The site for the Star Valley Wyoming Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon) has been selected. The new temple will be constructed east of U.S. Highway 89 on the Haderlie Farm property south of Afton.
“Our [Latter-day Saint] community members are elated at the prospects of a temple in our valley,” said Afton Mayor Loni Hillyard. “I view the temple as an asset and am certain it will have a positive effect on our entire community. We look forward to working with the architect and Church representatives as they move forward on this project.”
| 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 |
The Star Valley Temple was announced at the Church’s October 2011 general conference. The Church now has 166 temples in operation, announced or under construction across the globe. The Star Valley Wyoming Temple is the first in Wyoming and will serve members living in the western part of the state, who now travel approximately 1.5 hours to Idaho Falls and Rexburg, Idaho, for temple services.
“We truly believe this new temple will be a great asset not only to members of the Church but also to the people of the surrounding community, who will benefit from the peace and beauty a temple brings,” said Jerry Hansen, local spokesman for the Church. “Temples are where members participate in the highest sacraments of our faith — where we make and renew promises to God and to our families.”
Once construction of the new temple begins, it is expected to take approximately two years to complete.
For more information about temples visit www.mormontemples.org. The site includes general information on temples, the history of the Church and the purpose of temples. This site will also provide specific information about the Star Valley Wyoming Temple as it becomes available.
Background on temples
While tens of thousands of Church meetinghouses are open to all people who wish to attend religious services there, temples 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.