Richmond Virginia Temple Wiki

The first temple to be constructed in the state of Virginia was announced by President Russell M. Nelson at the 188th Annual General Conference. The Temple was announced in conjunction with 6 other temples. This was the first set of announcements made by Nelson since being called and sustained as President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

On 28 August 2019, the official exterior and interior renderings of the Richmond Virginia Temple were released to the public in conjunction with an open house held for Church members, neighbors, and journalists.^[4]Gephardt Daily Staff. “Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints shares renderings of Richmond, Va., Temple.” Gephardt Daily, 28 Aug. 2019, gephardtdaily.com/local/church-of-jesus-christ-of-latter-day-saints-shares-renderings-of-richmond-va-temple. Accessed 31 Aug. 2025.

Elder Randall K. Bennett, a General Authority Seventy and president of the North America Northeast Area, offered the dedicatory prayer for the groundbreaking ceremony. The groundbreaking ceremony was kept to a small handful of leaders to comply with COVID-19 guidelines.

The open house for the Richmond Virginia Temple began with a media day on Monday, March 20, followed by tours for invited guests from March 21–24, 2023.

During a media day for the Richmond Virginia Temple, before it was open to the public, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin toured the building. In his remarks at the event, he drew attention to how a house of the Lord — the state’s first — is now in “the first state to forge religious freedom into the fabric of our nation.”

This history stretches back to Thomas Jefferson, an American founding father who wrote the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, a forerunner to the First Amendment and constitutional protection of religious freedom.

“May this temple be a lasting symbol to all Virginians of our collective legacy of true religious freedom,” said Gov. Youngkin, “and give the Latter-day Saint community across Virginia and around the world a powerful central location to practice their faith.”^[7]Toone, Trent. “President Dallin H. Oaks Dedicates the Richmond Virginia Temple.” Church News, 1 Feb. 2024, www.thechurchnews.com/temples/2023/5/7/23711254/president-dallin-h-oaks-dedicates-richmond-virginia-temple.

The Richmond Virginia Temple was dedicated by President Dallin H. Oaks, first counselor in the First Presidency, during two sessions on May 7, 2023. During the cornerstone ceremony on the same day, the Apostle said, “The most important idea about a cornerstone is that Jesus Christ Himself is the chief Cornerstone, setting the direction for the building at the key position in the foundation.”

Just after the start of the first dedicatory session, the choir sang “The Morning Breaks” as President Oaks and the other Church leaders came outside for the symbolic cornerstone ceremony. President Oaks invited young children from Maryland, Virginia and Georgia to participate in placing mortar around the cornerstone.

“The most important idea about a cornerstone is that Jesus Christ Himself is the chief cornerstone, setting the direction for the building at the key position in the foundation,” President Oaks said. “So it is with this temple.”

President Oaks was joined by his wife, Sister Kristen M. Oaks; Elder W. Mark Bassett, second counselor in the North America Northeast Area presidency and his wife, Sister Angela Bassett; Elder Kevin R. Duncan, executive director of the Church’s Temple Department and his wife, Sister Nancy Duncan; and Elder Michael John U. Teh, a General Authority Seventy, and his wife, Sister Grace Teh.

The dedicatory sessions were broadcast to all units in the temple district at 10:00 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.^[8]Toone, Trent. “President Dallin H. Oaks Dedicates the Richmond Virginia Temple.” Church News, 1 Feb. 2024, www.thechurchnews.com/temples/2023/5/7/23711254/president-dallin-h-oaks-dedicates-richmond-virginia-temple.

The Richmond Virginia Temple sits on a 12-acre wooded site at the corner of Staples Mill Road and Mountain Road near Glen Allen in Henrico County.

Site

The paths, lighting, and landscaping draw inspiration from the gardens and grounds of historic Williamsburg, Virginia. Local varieties of trees, hedges, and flowers were selected for the temple grounds including dogwood, magnolia, white oak, boxwood, and Virginia bluebells. The dogwood, Virginia’s state tree and flower, is featured in patterns inside and outside the temple.

The temple design reflects a blend of Georgian, Federal, and Jeffersonian architecture.

Cladding

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Water Course

Windows

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Spandrel panel

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