Medford Oregon Temple
The Medford Oregon Temple is the 79th operating temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The Medford Oregon Temple is located midway between the Oakland California Temple and Portland Oregon Temple temples, giving the 150,000 Latter-day Saints in the state a closer temple. The Portland Oregon Temple was dedicated in 1989 and a temple in the Willamette Valley is under construction.
"This new temple is now another ensign to the restoration of the gospel," said Elder D. Lee Tobler of the Seventy during the groundbreaking ceremony. "It is an ensign not only for you, but it is an ensign for your neighbors. It is an ensign for all." [1]
During the open house nearly 46,000 people toured the Medford Oregon Temple. Many non-members felt the reverent spirit of the building commenting that they felt a “a sweet feeling inside the temple,” and a "sense that [the temple] was a very spiritual place.” Many entered the temple casually but came out "with a spirit of reverence about them." [2]
President James E. Faust, Second Counselor in the First Presidency at the time, dedicated the Medford Oregon Temple on 16 April 2000. During the dedicatory prayer President Faust prayed, “Wilt Thou touch the hearts of Thy people in this temple district that they may ever regard it with gratitude and appreciation, that they may qualify themselves to come here as Thy servants and carry forward the great work for which it is designed. . . . May they come to this Thy house to solemnize the most sacred event of their lives, their marriage to partners of equal worthiness, and may the covenants which they will make in this house be kept inviolate throughout their lives." [3]
The Medford Oregon Temple has a total floor area of 10,700 square feet, two ordinance rooms, and two sealing rooms.
Notes
- Church News, 29 May 1999.
- “News of the Church,” Ensign, July 2000, 74
- "Medford dedicatory prayer: 'Carry forward the great work,'" Church News 22 Apr. 2000, 25 Jun. 2005
