LAYTON—It’s been six years since Russell M. Nelson, President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced the Layton Utah Temple in the October 2018 general conference. A public open house for the completed temple begins on April 19 and runs through June 1 excluding Sundays.

The nearly 94,000 square foot structure is three stories high and sits between the Wasatch Range of the Rocky Mountains and the valley floor at 1400 Oak Hills Drive. It will be dedicated by Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles on Sunday, June 16, 2024.There are now 350 temples in operation, under construction or renovation, or announced worldwide.

“In the temple, we learn about our divine identity and destiny better than any other place,” said Elder Christophe G. Giraud-Carrier, assistant, Utah Area Presidency at a media conference on Monday. “In the temple, we make promises to our Father in heaven, about how we will act and how we will treat one another. And most importantly, in the temple the things that start in this life can go beyond the grave as husbands and wives, parents and children are united together not only till death do us part, but for time and for all eternity. The temple, as the spires of this temple show, point us to our Heavenly Father and to the Savior Jesus Christ and help us remember them and keep them at the center of our lives.”

“This is a joy,” said Amy R. Wright, First Counselor in the Primary General Presidency. “We raised our family in this community. We played in local parks. When the Layton Temple was announced our second son was on a mission in Denmark. He told us he wasn’t going to get married until it was finished. As soon as it was finished I sent him a message and said ‘it’s finished …’ Now he has to find someone.”

A fountain in front of the temple lights up the grounds. Photo by Roger V. Tuttle

During the early process children in the area were invited to choose a rock provided here and paint things that were near and dear to their hearts, she said. “There were illustrations of the Savior, other temples, children and youth with their families and favorite scriptures.”

Those rocks were mixed in with the foundation, said Wright. “They were literally the foundation of the house of the Lord. That speaks volumes to the faith of the future rising generation.”

The Tarma family can see the temple from their back windows. “This is super exciting,” said Sarah Tarma. “We’ve been waiting a long time for this.”

“I’m grateful for the closeness of the temple to us,” said Spencer Tarma. “It will make it convent to serve in the house of the Lord. It gives me the chance to teach my kids about the ordinances we perform in the temple.”

The Layton Utah Temple is one of the Church of Jesus Christ’s 30 houses of the Lord dedicated or under construction or renovation in Utah, a release said. It is the second temple in Davis County with the Bountiful Utah Temple nearby that was dedicated in January 1995.

Inside, the temple has design motifs inspired by the agricultural heritage of the Layton City area. Interior and exterior motifs feature seedlings, leafy branches and cherry blossoms. On the second floor is a Tiffany art glass piece titled, “The Resurrection,” that dates back to 1915. It was purchased from a United Presbyterian Church in Armenia, New York, which was torn down in 2015, the release said.

The artwork is intended to elevate the Savior’s creations and to depict his life and teachings, said Elder Kevin R. Duncan, executive director, Temple Department. “People ask why we build such beautiful temples. This is the house of the Lord we do our best to come to serve and worship him.”

The church builds temples so that more people can access the wonderful things that occur inside the temple, he said. “The Layton Temple is a house of hope and place of peace. My friends, I hope that as you’re inside this temple, you’ll really feel that it is a place of refuge from the storms of life for all of us.” 

There is no cost to attend the Layton Utah Temple public open house. Reservations to walk through the house of the Lord can be made online.

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