Reno Nevada Temple Wiki

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 April 12, 1999, and Church members received the news with gratitude.

Groundbreaking

The groundbreaking ceremony for the Reno Nevada Temple was held in a meetinghouse near the temple site on July 24, 1999, a day known among Mormons as Pioneer Day, which commemorates the Mormon 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 worshipping 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.

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]“News of the Church,” Ensign, July 2000, 74; “About 40,000 people tour new Mormon temple in Reno”. Marysville Access-Democrat. Associated Press. April 17, 2000. Retrieved April 8, 2022.

Over 38,000 visitors attended the weeklong 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.”^[2]Erik Nilsson, “Four More Temples Dedicated,” Ensign, July 2000, 75.

Dedication

 At the cornerstone ceremony, after Church leaders had taken their turns at applying mortar to the temple cornerstone, President Monson invited children to also come forward and participate.

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.”^[3]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.

Local Church member Penni Abney, a recent convert at the time of the announcement, expressed her personal gratitude for a more accessible temple because the difficult journey to Oakland had prevented her from attending the temple. Her feelings are echoed by many other members of the Church: “Knowing [the temple] is here is such a comfort.”^[4]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

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.^[5]”Reno dedicatory prayer: ‘No longer simply a building,'” Church News 29 Apr. 2000: 10.

Presidents and Matrons

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.