McAllen Texas Temple

On 5 October 2020, during the 189th Semiannual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, President Russell M. Nelson announced plans to construct the McAllen Texas Temple.

The McAllen Texas Temple will be a 29,732 square foot single-story building with a central spire. A meetinghouse of over 19,000 square feet will be constructed adjacent to the temple, featuring space for three wards, a Stake suite, mission offices, and a distribution center. The temple will have two ordinance rooms (stationary) and two sealing rooms.

On 11 December 2019, the location of the McAllen Texas Temple was announced. The temple will be constructed on a 10.6-acre field located northwest of the intersection of Second Street and West Trenton Road on the north side of McAllen, Texas.

On 28 August 2020, an official exterior rendering of the McAllen Texas Temple was released.

This will be the fifth temple built in the state of Texas. In 1990, there were more than 154,000 Latter-day Saints in the state. Today, Texas is home to over 370,000 members of the Church.

Groundbreaking Ceremony for McAllen Texas Temple

Elder Art Rascon, an Area Seventy, presided at the groundbreaking ceremony for the McAllen Texas Temple held on November 21, 2020. In his dedicatory prayer, Elder Rascon expressed gratitude for the many thousands of Latter-day Saints “in this lovely valley in southern Texas and across the border into Mexico who have worked faithfully to establish Thy kingdom and prepared their hearts and minds awaiting this day. Their faith, patience, and perseverance in the midst of many afflictions have made the miracle of this day possible. We thank Thee, Heavenly Father, for their long-suffering, fervent prayers and continued diligence to live the gospel of Jesus Christ.” He added, “As the central spire rises heavenward to this beautiful house of the Lord, might we as God’s children ever increase our faith and look to the heavens for wisdom and not to the ever-shifting values of the world. This temple will bring us closer to God.”[1]

Open House and Dedication Announced

The First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints released the dedication and open house dates for the McAllen Texas Temple.

Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles will dedicate the house of the Lord on Sunday, October 8, in two sessions, at 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. local time. The dedicatory sessions will be broadcast to all units in the McAllen temple district.

The temple’s open house phase begins Monday, August 21, with a media day with invited guests — including community, business, education and faith leaders — touring the temple Tuesday, August 22, through Thursday, August 24.