Leaders in the booming Utah suburbs of West Jordan and Lehi expressed excitement Monday that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints sees their cities as fitting sites for new temples.
The Utah-based faith’s Sunday announcement of the new buildings brings the total number of planned or built temples in the Beehive State to 30.
The West Jordan and Lehi temples are the first Utah temples announced by the church since October 2021, when church President Russell M. Nelson revealed plans for the Heber Valley Temple.
“I am thrilled to welcome the announcement of a new temple from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in our fantastic city,” West Jordan Mayor Dirk Burton said in a statement. “I hope this new temple, in addition to serving as a place of worship for members of the Latter-day Saint community, will also stand as a symbol of unity and inclusivity, like the other important centers of worship in our diverse city.”
Two existing temples (the Jordan River and Oquirrh Mountain temples) sit just next door in South Jordan. To the north, the Taylorsville Temple is on the cusp of welcoming visitors. A public open house for the new edifice will start Saturday and run through mid-May in advance of a June 2 dedication.
Salt Lake County is home to six of the faith’s existing or planned temples.
Latter-day Saints — although only those who have been deemed worthy — go to temples to participate in the religion’s most sacred rituals, like eternal marriage.
And those temples get busy, said West Jordan City Council Chair Zach Jacob.
“More temples will help more people to go,” said Jacob, who is a Latter-day Saint. “That’s good when people can have that opportunity to step out of their day-to-day life and just focus on spiritual things.”
While the church has not announced exactly where the temple would be located, Jacob thinks it could be in his district, which covers a northwestern swath of the city running roughly between South Valley Regional Airport and the city’s western boundary in Oquirrh foothills.
The church owns two adjoining parcels, totaling over 16 acres in the far western foothills off of the Bacchus Highway. It also holds a 4.29-acre lot along Copper Rim Drive closer to the Mountain View Corridor. In Taylorsville, the faith’s temple site is 7.64 acres at 4700 South near Interstate 215 ramps.
While church officials have yet to reach out to West Jordan leaders about their plans, Jacob said the city will be involved in permitting the construction and ensuring roads are ready to handle traffic to the temple.
Lehi officials said Sunday’s announcement came as news to them, too, but that they are excited for a new temple.
“We’re honored that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has selected Lehi City as a location for a temple,” Mayor Mark Johnson said in a statement. “I believe this will offer a special opportunity for many of our residents.”
The church told Lehi leaders it would make a decision on the site of the temple in several months.
This newly announced temple boosts the overall tally of Utah County’s built or planned temples to eight.
There are 17 temples functioning in Utah: Bountiful, Brigham City, Cedar City, Draper, Jordan River (South Jordan), Logan, Monticello, Mount Timpanogos (American Fork), Ogden, Oquirrh Mountain (South Jordan), Orem, Payson, Provo City Center (converted from the former Provo Tabernacle), Red Cliffs (St. George — dedicated in March); Saratoga Springs, St. George and Vernal.
The iconic Salt Lake Temple is undergoing extensive renovation expected to wrap up in 2026. The space-age Provo Temple closed in February ahead of a major overhaul that members of the community and preservationists fought in vain to prevent. It will be renamed the Provo Rock Canyon Temple. Renovations were recently completed for the Manti Temple, another pioneer-era architectural gem that is set to be rededicated April 21.
Two other Utah temples are scheduled to be dedicated in June — besides the one in Taylorsville, the Layton Temple ceremony is set for June 16.
Besides Lehi and West Jordan, six more — Deseret Peak (Tooele), Ephraim, Heber Valley, Lindon, Smithfield and Syracuse — are either under construction or in planning stages.
Nelson’s announcement of the new Utah temples and 13 others around the globe capped the faith’s General Conference, which also featured sermons on the continuous wearing of sacred undergarments and keeping other covenants.
