The Orem Utah Temple Is Opening for Public Tours

The Orem Utah Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is opening for free public tours. The open house goes from Friday, October 27 through Saturday, December 16, 2023 (excluding Sundays and Thanksgiving). The temple will be dedicated by Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in two sessions at 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m on Sunday, January 21, 2024.

Downloadable HD B-roll & SOTs | High-Resolution Photos | Media Kit PDF 

The Orem Utah Temple was first announced at the October 2019 general conference. Construction began on September 5, 2020. The 70,000-square-foot temple sits on a 15.39-acre site at 1471 S Geneva Rd, just west of Interstate 15 and near Utah Valley University.

Located between the Wasatch Mountains and the shores of Utah Lake, the Orem Utah Temple is an ideal location on a site settled by Norwegian immigrants who arrived in Utah in 1864. As converts to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, generations of the Williamsen family homesteaded the 15 acres that were eventually purchased by the Church in 2004. The area, known as Lake View, was home to many fruit orchards. For that reason, the cherry blossom is the main design element of the interior finishes in the art glass, wood panels and metal handrails.

Similar to the exterior, the interior is simple, with natural materials. The design and finishes complement the ordinances and the significant patron areas. The use of marble wainscots and wood columns is common throughout the temple. The detail of the columns, coffered ceilings, and marble wainscot is more articulated as one moves through the ordinance rooms, culminating in the celestial room. The woodwork is painted, and the wall coverings are subtle, allowing the attention to remain on what takes place in the various rooms. The secondary spaces are simpler yet lovely.

By design, the Orem Utah Temple is unique to its location; however, the images in the art glass and cherry blossom design element pay homage to the history of the site and the culture of the surrounding area.

Orem Temple Media Day

On the morning of Monday, October 23, journalists and other invited guests walked through this new house of the Lord.

“We have 335 temples either operating temples and announced temples or temples under construction, and this is the 186th temple in the Church,” said Elder Adilson de Paula Parrella, assistant executive director of the Temple Department.

Elder Parrella said Utah County will have six temples and the new Orem temple will serve more than 57,000 Latter-day Saints in the area.

“I can't believe we have a temple in my hometown,” said Chad Lewis, president of the Orem Hillcrest Stake. “It's a miracle to have a temple right here in Family City, USA, where families can be sealed together forever.”

Latter-day Saints consider temples to be the most sacred spaces on earth and literal houses of the Lord where families can be joined together forever.

“I have peace knowing my family can live together again,” said Grace Miller, a student at Utah Valley University, located near the Orem temple.

Reyna I. Aburto, a member of the Orem Utah Temple open house committee and a former counselor in the Relief Society general presidency, conducted Monday’s news conference.

“I couldn't be more excited,” said Jacob Luke, 17, a local youth volunteer. “This one is my temple.”

Latter-day Saint youth from the area are excited about the new temple and are serving as volunteers during the open house.

“I'm really excited for this because it's always nice to have a temple right next to your house so you can come find the peace in this crazy world and have a little time with Heavenly Father,” said Claire Hirschi, 12, who was at the temple on Monday with two of her sisters.

“The temple is a good place for me to regroup and put things back into perspective when life gets crazy, and so I'm just so excited to have one so close to home just down the street,” said 17-year-old Mikelle Hirschi.

“I personally consider temples to be just a little pocket of heaven,” said 16-year-old youth volunteer Seth Johnson. “The temple is a place where we go to work on sacred covenants, to work on our relationship with Heavenly Father.”

The ceremonies within each temple teach the purpose of life and unite families, past and present. The temples in communities around the globe remind Latter-day Saints of the importance of faith in the common Father of all humanity, the need for constant improvement of the soul, the possibility of family relationships that reach beyond the grave, and the salvation that comes only through the grace of Jesus Christ.

Utah has a total of 28 houses of the Lord. Temples currently in operation in the state are found in American Fork (Mount Timpanogos), Bountiful, Brigham City, Cedar City, Draper, Logan, Monticello, Ogden, Payson, Provo (Provo City Center and Provo Utah), Saratoga Springs, South Jordan (Jordan River and Oquirrh Mountain) and Vernal. New temples under construction in Utah are in Ephraim, Heber Valley, Layton, Lindon, Smithfield, Syracuse, Taylorsville, and Tooele (Deseret Peak). The Manti Utah Temple and the Salt Lake Utah Temple are currently under renovation. The St. George Utah Temple will be rededicated on December 10, 2023, and the Red Cliffs Utah Temple in Washington County will be dedicated by President Henry B. Eyring, Second Counselor in the First Presidency on Sunday, March 24, 2024.