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Layton Utah Temple opens to media, guests, public

The new house of the Lord is the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ second in Utah in 6 days to begin its open-house phase

For the second time in less than a week, a temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is opened to the media, special guests and the public for tours prior to its dedication.

On Tuesday, April 9, the Taylorsville Utah Temple hosted its media-day event, beginning its open-house phase of nearly six full weeks.

The Layton Utah Temple.
The Layton Utah Temple. | The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Six days later and 27 miles directly north, the Layton Utah Temple began its media day Monday morning, April 15.

Welcoming the media to a brief news briefing and tours of the temple were Elder Christophe G. Giraud-Carrier, a General Authority Seventy who assists the Church’s Utah Area presidency; Elder Kevin R. Duncan, a General Authority and executive director of the Temple Department; and Sister Amy A. Wright, first counselor in the Primary general presidency.

In conjunction with the Layton temple’s media day, the Church released interior and exterior photos of the new house of the Lord and a “come and visit” video on ChurchofJesusChrist.org.

The April 15 media day not only comes on the heels of the similar event for the Taylorsville but also just eight days after President Russell M. Nelson announced 15 new temple locations at the April 2024 general conference and spoke of the importance of the ordinances, covenants and blessings available through temple work and worship.

The celestial room of the Layton Utah Temple.
The celestial room of the Layton Utah Temple. | The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

“The temple is the gateway to the greatest blessings God has in store for each of us. The temple is the only place on earth where we may receive all of the blessings promised to Abraham,” said President Nelson, with the 15 announced temples bringing the Church’s total to 350 temples dedicated, under construction and announced.

“This is why we are doing all within our power, under the direction of the Lord, to make temple blessings more accessible to members of the Church.”

The recommend desk in the Layton Utah Temple.
The recommend desk in the Layton Utah Temple. | The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Following Monday’s media event, the temple will be available for invited-guest tours through Thursday, April 18. The public open house runs from Friday, April 19, through Saturday, June 1, excluding Sundays.

Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles will dedicate the Layton Utah Temple on Sunday, June 16, with two sessions, scheduled for 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. local time. The sessions will be broadcast to all congregations in the Layton temple district.

The baptistry inside the Layton Utah Temple.
In the baptistry inside the Layton Utah Temple, faithful Latter-day Saints can be baptized on behalf of their deceased ancestors, who can choose whether to accept this baptism. | The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Layton Utah Temple background

President Russell M. Nelson announced a temple for Layton, Utah, on Sunday, April 1, 2018, one of the seven temples announced at the concluding session of the April 2018 general conference. The seven were the first President Nelson announced after becoming President of the Church in January of that year.

The temple site — identified publicly on July 15, 2019 — is an 11.87-acre parcel in southeast Layton at the intersection of Oak Hills Drive and North Rosewood Lane. The street address is 1400 E. Oak Hills Drive.

A sealing room in the Layton Utah Temple.
A sealing room in the Layton Utah Temple, where husbands and wives kneel at an altar like this and promise to be faithful to each other and God.  Their marriage is sealed for eternity. Children can also be sealed to their parents.

On Oct. 8, 2019, an exterior rendering of the Layton Utah Temple was released, showing the projected three-story building of 87,000 square feet with two attached end spires and an Angel Moroni statue. The finished house of the Lord measures at 93,539 square feet.

A small-scale groundbreaking ceremony was conducted May 23, 2020, one of the first held with attendance restrictions following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Some two dozen individuals attended the groundbreaking, presided over by Elder Craig C. Christensen, a General Authority Seventy who was then president of the Utah Area, with the event shared the following week via online streaming for Latter-day Saints living in the temple district.

An instruction room in the Layton Utah Temple, where participants learn more about God’s plan of happiness and make sacred promises to keep His commandments.
An instruction room in the Layton Utah Temple, where participants learn more about God’s plan of happiness and make sacred promises to keep His commandments. | The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Exterior and interior features

The three-story temple with twin towers is a steel-frame structure with cast-in-place concrete shear walls, precast exterior concrete panels and repeated, arched windows. The architectural style is European art nouveau or “secessionism architecture” that features organic shapes, floral and foliage motifs, and curving lines.

Design motifs carried throughout the exterior and interior underscore the area’s agricultural heritage and include fruit trees and flowers.

The Layton Utah Temple.
The Layton Utah Temple. | The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

The grounds include a fountain on the west terrace, made of beige granite and tiered basins. The bridal plaza is located on the temple’s north side.

Landscaping consists of a range of trees, mountain plants and shrubs — some 400 shade, flowering and evergreen trees, with thousands of shrubs and perennials.

A waiting room inside of the Layton Utah Temple.
A waiting room inside of the Layton Utah Temple. | The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day SaintsThe top of the stair case inside the Layton Utah Temple.

Inside, the art nouveau style continues, with similar motifs including cherry blossoms and fruit tree leaves and blossoms visible in the recessed millwork.

Stylized seedlings, blossoms and leafy branches are highlighted in the art glass — as colored glass in the exterior windows and as etched designs in the interior art glass.

The celestial room of the Layton Utah Temple.
The celestial room of the Layton Utah Temple. | The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

A highlighted art glass piece is found at the entrance of the second-floor patron waiting area — an early 20th century Tiffany Studio window called “The Resurrection,” which was purchased from a United Presbyterian Church in Amenia, New York, prior to the building’s demolition in 2015.

Carpeting is in hues of cream, gold and green, with area rugs in the entries, baptistry and brides’ room reflecting the colors and organic flowers and foliage designs from throughout the temple.

The chapel in the Layton Utah Temple.
The chapel in the Layton Utah Temple. | The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Other areas feature stone quarried in Turkey and milled in China, with principal colors being Burder Grey and Burder Blanco.

Temples in Utah

The Layton temple is one of 30 total temples in operation, under construction, under renovation or announced in Utah. The state is home to nearly 2.2 million Latter-day Saints spread throughout more than 5,400 congregations.

The top of the staircase inside the Layton Utah Temple.
The top of the staircase inside the Layton Utah Temple. | The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day SaintsThe top of the stair case inside the Layton Utah Temple.

Houses of the Lord in Utah that are operating are the Bountiful, Brigham City, Cedar City, Draper, Jordan River, Logan, Monticello, Mount Timpanogos, Ogden, Oquirrh Mountain, Orem, Payson, Provo City Center, Red Cliffs, Saratoga Springs, St. George and Vernal temples.

Two dedicated temples are under renovation — the Salt Lake and Provo Utah Rock Canyon temples — and the recently renovated Manti Utah Temple is scheduled for rededication on Sunday, April 21.

The brides' room of the Layton Utah Temple.
The brides' room of the Layton Utah Temple. | The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

The Taylorsville Utah Temple is scheduled for its dedication on June 2, with the Layton temple becoming the 22nd dedicated house of the Lord in Utah following its June 16 dedication and the Church’s 195th worldwide.

Other houses of the Lord under construction in Utah are the Deseret Peak, Ephraim, Heber Valley, Lindon, Smithfield and Syracuse temples. Two additional temples in the state — for West Jordan and Lehi — were among the 15 new locations announced by President Nelson on Sunday, April 7.

CORRECTION: In an earlier version of this article, the date and title of the interior art-glass piece titled “The Resurrection,” were incorrect.

The Layton Utah Temple.
The Layton Utah Temple. | The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Layton Utah Temple

Location: 1400 Oak Hills Drive Layton, Utah 84040

Announced: April 1, 2018, by President Russell M. Nelson

Groundbreaking: May 23, 2020, by Elder Craig C. Christensen, a General Authority Seventy and then-president of the Utah Area

Public open house: April 19 through June 1, excluding Sundays

To be dedicated: June 16, 2024, by Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

Property size: 11.8 acres

Building size: 93,539 square feet

Building height: 80 feet; west tower with angel Moroni statue, 215 feet

The Layton Utah Temple.
The Layton Utah Temple. | The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
The main staircase in the Layton Utah Temple.
The main staircase in the Layton Utah Temple. | The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day SaintsThe top of the stair case inside the Layton Utah Temple.
A chandelier in the celestial room of the Layton Utah Temple.
A chandelier in the celestial room of the Layton Utah Temple. | The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
A mural above a window pane in the Layton Utah Temple. The mural shows the baptism of the Savior.
A mural above a window pane in the Layton Utah Temple. The mural shows the baptism of the Savior. | The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
The celestial room of the Layton Utah Temple.
The celestial room of the Layton Utah Temple. | The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
The west tower and Angel Moroni statue of the Layton Utah Temple.
The west tower and Angel Moroni statue of the Layton Utah Temple. | The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
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