Dedication of the Willamette Valley Oregon Temple
In the city whose motto is “Proud history, bright future,” Latter-day Saints are cherishing the region’s pioneer history and embracing a future now brightened by a house of the Lord.
The Willamette Valley Oregon Temple was dedicated June 7, 2026, by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, acting president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. He was accompanied by his wife, Sister Harriet Uchtdorf; Elder K. Brett Nattress, General Authority Seventy and assistant executive director of the Temple Department, and his wife, Sister Shawna Nattress; and Elder Peter M. Johnson, General Authority Seventy and first counselor in the United States West Area presidency, and his wife, Sister Stephanie Johnson.
President Uchtdorf said he remembers years back piloting a brand-new Boeing 747 on its first flight, from Seattle, Washington, to San Francisco, California. He was amazed by the beauty of the line-up of six solitary volcanoes, from Mount Rainier and Mount Hood to Mount Shasta. Today, that route has more than six houses of the Lord, with three alone in Oregon. “Just as these great mountains mark the landscape,” he said, “holy temples — and the covenants we make there — mark and connect our lives with the God of the universe.”
Joyful, enriching, spiritual experiences and connection with the Savior will happen daily in the Willamette Valley temple, he said. “When you come to the temple during times of personal trial and great sorrow, you will find the Oil of Gilead here and sweet peace for your soul. When you come to give thanks and worship God, our Heavenly Father, you will receive a special measure of affirmation and confidence from Him.” President Uchtdorf said those who visit the temple can feel a special closeness to Heavenly Father. “Indeed, the veil can become thin as you enter the house of the Lord with the proper attitude, with a teachable heart and with a desire to learn.”
The temple is “a great unifier for all of us,” said Brenda Jones, who served with her husband, Steve Jones, as open house and dedication committee coordinators. She added that, especially during the open house, the temple “helped to bring us all together, and I think it will really help all of the stakes become closer.” This unity even extended across various religions, noted Steve Jones. “We had some individuals not of our faith come through and say, ‘I found my people.’ They recognize that we all have common beliefs, that we’re not as different as people think we are.”
While preparing for the new temple, the Springfield Oregon Stake set a vision statement: “I am joyfully bound to my Savior, Jesus Christ, as I honor my covenants and prepare myself, my family and my friends for the blessings of the temple.” Springfield Stake President Jeffrey Fuller said this focus and additional service in the community “have provided opportunities for people to develop stronger relationships with the Savior themselves and share their love of the Savior with others, and it has made our preparation for the temple a sacred experience.”
In the months before the dedication, members of the Springfield Oregon Stake established relationships with Jewish and Muslim communities and Christian denominations in the area, provided school supplies and held clothing drives for Catholic Community Services, collected toys and gifts at Christmastime for foster care services, worked with local organizations to provide service and goods, and more. “We did this in an effort to build relationships before the open house so that we already had relationships with them, in hopes that it would change the experience when they come to see the house of the Lord,” said President Fuller. “And it did.”
President Christopher Cornelius and Sister Rhonda Cornelius, who presided over the Oregon Eugene Mission at the time of dedication, said one young man went through the open house six times. Sister missionaries asked him, “Can we answer any questions?” He responded, “I’m trying to figure out what is so different in there. I’m feeling something, but I can’t identify it.” President Cornelius said of the temple open house: “There are so many people that came and were drawn to it. They’re feeling something, but they can’t identify what they are feeling. And it’s so fun when you can share with them what they are feeling and why.”
When the Corneliuses started their mission in 2023, the temple was just a concrete slab in the ground. At the end of June 2026, just a few weeks after the dedication, they’ll conclude their mission. The dedication of the Willamette Valley temple, then, is “the crowning moment of our service,” said President Cornelius. Sister Cornelius added: “It’s been fun to watch it come out of the ground and be a part of it. And we feel totally blessed to have it be dedicated right before we go home.”
Samantha McIntosh of the Eugene YSA Ward worked 10 minutes from the temple during the open house, and she occasionally went to see it on stressful days. At one particular time during the open house, she felt prompted to visit the temple and made it to one of the last tours for the day. While heading to the bus stop after her tour, McIntosh got news a family member had died. “I knew that me making that split-second decision to stop at the temple instead of going home was God’s doing. He knew I needed some extra love and peace,” she recounted. “I wouldn’t have been able to receive peace if there wasn’t a temple within my grasp.”
Dedicatory prayer excerpt: “Wilt Thou accept this temple as a gift of our hearts and hands, consecrate and hallow it as the house of the Lord. Let Thy blessings rest upon it. Let Thy protecting care be over it. May it be a beacon of everlasting truth and light and a brightly shining invitation to come unto Thee.”
Read the dedicatory prayer of the Willamette Valley Oregon Temple here.
Timeline of the Willamette Valley Oregon Temple
A temple for Eugene, Oregon, was announced April 4, 2021, by President Russell M. Nelson. Just over a year and a half later, a groundbreaking ceremony for the newly named Willamette Valley Oregon Temple was held Oct. 29, 2022. Elder Valeri V. Cordón presided over the ceremony.
After a public open house from April 23 to May 9, 2026, the Willamette Valley Oregon Temple was dedicated June 7, 2026, by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, acting president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
Architecture and Design of the Willamette Valley Oregon Temple
Standing on a 10.29-acre site at 300 International Way, Springfield, Oregon, the Willamette Valley temple is a 30,635-square-foot structure. Design motifs draw inspiration from the lush Pacific Northwest landscape and features the mountain laurel and repeating prism patterns. Art-glass windows highlight the green vegetation and blue water of the nearby McKenzie and Willamette rivers, as well as hues of gold, purple, pink, green and a blue-yellow gradient.
Throughout the temple, soft gold- and green-patterned carpets are used in various areas, with white sculpted broadloom carpet in the sealing and celestial rooms and solid-green pile in the administration area. Stone flooring includes marble from Italy, accented with gold, and green and blue stones from Italy and Brazil. The celestial and sealing rooms also feature White V marble from Vietnam and Italy.
Millwork throughout this temple is made of stained cherry wood, with paint-grade maple and poplar in select areas. Interior doors are also stained cherry, with art-glass panels and brass hardware. Ceilings feature gypsum board and acoustic ceiling tiles.
Interior Photos of the Willamette Valley Oregon Temple
