Saratoga Springs Utah Temple ready for open house beginning Saturday
From the gold filigree and crystal chandeliers to the hand-cut, sculpted carpets and numerous pieces of art, the Saratoga Springs Utah Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is ready to greet thousands of visitors for its extended open house.
“It stands majestic and serene against a stunning landscape. Mount Timpanogos and Utah Lake, iconic Utah landmarks, frame its concrete shear walls and decorative band, which depicts mountains, wetlands and snowy egrets (the logo of Saratoga Springs, a swanlike bird that symbolizes purity and is found near Utah Lake),” according to a church statement.
The Saratoga Springs Utah Temple is the 179th operating temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and is now open to guests and the public for the next 13 weeks.
The temple was first announced in April 2017 by church President Thomas S. Monson. The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent issues with supply chains as well as other issues slowed completion of the temple.
Elder Kevin R. Duncan, General Authority Seventy and executive director of the Temple Department, spoke to media representatives about the importance of the temple and to specifics of the Saratoga Springs Temple.
“Because we’re building His house, we strive to give our … very best craftsmanship, the very best materials that we can. It’s not ostentatious. Its simplistic beauty that elevates one’s vision toward Christ,” he said.
Duncan led the media tour that went through several rooms in the temple and explained the various aspects of what happens in each room, talked about the artwork and answered other questions from reporters.
“We hope there is a feeling as if the Lord were actively here,” Duncan said.
Local artists and craftsmen contributed to the building, including popular stained-glass artist Tom Holdman, who was commissioned to do the numerous windows throughout the temple.
The design hues and color palette of the temple are inspired by the blues, purples, golds and greens of surrounding flora and fauna, such as wildflowers, marsh grass, reeds and the snowy egrets.
The finest materials and workmanship have gone into the Saratoga Springs Utah Temple, a church statement said, from imported mahogany and marble to custom art-glass windows and crystal chandeliers — finishes “designed to enhance the experience for those who come to worship in this holy place.”
Sister Kristin M. Yee, second counselor of the Relief Society General Presidency and herself an artist, said the temple’s artwork is “just exquisite.”
“When you put effort into creating artwork for God,” she said, “He helps us and magnifies those abilities. You can see the beauty of that magnification in the stained glass and the woodwork, in the stone, in the carpet. It all points us back to Him.”
Even the plates around the door handles and the door overhangs are engraved, as is the baptismal font.
Yee spoke about the love God has for his daughters and how important the temple is to bring peace to them.
“The temple is not just a means to get married or go on a mission,” Yee said. “It is an opportunity for sisters to receive blessings and partake with Heavenly Father the gifts he gives.”
“He knows what we need,” she added.
Yee said the Saratoga Springs temple means a lot to her. “I’ve walked around the temple with my nieces and nephews during the construction. I testify this is the Lord’s work,” she said.
Referring to the sealing room where marriages are performed, Duncan noted, “The sealing room is a reflection of God’s love.”
“The Lord is always as close as we allow him to be,” he added.
Chad and Allison Wilkinson were called a year ago to be co-directors of the open house. No small task, the role included calling individuals to be on various committees.
“We have 37,000 volunteers for the open house and 50% are youth and young adults,” Wilkinson said. “It’s wonderful. The whole community is excited.”
Talking about the uniqueness and beauty of the bride’s room, where women prepare and dress for their sealing/wedding ceremony, Allison Wilkson said, “This room shows the love Heavenly Father has for his daughters on their special day.”
While most areas of the temple are reverent and patrons are asked to use quieter voices, the bride’s room may be one exception.
“There is more of a reverent excitement here (bride’s room),” Allison Wilkinson said with a smile.
“The temple is a place of light and beauty,” said Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. “All of God’s creations are reflected in the variety of what we see in the temple and how it’s put together.”
“They’re very impressive from the outside, but much more impressive than the actual physical structures are what takes place inside,” Bednar continued. “In the temples, we learn about God’s plan for his children. We learn about the role of Jesus Christ as our savior and redeemer. And as we learn about the true nature of God, that changes us as we come to know about Him (and) love Him.”
Elder Evan A. Schmutz of the Utah Area Presidency, who was raised in Utah County, encouraged people of all ages and faiths to walk through the Saratoga Springs temple.
“We really believe that all who come in … are going to feel something in their hearts,” he said. “They’re going to feel reverence for God and they’re going to feel a sense of belonging to our father in Heaven.”
As a house of the Lord, this new temple can be entered by only the most devout Latter-day Saints after its dedication. Thus, the church is eager to show the building to neighbors and friends during the open house.
Invited guests can begin tours through Friday, followed by public tours occurring until July 8. Tours will be conducted six days a week, excluding Sundays.
At the conclusion of the open house, the Saratoga Springs Utah Temple will be dedicated in three sessions on Aug. 13 by President Henry B. Eyring of the First Presidency. The dedication will be broadcast to congregations throughout the area.
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- The Saratoga Springs Utah Temple is pictured Monday, April 10, 2023.
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- A sign directs visitors to tours of the newly completed Saratoga Springs Utah Temple on Monday, April 10, 2023.
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- Chad Wilkinson, center, and Allison Wilkinson, right, speak to members of the media after a tour of the Saratoga Springs Utah Temple on Monday, April 10, 2023.
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- Missionaries walk past the the Saratoga Springs Utah Temple on Monday, April 10, 2023. Artwork on the temple uses imagery from the area, including Utah Lake, wildflowers and Mount Timpanogos.
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- The bride’s room of the Saratoga Springs Utah Temple.
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- A statue of the angel Moroni on the Saratoga Springs Utah Temple is photographed after a media tour of the temple on Monday, April 10, 2023.
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- The Sapele African mahogany interior doors of the Saratoga Springs Utah Temple are garnished with hardware that shows design details of wetland grass and water representing nearby Utah Lake.
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- Evan Schmutz, General Authority Seventy for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, speaks before a media tour of the Saratoga Springs Utah Temple on Monday, April 10, 2023.
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- One of four crystal chandeliers in the celestial room of the Saratoga Springs Utah Temple.
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- Kristin Yee, second counselor in the Relief Society General Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, speaks to members of the media in front of the Saratoga Springs Utah Temple on Monday, April 10, 2023.
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- Kevin Duncan, executive director of the Temple Department for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, speaks before a media tour of the Saratoga Springs Utah Temple on Monday, April 10, 2023.
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- The Saratoga Springs Utah Temple is pictured Monday, April 10, 2023.
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- The entry and reception desk of the Saratoga Springs Utah Temple features a painting of Jesus.
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- A patron waiting area on the first floor of the Saratoga Springs Utah Temple, just behind the entry and reception desk.
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- The celestial room of the Saratoga Springs Utah Temple is designed to be a tranquil respite.
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- One of the sealing rooms of the Saratoga Springs Utah Temple. This is where marriages, or sealings, are performed that unite couples and their families.
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- The baptistry of the Saratoga Springs Utah Temple.
Faith
