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A close-up view of ceremonial shovels for the groundbreaking ceremony of Colorado Springs Colorado Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Saturday, September 12, 2026.© 2026 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.A groundbreaking ceremony for the Colorado Springs Colorado Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was held on Saturday, September 12, 2026.
Elder Karl D. Hirst of the United States Central Area Presidency presided over the event.
“The temple is a place of spiritual guidance, peace, hope and revelation,” said Elder Hirst. “For us, temples are literally the house of the Lord. The Lord visits His temples, and they are the most precious and sacred of all our places of worship.”
Following his remarks, Elder Hirst offered a dedicatory prayer on the future temple site.
“Please bless us as we wait upon Thee here, that we will receive all that we need from Thy hand and that the sacredness of this site will be experienced more broadly by those who work or pass by here,” Elder Hirst prayed.
During the program, several speakers shared their testimonies of the sacred nature of temples.
- Elder Karl D. Hirst of the United States Central Area Presidency speaks at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Colorado Springs Colorado Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Saturday, September 12, 2026.
- Elder Karl D. Hirst of the United States Central Area Presidency and his wife, Claire, participate in the groundbreaking ceremony for the Colorado Springs Colorado Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Saturday, September 12, 2026.
- A local choir sing "Beautiful Savior" during the groundbreaking ceremony for the Colorado Springs Colorado Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Saturday, September 12, 2026.
- Elder Karl D. Hirst (right) and his wife, Claire, shake hands with U.S. Sens Michael Bennett (left) and. John Hickenlooper (middle) ahead of the groundbreaking ceremony for the Colorado Springs Colorado Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Saturday, September 12, 2026.
- Attendees at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Colorado Springs Colorado Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Saturday, September 12, 2026.
- Attendees smile next to picture of the Savior ahead of the groundbreaking ceremony for the Colorado Springs Colorado Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Saturday, September 12, 2026.
- Elder Karl D. Hirst of the United States Central Area Presidency speaks to attendees at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Colorado Springs Colorado Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Saturday, September 12, 2026.
| Temple Square is always beautiful in the springtime. Gardeners work to prepare the ground for General Conference. © 2012 Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved. | 1 / 2 |
Sandy Gardner from the Colorado Springs North Stake has been an ordinance worker in the Denver Colorado Temple for almost 18 years.
“Temples are the bridge between mortality and immortality, a place where we receive comfort, peace, vision, hope and promise,” said Sandy.
“We are promised that honoring temple covenants binds us to the Savior, Jesus Christ, and we can become like Him,” added her husband, Rich. “What a magnificent prospect.”
When the Colorado Springs Temple is complete, it will be the state’s fourth house of the Lord. The others are in Denver, Fort Collins and Grand Junction.
Latter-day Saints consider each temple a house of the Lord and the most sacred place of worship on earth. Temples differ from the Church’s meetinghouses (chapels). All are welcome to attend Sunday worship services and other weekday activities at local meetinghouses. The primary purpose of temples is for faithful members of the Church of Jesus Christ to participate in sacred ceremonies such as marriages, which allow families to be united forever, and proxy baptisms on behalf of deceased ancestors who did not have the opportunity to be baptized while living.