Temple dedications in Tennessee and Utah, with their coordinating open houses, were announced today by the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The Knoxville Tennessee Temple will be dedicated Sunday, March 7, 2027, by Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
A public open house will be held from Wednesday, Jan. 27, through Saturday, Feb. 13, 2027, excluding Sundays. This will follow a Jan. 25 media day and invited-guest tours on Jan. 26, 2027.
The Smithfield Utah Temple will be dedicated Sunday, April 18, 2027, by Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
A public open house will be held from Thursday, Feb. 25, through Saturday, March 27, 2027, excluding Sundays. This will follow a Feb. 22 media day and invited-guest tours Feb. 23-24, 2027.
Both dedications will be broadcast to all units within their respective temple districts.
These dates were published in a Sept. 14 news release on ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
Here’s what to know about the Knoxville and Smithfield temples, along with the history of the Church in each’s state.
The Knoxville temple and the Church in Tennessee
On April 3, 2022, then-Church President Russell M. Nelson announced this temple for Knoxville. It was one of 17 temples announced in the April 2022 general conference.
On Jan. 27, 2024, Elder Shayne M. Bowen — then a General Authority Seventy and first counselor in the North America Southeast Area presidency — presided over the groundbreaking.
Elder Bowen, who received emeritus status in 2024, said at the ceremony: “God is bringing His work to His people so that we can enter in and worship in the holy temple, receive the saving ordinances that will allow us to return home and live in His presence as families forever. There’s nothing better than that.”
Two operating temples are in the state — the Memphis Tennessee Temple, dedicated in April 2000, and the Nashville Tennessee Temple, dedicated the month after, in May 2000.
The Knoxville temple is planned to be the state’s third.
Tennessee is home to around 62,000 Church members in more than 120 wards and branches. Missionaries of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints first arrived in 1834 to the state, located in the southeastern United States.
The Smithfield temple and the Church in Utah
President Nelson announced a temple for Smithfield on April 4, 2021, during April 2021 general conference. Ground was later broken on June 18, 2022, with Elder Cook presiding. Elder Gary E. Stevenson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles conducted the event.
In his remarks to those in attendance, Elder Cook said, “We stand on the shoulders of those who have gone before. We honor them and their legacy and express gratitude for what they accomplished.”
The first wagons of Latter-day Saint pioneers arrived in the Utah Territory on July 24, 1847. Almost 180 years later, Utah is now home to more than 2.2 million Church members across nearly 5,400 wards and branches.
The Beehive State currently has 32 temples operating, under construction, announced or undergoing renovation.
The following 25 temples have been dedicated in Utah: Bountiful, Brigham City, Cedar City, Deseret Peak, Draper, Jordan River, Layton, Lindon, Logan, Manti, Monticello, Mount Timpanogos, Ogden, Oquirrh Mountain, Orem, Payson, Provo City Center, Provo Rock Canyon, Red Cliffs, Salt Lake, Saratoga Springs, St. George, Syracuse, Taylorsville and Vernal.
Of note, two of those temples are undergoing extensive renovations and reconstruction: the Salt Lake Temple, closed Dec. 29, 2019, and the Provo Utah Rock Canyon Temple, closed Feb. 24, 2024.
The Ephraim temple is scheduled for an Oct. 11 dedication. Besides the Smithfield temple, the Heber Valley temple is also in its construction phase.
That leaves four temples in planning and design stages — in West Jordan (announced 2024), Lehi (2024), Price (2024) and Spanish Fork (2025).
