Ogden Utah Temple |
14th operating temple; closed for renovation; DUP museum transported to new permanent location; anticipated to be completed in 2013–2014 |
Physical Address
350 22nd StreetOgden, Utah 84401-1487 United States |
Mailing Address
350 22nd StOgden, UT 84401-1487 Telephone: 801-621-6880
Fax: 801-399-0907 |
Announcement: 24 August 1967
Site Dedication: 8 September 1969 by Joseph Fielding Smith and Alvin R. Dyer
Groundbreaking: 8 September 1969 by Hugh B. Brown
Public Open House: 16–30 December 1971
Dedication: 18–20 January 1972 by Joseph Fielding Smith
Site: 18.3 acres.
Exterior Finish: Granite.
Ordinance Rooms: Six ordinance rooms (stationary) and eleven sealing.
Total Floor Area: 106,000 square feet.
As of January 2012, the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers Museum and Miles Goodyear Cabin have been relocated from the Ogden Utah Temple site to their new permanent location on a half-acre, city-donated site at the corner of Lincoln St and 21st Ave—just one block west of the temple block. Demolition activities at the temple and tabernacle are complete, and new construction activities have begun including excavation for the new underground parking facility, installation of a dewatering system, waterproofing of the foundation, installation of new electrical equipment, and cutting window openings in the main floor walls.
The angel Moroni statue came down on August 8, 2011, followed by the spire that day and the next. The angel will be refurbished and reused, though not necessarily on the Ogden temple.
On February 17, 2010, the Church announced that the Ogden Utah Temple block would undergo a complete overhaul, reshaping the existing temple into a beautiful new east-facing, stone-clad temple with art glass windows. While the interior structure will remain largely the same, some rooms will be reconfigured, and all interior design and auxiliary systems will be updated. The adjacent tabernacle will also sustain changes including the removal of its steeple, which will lend more prominence to the temple. The current above-ground parking structure will be replaced with surface and underground parking. All landscaping will be redone, featuring two new beautiful water features on the east and west sides of the temple.
On September 8, 2010, the Ogden Planning Commission granted approval for the site plan of the redesigned Ogden Utah Temple.
On January 4, 2011, the First Presidency announced by letter the official closing date of the temple as Saturday, April 2, 2011. Construction is expected to last approximately 2–3 years. Following the renovation, the temple will be rededicated. During the closure, members may attend any other temple with an emphasis on weekday hours. Attendance is expected to increase at nearby temples, especially on Saturdays and weekday evenings.
The Ogden Utah Temple occupies a city block of downtown Ogden beautified by water features, mature trees, and colorful landscaping. Sharing the site are a large parking structure (now demolished) and several historic buildings including the Ogden Tabernacle (housing the Utah Ogden Mission Office in the rear), the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers Museum (built in 1902 as the Weber Stake Relief Society building and to be relocated), and the Miles Goodyear Cabin (the first permanent pioneer home in Utah—transported from its original location on the Weber River and to be relocated again).
The Ogden Utah Temple was the fifth temple built in Utah and the second built along the Wasatch Front.
The Ogden Utah Temple was the first temple dedicated in the state of Utah; the four previous temples were dedicated in Utah Territory over 78 years earlier.
The Ogden Utah Temple was the first temple built with six ordinance rooms, allowing sessions to begin every 20 minutes. (Only three other temples have six ordinance rooms: the Provo Utah Temple, Jordan River Utah Temple, and Washington D.C. Temple.)
The Ogden Utah Temple was originally named the Ogden Temple.
The announcement of the Ogden Utah Temple and Provo Utah Temple was prompted by a statistic computed in the mid-1960s that 52 percent of all ordinance work was performed in three temples: the Logan Utah Temple, the Manti Utah Temple, and the Salt Lake Temple.
The original design for the Ogden Utah Temple included a gold-leafed statue of the angel Moroni atop a gold-colored spire. The statue was eventually eliminated from the design, though one was added over 30 years after its dedication.
The Ogden Utah Temple was constructed as a sister building to the Provo Utah Temple, which was built and dedicated at the same time.
Ground was broken for the Ogden Utah Temple on the 96th birthday of President David O. McKay. He passed away just 4 months later. The temple was subsequently dedicated on the second anniversary of his passing.
As part of an exterior renovation in 2002, an angel Moroni statue was added to the Ogden Utah Temple, and the spire—originally gold colored—was painted white.
