1997-2005 (ST Gen 2 & 3)

The realization that the original small temple design would be inadequate for most areas lead to an immediate enlargement to further temples.

For this first major change in the floor plan, the only change was on the endowment side of the temple. The baptistry side stayed identical to the plan still in use at Colonia Juarez Mexico. A second, progressive instruction room, and a second sealing room were added, allowing for larger changing spaces as well.

The first of the new, expanded temples, Columbus Ohio, was started on 12 September 1998. Like the Three small temples built before it, it featured a baptistry to the right of the entryway, but a much longer building to the left to make room for the extra space. While Columbus was started with this plan, additional space would be added before construction actually got underway, converting Columbus to a Generation 3 plan (see below) In the end, only one temple, Kona Hawaii, would be built to this plan. This is why the plan was not given its own page on this website. Before Kona was even begun, however, 16 more temples would be started with the slightly larger Generation 3 plan.^[1]Kona would be completed and dedicated before roughly half of those.

Generation 3 of the Hinckley small temples saw the addition of what PResident Hinckley referred to as the “Mud Room”.^[2]Hinckley, Gordon Bitner, 1910-2008. Small temple drawings, 1997-1998 , https://catalog.churchofjesuschrist.org/assets/ba761252-d126-47a1-a355-d19c0ed7a085/0/0 (accessed: February 1, 2025) See catalog description for details It featured a non patron waiting space, bathrooms, and areas where temple workers could change into white temple clothing before starting a shift. Spokane Wyoming was the first temple to be designed from ground up with this floorplan. Columbus Ohio, started with the Generation 2 plan in mind, was upgraded during construction to this new plan.