The First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon) has announced open house and dedication dates for the Brigham City Utah Temple, the Church’s 14th completed temple in Utah.
The public is invited to visit the temple during an open house from Saturday, 18 August 2012, until Saturday, 15 September 2012, excluding Sundays and Saturday, 8 September. Beginning Monday, 30 July, at 10:00 a.m., advance reservations may be made by visiting www.templeopenhouse.lds.org (maximum 20 reservations per person) or by calling 1-855-537-2000 (group reservations may also be accommodated at this number).
| 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 |
On Sunday, 23 September 2012, the temple will be formally dedicated. Three dedicatory sessions will be broadcast at 9:00 a.m., 12:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. to Latter-day Saint meetinghouses throughout Utah and in areas of southeastern Idaho that are located within the temple’s district. All regular Church meetings will be canceled on 23 September to allow members to participate in the dedication broadcast.
In conjunction with the dedication of the temple, there will also be a cultural celebration featuring music and dance on Saturday, 22 September 2012.
President Thomas S. Monson announced construction of the Brigham City Utah Temple during the October 2009 general conference. President Boyd K. Packer of the Church’s Quorum of the Twelve Apostles presided at the temple’s groundbreaking ceremony in July 2010.
About temples
While tens of thousands of Church meetinghouses are open to all people who wish to attend religious services there, temples, like the Brigham City Utah Temple, are open only to faithful Latter-day Saints after they are formally dedicated. (See a Mormon Newsroom article explaining the difference between the Church’s chapels and temples.)
Latter-day Saint temples differ from the meetinghouses or chapels where members meet for Sunday worship services. Temples are considered “houses of the Lord” where Christ’s teachings are reaffirmed through baptism and other ordinances that unite families for eternity. In the temple, Church members learn more about the purpose of life and make covenants to follow Jesus Christ and serve their fellow man.