SPRINGFIELD, Oregon — 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.
On Sunday, June 7, President Dieter F. Uchtdorf dedicated the Willamette Valley Oregon Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The acting president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles sees parallels between temple blessings and “the wonderful Willamette River flowing quietly but strongly just in the neighborhood of this temple.”
“It is like the flow of spiritual power which comes from this temple and goes into the community,” he said the day before the dedication. “And of course, it is brought out into the lives of those who come and want to rejoice and rejoice together in worshipping our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ.”
By attending the house of the Lord, Latter-day Saints show Heavenly Father they are willing to follow the path of Jesus Christ — “to follow His ways, to reach out to those around us and to bless the world, bless the children of God, with the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ,” said President Uchtdorf.
Accompanying him at the dedication were 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.
This new house of the Lord in Springfield, Oregon, is the third in the state and the 219th dedicated temple in operation worldwide.
Temples ‘connect our lives with the God of the universe’
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 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.”
Jesus Christ is the center of the house of the Lord, said President Uchtdorf, and each temple brings patrons closer to Him. “This temple will be a blessing for each one of us. It will enrich our lives, inspire you and me to create in our homes and families a spirit of hope and peace, and endow you with blessings from on high.”
‘A beacon of hope for so many’
Elder Johnson said “the Saints in Oregon are all about new beginnings and revitalizing their faith and testimony.” Local members are deeply converted, he continued, making tremendous sacrifices and ministering to the one with love and patience. “Oregon is symbolic of the goodness not only in the U.S. West Area but throughout the Church.”
This new temple, then, reflects to the entire community the devotion of believers. “This temple will be a beacon of hope for so many.”
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.”
The stake has accordingly seen a large increase in convert baptisms and the number of endowed members with active temple recommends. “There is almost a tangible difference in our community that has been felt ever since the open house started,” said President Fuller. “The temple has brought more light and more strength throughout our community.”
Faith that parents have cherished
Longtime resident Carolyn Schultz of the Santa Clara 4th Ward, Eugene Oregon Santa Clara Stake, fondly remembers growing up seeing the stalwart Church service of her parents.
Her family had belonged to the Portland Stake until the Willamette Stake was created in 1951. Her dad, Ralph Lake — who had been serving as a bishop for eight years — was called as that stake’s first president. For 21 years he would serve in that calling.
But Schultz said her parents never complained when her dad had to travel long distances for his calling. Because for them, it was a joy and an opportunity to serve.
“My mom and dad taught me that when you have the blessings of the gospel, more is expected of you. And I think that’s been the way a lot of people who were brought up in this area felt.”
Looking back now, Schultz is grateful to have seen the restored gospel grow over the years and to have helped prepare the area to receive a temple. “It’s been a wonderful adventure. I just hope that we’ve done enough.”
Seeing the Lord’s hand with this new temple
Steve and Brenda Jones served as open house and dedication committee coordinators for the temple. Steve Jones said, “There’s a great spirit here of the Saints in this area that have worked diligently to try to keep the gospel moving forward and to grow in this area.”
It’s because of that diligence, he said, that a temple now stands in Springfield. “I think the Lord knew that the Saints were ready and willing, and He brought temples to the people, and the people came.”
In their role, “we could see the Lord’s hand in everything,” said Brenda Jones. “When you get an assignment like this, it’s pretty overwhelming. But we had faith that Heavenly Father would help us through this. And we could see answers to our prayers and blessings all along the way.”
One such answer to prayers was that they never had to turn anyone away from attending the open house, no matter how long the lines were. The biggest thing they gained, then, was “a reminder whose gospel and whose Church we belong to,” said Steve Jones. “And He’s looking out for us and taking care of His work here on earth.”
‘The crowning moment of our service’
Oregon Eugene Mission President Christopher Cornelius said: “If the house of the Lord is God’s gift to a community, then why Eugene? Well, the Lord wants us to remember that we’re never forgotten. And these people have not been forgotten. He wants to bless the community.”
President Cornelius and his wife, Sister Rhonda Cornelius, have delighted in seeing temple construction while presiding over the mission in the past few years.
When they started their mission in 2023, the temple was just a concrete slab in the ground. Now at the end of this month, 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.”
A visible reminder that God is mindful of His children
For 16 years, Henry Wolthuis of the Sweet Home Ward, Lebanon Oregon Stake, said he found great joy serving as a temple worker in the Portland Oregon Temple. “The Church has grown since the Portland temple was constructed, and there are times that it is not only full to capacity but overflowing,” he said. “This participation is rewarding to observe.”
He added that the people of the Willamette Valley are faithful and strong, whose willingness to sacrifice to attend the temple has increased their faith and devotion. “We will strive to be worthy of this special gift.”
Samantha McIntosh of the Eugene YSA Ward works 10 minutes from the temple, and she occasionally goes 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.”
McIntosh is engaged to be married to Sam Larsen in the Willamette Valley temple, which she said will give “a solid structure to start our marriage on.” Larsen said: “Being sealed to Samantha in the temple means everything to me. I’ve known for a long time that I wanted to be with her for all eternity and to have an eternal family with her.”
Satina Tolman and her husband — from the Sweet Home Ward in the Lebanon Oregon Stake — have served as temple workers in the Portland Oregon Temple since January 2025. Their commute can take up to 2½ hours each way.
“Many members throughout the Willamette Valley have similar or even longer commutes,” she said. “Yet they have faithfully made that journey for years because of their love for the Lord and their desire to worship in His house and perform sacred ordinances for their ancestors.”
For Tolman, watching the new temple be built has been a visible reminder that God is mindful of His children and making His blessings more accessible to them.
“For the thousands of faithful Saints throughout this region, it stands as a witness of God’s love, His awareness of His children and His desire to gather and bless them. I believe its influence will be felt for generations to come.”
The Church in Oregon
The Willamette Valley temple joins the state’s two operating houses of the Lord: the Portland temple, dedicated in 1989, and the Medford temple, dedicated in 2000. Also dedicated today was the Church’s 218th temple, the Yorba Linda California Temple, by President D. Todd Christofferson, second counselor in the First Presidency.
A significant Latter-day Saint presence didn’t occur in Oregon until 1887, when Utah businessmen built a lumber mill on the North Powder River near Baker, Oregon. They encouraged several hundred Latter-day Saint families to migrate there.
Oregon’s first stake was created in 1901. By 1930, about 3,230 members of the Church lived in the state.
On Aug. 4, 1929, 76 members of the Church gathered at the organization of the Eugene Branch. The Portland Stake was created June 26, 1938, and the Eugene Branch was made into a ward on the same day.
Today, nearly 150,000 Latter-day Saints in almost 300 wards and branches call Oregon home.
Willamette Valley Oregon Temple
Address: 300 International Way, Springfield, Oregon 97477
Announced: April 4, 2021, by President Russell M. Nelson
Groundbreaking: Oct. 29, 2022, presided over by Elder Valeri V. Cordón, a General Authority Seventy
Public open house: April 23 through May 9, 2026, excluding Sundays
Dedicated: June 7, 2026, by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, acting president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
Property size: 10.29 acres
Building size: 30,635 square feet
Building height: 119 feet (including the spire)
