Reno Nevada Temple Wiki
Quick Facts
ANNOUNCED
12 April 1999
ANNOUNCED BY
The First Presidency
GROUNDBREAKING
24 July 1999
GROUNDBREAKING PRESIDED BY
Elder Rex D. Pinegar
DEDICATED
23 April 2000
DEDICATED BY
President Thomas S. Monson
Description
History
The first temple built in Nevada was in Las Vegas in 1989. Ten years later ground was broken for a second Nevada temple, this time in Reno. Mormon roots run deep in the high desert country of Nevada. In Genoa, just less than an hour’s drive south from Reno, lies Mormon Station State Park. Mormon Station was the first permanent settlement established in the state of Nevada by people who were not American Indians. Founded by Mormon pioneers in 1851, it served as a respite for weary travelers on the California Trail. Previously, temple patrons had to drive long distances through the often unpredictable weather of the Sierra Nevada Mountains to reach the Oakland California Temple over 200 miles away.
Announcement
Plans to construct the Reno Nevada Temple were announced by letter to local Church leaders on 12 April 1999, and Church members received the news with gratitude.
Nevada Temples at Time of Announcement
Announced
- –
Under Construction
- –
Dedicated
- Las Vegas Nevada [1999]
ANNOUNCED ORDER
109
| Date | 1999 04 12 |
| By | First Presidency |
| Role | # |
| Via | Local Letter |
⮜Preceded by Nauvoo Illinois
Followed by Guadalajara Mexico⮞
Groundbreaking
The groundbreaking ceremony for the Reno Nevada Temple was held in a meetinghouse near the temple site on 24 July 1999, a day known among members as Pioneer Day, which commemorates the pioneers’ arrival in the Salt Lake Valley in 1847. Church leader Rex D. Pinegar officiated at the services, reminding the audience of the strength of the early pioneers and counseling Church members to likewise receive strength through worshiping in the temple.
Though it was windy as services began, the weather calmed before the ceremonial groundbreaking, which was held outdoors at the temple site. Elder Pinegar dedicated the site with a prayer, and those present were invited to turn the soil with shovels.
GROUNDBREAKING ORDER
105
| Date | 1999 07 24 |
| By | Rex D. Pinegar |
| Role | Seventy |
| Attendees | # |
⮜Preceded by Oklahoma City Oklahoma
Followed by Birmingham Alabama⮞
Construction
Local Church members contributed to the building efforts in meaningful ways. Dorothy Keele, a member in Reno who is legally blind, carefully placed many of the individual crystals on the chandelier in the temple’s celestial room. Many others helped in the preparations for the completion and dedication of the temple.
Open House
After the temple was built but before the it was dedicated, the Reno Nevada Temple was opened to visitors. Visitors were impressed by the temple and the strong emphasis on family it represents. One visitor commented, “I feel there’s so much religious commitment with these people. I was particularly inspired by the focus on family values. I was taken and moved by that, by the importance of keeping the family together. It made me come away really feeling good.” A newspaper columnist wrote: “I was among 5,000 people who visited the final day of the open house. … I was among many non-Mormons delighted to experience the facility.” [1]“Four More Temples Dedicated; News of the Church,” Ensign, July 2000, 74, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/2000/07/news-of-the-church/four-more-temples-dedicated.html?lang=eng; “About 40,000 people tour new Mormon temple in Reno”. Marysville Access-Democrat. Associated Press. April 17, 2000. Retrieved April 8, 2022, https://www.newspaperarchive.com/us/california/marysville/marysville-appeal-democrat/2000/04-17/page-14/.
| Start Date | 2000 04 08 |
| End Date | 2000 04 15 |
| Days | # |
| Attendees | 38,000* |
| Per day | A/D |
Over 38,000[2]There are conflicting numbers in official sources, while the Ensign and other articles say 38 k, the Church News Almanac lists 28k as the official number. Church News Archives. “Facts and Figures: Reno Nevada Temple.” Church News, 11 Jan. 2024, www.thechurchnews.com/2000/4/29/23246595/facts-and-figures-reno-nevada-temple. visitors attended the week long open house held from April 8 to 15, 2000. The guests came primarily from the states of Nevada, California and Utah, and more than half were not of the Mormon faith. After attending the open house, one guest remarked: “I feel there’s so much religious commitment with these people. I was particularly inspired by the focus on family values. I was taken and moved by that, by the importance of keeping the family together. It made me come away really feeling good.”[3]“Four More Temples Dedicated; News of the Church,” Ensign, July 2000, 74, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/2000/07/news-of-the-church/four-more-temples-dedicated.html?lang=eng.
Cornerstone
At the cornerstone ceremony just prior to the dedication, after Church leaders had taken their turns at applying mortar to the temple cornerstone, President Monson invited children to also come forward and participate.
Dedication
President Thomas S. Monson, First Counselor in the First Presidency, dedicated the Reno Nevada Temple on 23 April 2000. During the dedicatory prayer President Monson said, “Bless all who have made possible this beautiful structure. May they gain satisfaction from the knowledge that they have had a part in creating this sacred edifice. May they recognize that it is no longer simply a building, but rather a house consecrated unto Thee and Thy Beloved Son, a place of holiness, a sanctuary of faith. We pray that the divine presence of this house in this community may be felt by all who pass by, that it may be looked upon with respect and appreciation.”[4]Reno Nevada Temple dedicatory prayer, in Church News, Apr. 29, 2000, http://www.ldschurchnewsarchive.com/articles/37699/RENO-NEVADA-No-longer-simply-a-building.html.[5]Julie Dockstader, “Reno Temple: Easter Day Dedication Brings Hope,” Church News, April 29, 2000, http://www.ldschurchnewsarchive.com/articles/37685/Reno-temple-Easter-Day-dedication-brings-hope.html.
In total, 7,774 individuals attended the dedication of the Reno Nevada Temple, including Church members in chapels around the temple district who participated via satellite transmission.
DEDICATION ORDER
81
| Date | 2000 04 23 |
| By | Thomas S. Monson |
| Role | 1st Counselor |
| Sessions | 4 |
| Attendees | 7,774 |
⮜Proceeded by Memphis Tennessee
Followed by Cochabamba Bolivia⮞
Construction Duration
| Span | Duration |
|---|---|
| Announced to Groundbreaking | – y, – m, – d |
| Groundbreaking to Dedication | – y, – m, – d |
| Announced to Dedication | – y, – m, – d |
Dedicatory Order
GLOBAL
#
REGION
region
#
COUNTRY
country
#
STATE
state
#
COUNTY
county
#
CITY
city
#
Summary
quick numbers on dedication order
Detail
Announced
- text
- text
Under Construction
- text
- text
Under Renovation
- text
- text
Dedication Order
The Reno Nevada Temple is the 81st operating temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It was the second temple build in Nevada. The first temple in Nevada was built in Las Vegas in 1989. The Reno Nevada temple was dedicated in 2000. It serves over 25,000 Latter-day Saints in the area.[6]”Reno dedicatory prayer: ‘No longer simply a building,'” Church News 29 Apr. 2000: 10.
Presidents and Matrons
| Temple President | Temple Matron | Years Served |
|---|---|---|
| David Asa Haws | Joani Myers Haws | 2022– |
| George Marion Keele | Judy Dunreath Smith Keele | 2019–2022 |
| Robert Floyd Weed | Rebecca Jean Herrod Weed | 2016–2019 |
| George Kenji Tsukamoto | Sharon Miyako Kawahara Tsukamoto | 2013–2016 |
| Franklin Brent Wadsworth | Joyce Crook Wadsworth | 2010–2013 |
| Maurice Stanley Moyle | Celia Ann Lowe Moyle | 2007–2010 |
| Oris Lorenzo Corbridge | Alice Ashby Corbridge | 2004–2007 |
| Wilford Darrell Foote | Barbara Anne Brown Foote | 2000–2004 |
Details
Location
Set apart from the glittering lights of the city below, the Reno Nevada Temple stands on a hillside, adding to the beauty of the desert valley skyline. The 7.9-acre site features beautifully kept grounds and a spectacular vista of downtown Reno and much of the surrounding valley.
Exterior
The temple has a contemporary, single-spire design common to many of the smaller temples. The beautiful gray granite used for the exterior was quarried near Sharon, Vermont, the birthplace of Joseph Smith, the first prophet of the Church.
Interior
The Reno Nevada Temple has a total floor area of 10,700 sq ft (990 m2), two ordinance rooms, and two sealing rooms. Pristine white walls with gold trim, large mirrors and crystal chandeliers. ornament the temple’s interior.
Individual Contractors
Region
TEMPLES IN UNITED STATES by state
Total: 158
TEMPLES IN NORTH AMERICA by country
Total: 209
Details
References
| ↑1 | “Four More Temples Dedicated; News of the Church,” Ensign, July 2000, 74, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/2000/07/news-of-the-church/four-more-temples-dedicated.html?lang=eng; “About 40,000 people tour new Mormon temple in Reno”. Marysville Access-Democrat. Associated Press. April 17, 2000. Retrieved April 8, 2022, https://www.newspaperarchive.com/us/california/marysville/marysville-appeal-democrat/2000/04-17/page-14/. |
|---|---|
| ↑2 | There are conflicting numbers in official sources, while the Ensign and other articles say 38 k, the Church News Almanac lists 28k as the official number. Church News Archives. “Facts and Figures: Reno Nevada Temple.” Church News, 11 Jan. 2024, www.thechurchnews.com/2000/4/29/23246595/facts-and-figures-reno-nevada-temple. |
| ↑3 | “Four More Temples Dedicated; News of the Church,” Ensign, July 2000, 74, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/2000/07/news-of-the-church/four-more-temples-dedicated.html?lang=eng. |
| ↑4 | Reno Nevada Temple dedicatory prayer, in Church News, Apr. 29, 2000, http://www.ldschurchnewsarchive.com/articles/37699/RENO-NEVADA-No-longer-simply-a-building.html. |
| ↑5 | Julie Dockstader, “Reno Temple: Easter Day Dedication Brings Hope,” Church News, April 29, 2000, http://www.ldschurchnewsarchive.com/articles/37685/Reno-temple-Easter-Day-dedication-brings-hope.html. |
| ↑6 | ”Reno dedicatory prayer: ‘No longer simply a building,'” Church News 29 Apr. 2000: 10. |
Last updated on: 5 January 2026