Oquirrh Mountain Utah Temple

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As of February 2008, the majority of the exterior framing is completed. Framework for the single steeple is also on site.

On December 16, 2006, President Hinckley presided at the groundbreaking ceremony where he announced the official name of the temple as the Oquirrh Mountain Utah Temple. The temple sits at the foot of the Oquirrh (pronounced O'-ker) Mountains and faces east toward a panoramic view of the Wasatch Mountains and the valley's other three temples: the Salt Lake Temple, Jordan River Utah Temple, and Draper Utah Temple. The Oquirrh Mountains form the western boundary of the Salt Lake Valley.¹

On Tuesday, November 28, 2006, the South Jordan Planning Commission wholeheartly approved plans for the temple, which drew rave reviews from city staff and zero public comment.² Plans call for a 60,000-square-foot building with 63-foot high walls and a single spire reaching 193 feet heavenward, topped by the traditional gold-leafed angel Moroni statue. The temple grants South Jordan the distinction of being the only city in the world with two LDS temples (the other being the Jordan River Utah Temple, located approximately 3½ miles to the northeast). The east-facing temple will have its main access off 4000 West with additional access points off Braidwood Drive and Blue Mesa Way. The 11-acre site is located on a beautiful bluff just west of highly traveled Bangerter Highway on the east side of Daybreak.³

Daybreak is a master-planned community that has been heralded for its carefully designed, environmentally friendly mix of homes, retail districts, and open spaces. Situated on 4,126 acres of land at the base of the Oquirrh Mountains, the plan preserves 30 percent of the land for parks, trails, a lake, and natural open spaces. The community is expected to be completed around 2020 when it will have more than 13,000 homes, 5.2 million square feet of office space, 2.4 million square feet of retail space, and 1.5 million square feet of industrial space.⁴

In his opening remarks made during the Saturday morning session of General Conference, held October 1, 2005, President Gordon B. Hinckley announced the construction of the temple, the fourth for Salt Lake Valley. He also mentioned a site had been acquired for a fifth Salt-Lake-area temple in the southwest part of the valley, which will be officially announced later once growing Church membership in the area prompts its construction.⁵

The Oquirrh Mountain Utah Temple was the fourth temple built in the Salt Lake Valley, following the Salt Lake Temple (1893), the Jordan River Utah Temple (1981), and the Draper Utah Temple and the thirteenth built in Utah.

The Oquirrh Mountain Utah Temple and the Jordan River Utah Temple are the only two temples in the world located in the same city.

During the groundbreaking ceremony for the Oquirrh Mountain Utah Temple, President Gordon B. Hinckley announced plans to construct the Quetzaltenango Guatemala Temple.