in Nevada was established in 1855. Thirty men were called to establish the mission at the Meadows in southern Nevada. Although Nevada was part of Utah Territory until it became a state in 1864, it was not until 1942 that the Church organized a stake (a group of congregations) based in Elko County.
The Elko Nevada Temple will be the state’s third temple and will serve Latter-day Saints residing in northeastern Nevada and surrounding areas. Other temples located in Nevada include the Reno Nevada Temple (2000), the Las Vegas Nevada Temple (1989), and the Lone Mountain Nevada Temple (announced October 2022).
On 10 June 2021, the site for the Elko Nevada Temple was announced as a 5.2-acre parcel adjacent to the southeast corner of the Ruby View Golf Course on Ruby Vista Drive. Plans call for a single-story temple of roughly 10,000 square feet. The official exterior rendering of the Elko Nevada Temple was released to the public on 17 September 2021.
Groundbreaking Ceremony is Held for the Elko Nevada Temple
A groundbreaking ceremony for the Elko Nevada Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was held on Saturday, 7 May 2022, signaling the start of the temple’s construction phase. Elder Paul B. Pieper, of the Quorum of the Seventy, and president of the Church’s North America Southwest Area, presided at the event and offered a dedicatory prayer on the temple’s site and construction phase. He was joined by his wife, Sister Melissa Piper, and regional and local leaders of the Church, local community leaders, and invited guests.
During his remarks, he said, "This temple will be God's house . . . a bounteous mine of spiritual 'gold' that will truly enrich us, and we need not look anywhere else to find true and lasting peace, happiness, and fulfillment in our lives, our families, and our homes." He continued, "As we watch this temple rise in the coming months, may we reach out to God with a greater desire to know Him and love Him and to know and love our neighbors."
Participants in the groundbreaking ceremonies included Latter-day Saints from congregations in Elko and nearby towns. A broadcast of the event was made available to those living in the temple district.
Construction is estimated to be completed in late 2024 to early 2025.
External Links
- Official Elko Nevada Temple page
- Elko Nevada Temple page
- What is the Purpose of the Temple
- What Are Temples?
- Church News, “Inside Church Headquarters: The location, design and construction of Latter-day Saint temples
