Map showing the location of the Lehi Utah Temple

Lehi Utah Temple Groundbreaking Scheduled for December 5, 2026

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Lehi Utah Temple Groundbreaking Set for December

After the late Church President Russell M. Nelson first announced plans for a house of worship in Lehi in April 2024, the timeline is moving forward. The First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced that the ceremony to begin construction on the Lehi Utah Temple will take place on Saturday, December 5, 2026, according to Church Newsroom.

The invitation-only ceremony will be presided over by Elder John A. McCune, a General Authority Seventy and a member of the Utah Area Presidency, according to Church Newsroom.

The December 5 event in Lehi shares a date with construction starts on two other continents, as work begins simultaneously on the Calabar Nigeria Temple and the Viña del Mar Chile Temple.

Lehi Temple Will Occupy 22.5 Acres

When President Nelson originally identified the Lehi location during the Sunday afternoon session of the April 2024 general conference, it joined a wave of 15 new temple announcements. The finalized plans place the multistory edifice at approximately 85,000 square feet on a 22.5-acre site. Builders will also construct a new meetinghouse on the grounds, situated northwest of the intersection of 3950 North and North Center Street in Lehi.

The Expanding Footprint of Temples Across Utah

The upcoming construction in Lehi represents a single piece of a much larger architectural and demographic footprint across Utah. According to Church Newsroom, the Beehive State currently counts 32 temples that are operating, under construction, announced, or undergoing extensive renovation.

That tally reflects a long history in the region. The first wagons of Latter-day Saint pioneers arrived in the Utah Territory on July 24, 1847. Nearly 180 years later, the state is home to more than 2.2 million Church members spread across nearly 5,400 wards and branches.

Of the 32 designated temples in Utah, 26 have already been dedicated. The operational list includes structures in Bountiful, Brigham City, Cedar City, Deseret Peak, Draper, Ephraim, 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.

An architectural rendering of the Lehi Utah Temple
Photo: thechurchnews.com

That active network experiences continuous shifts. Two prominent Utah structures remain closed for extensive reconstruction and renovations: the Salt Lake Temple, which closed on December 29, 2019, and the Provo Utah Rock Canyon Temple, which closed on February 24, 2024. Meanwhile, the Smithfield Temple is scheduled to join the list of operating temples following its April 18, 2027 dedication by Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

Among temples currently under construction, the Heber Valley Temple has been active on-site since October 2022, and the Lehi temple will begin construction this December. Three additional Utah temples remain in the planning and design phases, located in West Jordan, Price, and Spanish Fork.

Purpose and Function of Latter-day Saint Temples

For the roughly 2.2 million members in Utah, the distinction between local meetinghouses and temples remains central to weekly worship and lifelong discipleship. While local meetinghouses welcome the general public for Sunday services and community activities, temples are considered houses of the Lord dedicated to sacred ordinances.

Inside these structures, faithful members participate in covenants and ceremonies tied to eternal families, including marriage sealings intended to unite husbands, wives, and children beyond death. Members also perform proxy ordinances for deceased ancestors who did not receive them during their mortal lives. For the Lehi community, the December ceremony brings the construction of these sacred spaces closer to home.

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