Location
10200 South 1300 West
South Jordan, Utah 84095-8814
United States
Contact
Telephone: (801)254-3003
Facsimile: (801)254-2030
Distribution Services: (801)254-6731
Details
Announcement: 3 February 1978
Groundbreaking and Site Dedication: 9 June 1979 by Spencer W. Kimball
Public Open House: 29 September–31 October 1981
Dedication: 16–20 November 1981 by Marion G. Romney
Site: 15 acres.
Exterior Finish: Cast stone with white marble chips. Although the tower appears to be of the same material, it actually contains fiberglass in a product called cemlite in order to reduce weight.
Ordinance Rooms: Six ordinance rooms (stationary) and sixteen sealing.
Total Floor Area: 148,236 square feet.
Temple Renovation:
The First Presidency has announced the closure of the Jordan River Utah Temple to accommodate an extensive renovation. The temple will be closed from February 15, 2016 through the latter part of 2017. Following the renovation, the temple will be rededicated. Other temples in the Salt Lake Valley are preparing to accommodate members from the Jordan River Utah Temple District.
During the renovation, the temple will be upgraded, reinforced, and beautified. Outdated mechanical and electrical systems will be replaced with modern equipment, drop ceilings replaced with hard lid ceilings, and escalators replaced with stairs. Seismic upgrades are planned for the entrance canopy, tower, and Celestial Room, which will be strengthened with shear wall modifications and reinforced columns to the footings. Selective interior walls will come down to accommodate remodeling of the Celestial Room, bride's room, initiatory areas, and the baptistry including the addition of a separate baptistry entrance. The general contractor is Westland Construction.
Temple Locale:
The beautifully white Jordan River Utah Temple stands in the southern Salt Lake Valley, 2 miles west of I-15. It is the namesake of the Jordan River, which flows about a mile east of the temple on its course through the valley. At the entrance to the temple, visitors are greeted by a striking water fountain, which spouts among vividly colored flowers and shrubs. The grounds are open to all who wish to the feel the peace that surrounds this holy building.
Temple Facts:
The Jordan River Utah Temple was the seventh temple built in Utah and the second built in the Salt Lake Valley, following the Salt Lake Temple (1893).
The Jordan River Utah Temple and the Oquirrh Mountain Utah Temple (2009) were the first pair of temples to be built in the same city.
The Jordan River Utah Temple was the only temple dedicated by President Marion G. Romney, who served as second counselor in the First Presidency.
The Jordan River Utah Temple is the highest capacity temple in the Church with six ordinance rooms each seating 125 patrons.
The Jordan River Utah Temple is one of five temples featuring an angel Moroni statue holding the gold plates. (The other four temples are the Los Angeles California Temple, Washington D.C. Temple, Seattle Washington Temple, and México City México Temple.)
Among the busiest temples in the Church, the Jordan River Utah Temple operates six large ordinance rooms. (Only three other temples have six ordinance rooms: the Ogden Utah Temple, Provo Utah Temple, and Washington D.C. Temple.)
The Jordan River Utah Temple was originally named the Jordan River Temple.
Plans to construct the Jordan River Utah Temple were announced by President Spencer W. Kimball at a news conference.
At the time that the Jordan River Utah Temple was announced, about half of all of the endowments performed in the Church took place in three of the sixteen operating temples: the Salt Lake Temple, the Ogden Utah Temple, and the Provo Utah Temple.
The construction of the Jordan River Utah Temple and its maintenance costs for many years were funded entirely by monetary donations from local members. The temple site was likewise gifted to the Church.
At the unconventional groundbreaking ceremony of the Jordan River Utah Temple, President Spencer W. Kimball delivered his address, offered the dedicatory prayer, and then mounted a huge Caterpillar tractor. He put into action his oft-quoted admonishment to "lengthen our stride" by operating the controls to move a giant shovelful of dirt.
Just hours before the dedication of the Jordan River Utah Temple, news correspondents announced that President Spencer W. Kimball, who was recovering from surgery and a lengthy hospital stay, would likely be confined to his room at the Hotel Utah during the dedication services. But with tears of joy, he was welcomed to the Celestial Room just before the ceremony commenced.