Heber Valley Utah Temple

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Heber Valley Utah Temple rendering. © 2022 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.

In the October 2021 general conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, President Russell M. Nelson announced that a temple would be built in the Heber Valley, which encompasses the communities of Heber City, Midway, Charleston, Daniel, and Center Creek, and would serve neighboring areas of Wallsburg, Park City, and the Kamas area. It will be the 28th temple built in Utah. Members of the Church in the area are currently served by the Provo Utah Temple.

Heber Valley is a picturesque rural mountain valley located in Wasatch County, about 40 miles southeast of Salt Lake City, near world-renowned ski resorts and state parks. Early pioneers from England settled in Heber City, named for Church leader and missionary in England Heber C. Kimball.[1] Two settlements on the west side of the valley met "midway" to settle the town of Midway, which was home to many Swiss pioneers who thought the Wasatch mountain valley reminded them of their alpine valleys in Switzerland.[2]

On September 19, 2022, the official exterior rendering of the Heber Valley Utah Temple was released to the public. The location was also announced: the 88,000-square-foot, three-story temple will be constructed on a 17.9-acre site located southeast of 1400 East Center Street in Heber City. The temple will have four instruction rooms, four sealing rooms, and two baptistries.


Groundbreaking

It was originally announced that Elder Kevin R. Duncan, executive director of the Church Temple Department, would preside at the groundbreaking and site dedication for the Heber Valley Utah Temple on Saturday, October 8, 2022. Instead, President Russell M. Nelson presided, which was a wonderful surprise to the some 600 Latter-day Saints attending. “Today, we will begin the work by breaking ground for a temple in this unique and wonderful valley,” President Nelson said in his opening remarks. “I love you all and whole-heartedly rejoice with you.”[3]

President Nelson also paid tribute to George Holmes Sr, the original owner of the land on which the temple will be constructed. George Sr. was one of the children of immigrant parents and a WWII veteran who bought the land with his wife Clara in 1946.

“For years, [George Sr.] had dreamt of building a forever home with his beloved Clara,” President Nelson said. “In a very real way, his dream will be realized.”

In his dedicatory prayer, President Nelson said, "“Dear Father, as we open this ground, we ask thee to bless this site and hallow it. We pray that the construction of this temple may be completed to accommodate thy divine purposes.”[4]

Elder Duncan also spoke at the dedication.

Following the groundbreaking, construction was stalled by a minority of local residents who opposed the temple primarily because its size, its lighting, and the potential impact on traffic. On Wednesday, November 8, 2023, the Wasatch County Council unanimously approved plans for the Heber Valley Utah Temple following a heated public hearing that went late into the night. In response to concerns that have been expressed over protecting the county's dark skies, the Church has made numerous concessions on exterior lighting. "The Heber Valley Utah Temple will be one of the dimmest temples in the world," said Curtis Miner, the principle architect on the project.[5]

A lawsuit against Wasatch County was filed by residents of a nearby neighborhood. The county filed a motion to dismiss the case and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints filed a motion to join the case as defendants. and a Fourth District Court judge will rule on May 23, 2024.[6]

External Links

Temples in Utah

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