Modesto California Temple Wiki
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Quick Facts
ANNOUNCED
3 April 2022
ANNOUNCED BY
President Russell M. Nelson
GROUNDBREAKING
7 October 2023
GROUNDBREAKING PRESIDED BY
Elder Gary B. Sabin
DEDICATED
date
DEDICATED BY
person and title
Additional Facts
fact 1
fact 2
fact 3
Description
Modesto (Spanish for modest) is known for its rich agricultural history. Located in the Central Valley, the city is the county seat and largest city in Stanislaus County. California has more than 755,000 Latter-day Saints in over 1,200 congregations.
History
Announcement
On April 3, 2022, President Russell M. Nelson announced plans to construct the Modesto California Temple at the April 2022 General Conference. It was announced in conjunction with 16 other temples.[1]”President Nelson Announces 17 New Temples,” The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints News Release, 3 Apr. 2022. https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/prophet-new-temples-april-2022
The Modesto California Temple was the 100th temple announced by President Nelson.
California Temples at the time of Announcement
Announced
Under Construction
Dedicated
- Los Angeles California [1956]
- Oakland California [1964]
- San Diego California [1993]
- Fresno California [2000]
- Redlands California [2003]
- Newport Beach California [2005]
- Sacramento California [2006]
ANNOUNCED ORDER
282
| Date | 2022 04 03 |
| By | Russell M. Nelson |
| Role | President |
| Via | General Conference |
⮜Preceded by Montpelier Idaho
Followed by Busan Korea⮞
Announced 2022 04 03
- Wellington New Zealand
- Brazzaville Republic of the Congo
- Barcelona Spain
- Birmingham United Kingdom
- Cusco Peru
- Maceió Brazil
- Santos Brazil
- San Luis Potosí Mexico
- Mexico City Benemérito Mexico
- Tampa Florida
- Knoxville Tennessee
- Cleveland Ohio
- Wichita Kansas
- Austin Texas
- Missoula Montana
- Montpelier Idaho
- Modesto California
Location Announcement
On October 10, 2022, the location of the Modesto California Temple was announced as a 17.63-acre site adjacent to an existing meetinghouse located at 4300 Dale Road.[2]”Locations Announced for Temples in Singapore and United States,” The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints News Release, 10 Oct. 2022.
Render Released
On December 19, 2022, the official rendering of the Modesto California Temple was publicly released.[3]”Three Temple Sites Announced in the Americas,” The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints News Release, 19 Dec. 2022.
Groundbreaking Announced
On 17 June 2023 the Church announced that the groundbreaking service for the Modesto California Temple would be held on Saturday, 7 October 2023. Elder Gary B. Sabin, General Authority Seventy and First Counselor in the North America West Area Presidency, would offer the site dedicatory prayer.[4]”Groundbreaking Dates Released for Temples in California and Texas,” The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints News Release, 17 Jun. 2023.
Groundbreaking
Ground was broken for the Modesto California Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Elder Gary B. Sabin, a General Authority Seventy and First Counselor in the North America West Area Presidency, presided at the event on Saturday, 7 October 2023.
In the dedicatory prayer offered at the end of his remarks, Elder Sabin said this new house of the Lord “will stand as a beacon of light and hope and a witness of the reality and divinity of Thy Beloved Son and of the eternal nature of the soul and the divine potential of thy children.”
Local faith, government, and civic leaders attended Saturday’s groundbreaking, including Modesto Mayor Sue Zwahlen.
“[To] our friends, coworkers and neighbors: Please come often to the temple grounds and feel the peaceful surroundings,” said Zwahlen, who is a Latter-day Saint. “The same guiding peaceful principles we feel in our homes and the temple will improve our communities.”
GROUNDBREAKING ORDER
237
| Date | 2023 10 07 |
| By | Gary B. Sabin |
| Role | Seventy |
| Attendees | ## |
⮜Preceded by Montpelier Idaho
Followed by Fort Worth Texas⮞
Jerry Callister, a local Latter-day Saint and longtime resident of Modesto, was among those who spoke at the groundbreaking. “The crowning evidence of the growth of the Church in any area is the dedication of a temple,” said Callister. “This temple is going to bless not just Modesto but all the communities around it. It is in the temple that families can be sealed for time and for all eternity.”[5]Taylor, Scott. “Ground Broken for Modesto California Temple, One of State’s 12.” Church News, 1 Feb. 2024, www.thechurchnews.com/temples/2023/10/9/23910418/ground-broken-modesto-california-temple.
The Modesto California Temple held its groundbreaking ceremony the day before the Feather River California Temple was dedicated.
Details
Location
The 30,000-square-foot temple will be constructed on a 17.63-acre parcel adjacent to an existing meetinghouse on Dale Road
Location
4300 Dale Road
Modesto, California
United States
| Latitude | # |
| Longitude | # |
Phone
Elevation
| Feet | Meters |
|---|---|
| 81 | 25 |
Site
| Acres | Hectares |
|---|---|
| 17.63 | 7.1 |
Exterior
Art Deco style details grace the temple, which has a large arch in front of the entry doors.
Cladding
Exterior renderings show a light stone material facade
Windows
Several arched windows line the outside of the temple, filled with ornate art glass.
Exterior Finish
text
Architectural Features
Single attached central tower
| Feet | Meters | |
|---|---|---|
| Height | # | # |
| To Shoulder | # | # |
| Width | # | # |
| Length | # | # |
| Footprint | # | # |
Spires and Finial
Spires
Above the edifice will be a tall, thin tower with four long, arched windows around the exterior and a small dome at the top.
Spire Details
| Spires | 1 |
| Location | Center |
| Finish | stone |
| Type | dome |
| shape | beveled square |
| Tower shape | octagonal |
Finial
text
Finial Details
| Finish | # |
| Placed | # |
| Finish | # |
| Height | # |
| Weight | # |
Interior
The temple is a single story building of about 30,000 square feet.
| Area | 30,000 f2 (2,787 m2) |
| Floors above grade | 1 |
| Floors below Grade | 0.5* |
| Baptistries | 1* |
| Initiatories | 10* |
| Endowment Rooms | 2* |
| Sealing Rooms | 2* |
Region
TEMPLES IN UNITED STATES (EXCEPT UTAH) by state
Sources and Citations
References
| ↑1 | ”President Nelson Announces 17 New Temples,” The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints News Release, 3 Apr. 2022. https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/prophet-new-temples-april-2022 |
|---|---|
| ↑2 | ”Locations Announced for Temples in Singapore and United States,” The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints News Release, 10 Oct. 2022. |
| ↑3 | ”Three Temple Sites Announced in the Americas,” The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints News Release, 19 Dec. 2022. |
| ↑4 | ”Groundbreaking Dates Released for Temples in California and Texas,” The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints News Release, 17 Jun. 2023. |
| ↑5 | Taylor, Scott. “Ground Broken for Modesto California Temple, One of State’s 12.” Church News, 1 Feb. 2024, www.thechurchnews.com/temples/2023/10/9/23910418/ground-broken-modesto-california-temple. |