Groundbreaking of the Modesto California Temple
Ground was broken for the Modesto California Temple on Oct. 7, 2023, with Elder Gary B. Sabin — first counselor in the North America West Area presidency — presiding. Local faith, government and civic leaders attended the ceremony, including Modesto Mayor Sue Zwahlen, a Latter-day Saint.
Jerry Callister, a local Latter-day Saint and longtime resident of Modesto, was among those who spoke at the groundbreaking. “The crowning evidence of the growth of the Church in any area is the dedication of a temple,” said Callister. “This temple is going to bless not just Modesto but all the communities around it. It is in the temple that families can be sealed for time and for all eternity.”
In his dedicatory prayer on the site and construction process, Elder Sabin prayed that this new house of the Lord “will stand as a beacon of light and hope and a witness of the reality and divinity of Thy Beloved Son and of the eternal nature of the soul and the divine potential of Thy children.”
The Modesto California Temple is scheduled to be dedicated Nov. 22, 2026, by Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
Timeline of the Modesto California Temple
The Modesto California Temple was announced on April 3, 2022, by President Russell M. Nelson. Approximately a year and a half later, ground was broken for the temple on Oct. 7, 2023, with Elder Gary B. Sabin presiding.
After a public open house from Oct. 16-31, 2026, the Modesto California Temple will be dedicated Nov. 22, 2026, by Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
Architecture and Design of the Modesto California Temple
The Modesto temple is a single-story edifice of 31,352 square feet, standing on a 17.6-acre site next to an existing meetinghouse at 4310 Dale Road, in Modesto, California. The exterior, combining insulated concrete forms and structural steel construction, is clad with stone.
Design elements of the temple apply motifs inspired by California’s Central Valley, like almond blossoms, strawberries, agricultural fields, canal systems, local railroads and waterways flowing from the Sierra Nevada region. Blue, green and gold are incorporated throughout the interior.
Linear patterns in the millwork give a nod to agricultural fields and irrigation systems of California’s Central Valley, and several pieces of artwork also tie to the valley’s landscape, waterways, orchards and agriculture. Cherrywood is used for the doors and stained millwork, while painted millwork uses paint-grade maple and poplar.
Interior Photos of the Modesto California Temple
