Dedication of the Mount Timpanogos Utah Temple
President Gordon B. Hinckley — then the first counselor in the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — considered the groundbreaking of the Mount Timpanogos Utah Temple in October 1993 an important step within “the greatest era in the history of the world in the building of temples.”
The late Church President continued, “There has never been another season like this season in the construction of houses of the Lord. Of the 45 operating temples we now have, more than half have been constructed in the past 12 years. We are moving across the world to extend the blessings and privileges of temple service to the faithful Saints of this Church, wherever they may be found, and this groundbreaking is a part of that great process.”
On Oct. 13, 1996, this “greatest era” finally included the dedication of the Mount Timpanogos temple. It was dedicated by President Gordon B. Hinckley to “be a beacon of peace and refuge.”
The dedication took place over a week and consisted of 27 sessions. President Hinckley presided over and spoke in 11 of those sessions, while his counselors — President Thomas S. Monson and President James E. Faust — presided over and read the dedicatory prayer in 11 of the other 15 sessions.
A total of 11,617 people participated in the first dedicatory session, and around 38,000 attended the first three sessions on the temple’s first dedication day. Only 2,900 were able to meet inside the house of the Lord for the dedication, so the rest met in meetinghouses around American Fork, Utah.
Dedicatory prayer excerpt: “May its beauty never be marred by evil hands. May it stand strong against the winds and storms that will beat upon it. May it be a beacon of peace and a refuge to the troubled. May it be an holy sanctuary to those whose burdens are heavy and who seek Thy consoling comfort.”
Read the dedicatory prayer of the Mount Timpanogos Utah Temple here.
Timeline of the Mount Timpanogos Utah Temple
October
03
1992
October
09
1993
Groundbreaking
The Mount Timpanogos Utah Temple groundbreaking ceremony was held on Oct. 9, 1993. President Hinckley offered opening thoughts and the dedicatory prayer on the temple site. President Thomas S. Monson, second counselor in the First Presidency; and Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles also spoke at the groundbreaking ceremony. With gold-painted shovels, President Hinckley and President Monson were the first to break ground for the new house of the Lord.
August
06
1996
Open house
The Mount Timpanogos temple open house was held from Aug. 6, 1996, through Sept. 21, 1996, in which 679,217 people attended.
October
13
1996
Dedication
The Mount Timpanogos Utah Temple was dedicated during 27 sessions from Oct. 13 to Oct. 19, 1996. The dedicatory prayer was given by President Gordon B. Hinckley — called as 15th President of the Church in 1995 — in 11 sessions, then other Church leaders read his prayer in additional sessions.
SEE ALL Timeline of the Mount Timpanogos Utah Temple
The Mount Timpanogos Utah Temple was announced Oct. 3, 1992, by President Gordon B. Hinckley, first counselor in the First Presidency. Ground was broken for the temple on Oct. 9, 1993, with President Hinckley presiding.
After an open house from Aug. 6 to Sept. 21, 1996, the temple was dedicated during 27 sessions, from Oct. 13 to Oct. 19, 1996, with the dedicatory prayer being written by Church President Gordon B. Hinckley.
Architecture and Design of the Mount Timpanogos Utah Temple
Built at the base of Mount Timpanogos in American Fork, Utah, the temple stands on almost 17 acres overlooking the valley. The house of the Lord is 104,000 square feet and, with the spire holding a statue of the angel Moroni, is 190 feet tall. Included are four ordinance rooms, eight sealing rooms and a baptistry.
The exterior finish of the structure was made with sierra white granite. The exterior windows are stained glass accompanied by bronze front doors. The grounds offer a spacious area where attendees can sit on benches or in the grass. Upon walking up to the temple, visitors can find similar stone archways to those seen at the Bountiful Utah Temple.
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