Elder Patrick Kearon Dedicates Wichita Kansas Temple

Elder Patrick Kearon Dedicates Wichita Kansas Temple

by

Elder Patrick Kearon of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles dedicated the Wichita Kansas Temple on Sunday, November 1, 2026, asking God to make the building a “house of joy and a beacon of light in Wichita.” The Church News reported that the dedicatory prayer came as late-fall fog lifted from the temple grounds, formally setting apart the structure for sacred ordinances where covenants are made and blessings promised.

For teenage siblings McCall and Mia Johnson of Rose Hill, Kansas, the new temple changes the geography of their worship. The 15-year-old and 13-year-old previously drove nearly three hours to the Oklahoma City Oklahoma Temple; now the sacred space sits within easier reach, a shift McCall says means “we can come more.”

The Prayer for a House of Joy

In the dedicatory prayer, Elder Kearon dedicated the temple “from its foundations to the spire and roof,” including the baptistery, the altars, and all sacred spaces for ordinances. He also dedicated the structure’s supporting systems—water, electrical, climate, communication and data equipment—along with the temple grounds and ancillary buildings, asking God to protect the building from harmful forces of nature. The prayer invoked the authority of the holy Melchizedek Priesthood and the keys of the holy apostleship.

Who Is Elder Patrick Kearon? The Apostle Dedicating Kansas’s First Temple, Explained

Kearon grounded the dedication in scriptural promises, citing Doctrine and Covenants 95:8-9 regarding the commandment to build a house endowed with power from on high, and Doctrine and Covenants 110:7-8, in which the Savior promises to accept the house and manifest Himself to servants who keep His commandments. He specifically petitioned for the grieving, the lonely, and those who feel rejected, asking that they “more fully receive Thy love and the love of others” through the atoning blessings of Jesus Christ.

The prayer asked God to bless the temple presidency, the matron and her assistants, and all who serve in the holy house, praying that they would grow in love for God as they came to understand His loving kindness. Kearon prayed for young people, yearning for them to “rejoice in coming here, serving and being blessed with light, peace, happiness and spiritual strength,” and asked that hearts be “awakened anew and turned to our fathers and mothers,” creating a desire to seek out ancestors and receive saving ordinances for them. The prayer closed with gratitude for the Restoration and for the Prophet Joseph Smith, asking that patrons and workers feel “comforted, consoled and calmed as they draw closer” to God.

A Family Finds It Closer to Home

The Johnson siblings attended the dedication with their younger sister and parents. Mia Johnson, 13, said she has grown accustomed to the peaceful feelings she experiences in temples. “You can feel the Spirit very strongly there. That’s pretty cool,” she said, according to the Church Newsroom. Her brother McCall described the experience differently: “Awesome. I love when I get to go to the temple.”

Mia sees temples as an example of God’s love and a blessing that allows service to others “on both sides of the veil.” She said she likes helping those who have died to “come to Jesus Christ and be baptized and make other covenants. It’s just, like, very important. I love that.” McCall agreed, saying he looks forward to doing that kind of service more frequently. He said temples help families like his be sealed together forever, making things “together all in one” and bringing unity to his family.

When asked how they would explain the temple to classmates, McCall said he would say it is beautiful and that “you feel peace and love there.” Mia added that she looks forward to sharing how the temple serves both the living and those who have already died, allowing visitors to make covenants and help other people make covenants too.

Temple Dedication Welcomes Key Leaders

Elder Kearon was joined at the dedication by his wife, Sister Jennifer Kearon; Elder José A. Teixeira, a General Authority Seventy and president of the Church’s U.S. Central Area, and his wife, Sister Filomena Teixeira; and Elder I. Raymond Egbo, General Authority Seventy and assistant executive director of the Temple Department, and his wife, Sister Comfort Egbo, the Church Newsroom reported.

Elder Kearon dedicates Wichita Kansas Temple in November 1 ceremony
Photo: mormonnews.com

Before the ceremony, Elder Kearon expressed hope that individuals would find peace in their challenges by attending the temple. “I know this moment represents countless prayers and the devoted, faithful efforts of so many,” he said.

The dedication followed a public open house period that allowed community members to tour the building, according to Mormon News. That outlet also reported the Wichita dedication was one of two temple dedications conducted by Church apostles over that weekend.

Jesus Lives to Lift | Patrick Kearon | October 2026 General Conference

First or Second? Sources Differ on Kansas History

Outlets differ on the temple’s place in state history. The Church Newsroom describes the Wichita Kansas Temple as the first house of the Lord in Kansas. Mormon News, however, reports it as the second temple in Kansas, serving Latter-day Saint congregations across the state and neighboring regions. Both agree the dedication marks the completion of a multi-year construction process in Wichita and represents a new center for worship, family history work, and sacred ordinances in the region.

Rain clouds had swirled around the temple the day before the dedication, but on Sunday morning the building rose above the horizon as a permanent fixture in the city, dedicated for its sacred purposes and open for those seeking what Elder Kearon called a deeper understanding of God’s plan of happiness.

More on Elder Patrick Kearon: Elder Patrick Kearon Urges Students to Reflect on Social Media and Phone Use

Related reading

Read next