Dedication of the Elko Nevada Temple
In the evening, when the sun’s setting rays touch the Elko Nevada Temple, the golden letters light up and shine. “Holiness to the Lord” and “The house of the Lord” are written on every temple, but Erik Smith, of the Elko Nevada West Stake, sees particular meaning here.
“Northeastern Nevada has the largest gold mining operations in North America and is a major economic boon for this part of the state,” he said. “But to be able to see these letters lit up in a golden hue, I see the price above gold that temples are to us.”
The Elko Nevada Temple was dedicated Oct. 12, 2025, by Elder Gary E. Stevenson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. He testified that those who make covenants in temples and do temple work will draw closer to their families. “Temples are blessing the lives of millions of Heavenly Father’s children on both sides of the veil.”
Elder Stevenson was accompanied by his wife, Sister Lesa Stevenson, at the dedication. They were joined by Elder Michael A. Dunn, a General Authority Seventy and first counselor in the United States Southwest Area presidency, and his wife, Sister Linda Dunn; Elder James R. Rasband, a General Authority Seventy and assistant executive director of the Temple Department, and his wife, Sister Mary Rasband; and Bishop L. Todd Budge of the Presiding Bishopric and his wife, Sister Lori Budge.
This temple dedication served as a testament to the Saints in this remote region of Nevada, said Elder Stevenson. Many in the temple district had traveled long distances — to temples in Idaho, Nevada, California and Utah — for years to worship in the house of the Lord. “The small group of Latter-day Saints who participated in the organization of the first branch in Elko likely never imagined 100 years later a temple would be announced and dedicated,” he said.
Elko Nevada East Stake President Mathew N. Spieth said there are Latter-day Saints in the area with long family histories of great ancestors who “paved the way of faith and allowed for the Lord to bless us with His holy house.”
Shawn and Beth Jones, who served as co-chairs for the Elko temple open house and dedication committee, said the rising generation in the area were excited for the temple and played a big role in the open house tours. “They really took ownership of it,” she said, adding, “They really felt like, ‘This is ours.’”
Kenneth Lords, the first stake president of the Winnemucca Nevada Stake — created on Oct. 11, 1981 — said members of the Church in the area have a traveling mentality. “They’re willing to go and willing to do,” he said. “Living a ways from the temple — and for a lot of our lives, living a long ways from the stake center — it really makes it so you have to plan a little better.”
Winnemucca stake President Joseph H. Wadsworth said: “One sister who has been less active in the Church for over 30 years attended the open house and was deeply touched by what she felt there. She is now attending church regularly with the goal of being sealed to her deceased husband.”
One man had been prayerfully considering returning to religion and returning to God. He started crying as soon as he entered the temple and at the end of the tour said, “I have to join this Church. What do I need? Who do I need to talk to to join this Church?”
Suzanne Welch, a member of the Elko 2nd Ward, Elko Nevada West Stake, said the temple “feels like ours.” She said the greatest blessings in her life have come from the covenants she’s made in the temple. “Those covenants have shaped my marriage, my family and my relationship with the Savior,” she said. “Worshipping in the temple has brought clarity and peace during life’s challenges. It’s where I’ve felt the Spirit most strongly and received answers to prayers.”
Dedicatory prayer excerpt: “May this holy house be a symbol of light and peace and a strength for all eyes that fall upon it.”
Read the dedicatory prayer of the Elko Nevada Temple here.
Timeline of the Elko Nevada Temple
The Elko Nevada Temple was announced April 4, 2021, by Church President Russell M. Nelson. The site dedication and groundbreaking were held May 7, 2022, presided over by Elder Paul B. Pieper, North America Southwest Area president.
After a public open house from Aug. 30 to Sept. 13, 2025, the Elko Nevada Temple was dedicated Oct. 12, 2025, by Elder Gary E. Stevenson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
Architecture and Design of the Elko Nevada Temple
A single-story building of 12,901 square feet, the Elko Nevada Temple has an exterior of structural steel with White Mount Airy Granite stone veneer. It was built on a 5.2-acre site at 2100 Ruby Vista Drive, adjacent to the southeast corner of Ruby View Golf Course.
Throughout the temple, a prevalent design motif is the desert globemallow, a native flower integrated in wood carvings, art glass, decorative paint, fabrics and metalwork. Geometric patterns are inspired by the cultural heritage of the Paiute and Shoshone tribes. Orange, yellow and green accent colors reflect hues in the landscapes of Elko. Accent pendant and chandelier lighting features brass and frosted-glass materials, with crystals added in the ordinance spaces.
In the entry and in the waiting room outside the celestial room, wool rugs match patterns in the art glass and decorative paint. Flooring field tiles, resembling stone, are made of porcelain. Emperador light stone is used in countertops and wall bases, while crema ella stone is used in the instruction rooms and baptistry. A lighter stone, latte, is used in the pass-through and the celestial room transition.
Interior Photos of the Elko Nevada Temple
