The Saratoga Springs Utah Temple will open its doors for the general public open house starting April 15, the first temple open house in Utah since 2018.
The temple was announced in April 2017 by then-President Thomas S. Monson. The COVID-19 pandemic and supply chain issues played a role in delaying the completion of the temple until 2023. This temple will be the 179th operating temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The open house will run for 13 weeks. Invited tours run from April 10-14 and public tours run from April 15 to July 8. The temple will be dedicated on Aug. 13 by President Henry B. Eyring, second counselor in the First Presidency. Public tours will be held Monday to Saturday and all are welcome to attend.
Chad and Allison Wilkinson are members of the temple committee for this open house and spoke about the excitement felt around the community.
“Not only have the members been excited but the whole community is excited. We have close to 40,000 volunteers that will help over the 13 weeks of the open house and they are of all faiths,” Allison said. She went on to add that 50% of these volunteers are youth and young adults.
Brynley and Taylor Roberts are some of the youth that are helping with the open house. Brynley spoke about the significance of the temple open house to her. “Being able to go through a tour, I’ve been able to see what I’ll be able to do one day,” Brynley said.
The temple site overlooks Utah Lake as well as the surrounding Utah mountain range. Features and symbols of the city of Saratoga Springs can be found throughout the temple.
“The design cues and color palette of the temple are inspired by the blues, purples, golds and greens of surrounding flora and fauna, such as wildflowers, marsh grass, reeds and the snowy egrets,” a Church Newsroom press release said.
The symbolism is prominent within the stained glass windows of the baptistry area of the temple.
“The art glass on the main level at the baptistry depicts snowy egrets in wetlands and grasses, reflecting the Saratoga Springs City logo. Utah Lake is represented in the wave and water patterns at the bottom of the art glass panels. Stylized gold shapes above the water represent silhouettes of birds, and the stylized mountains represent the Wasatch Mountains,” the Church Newsroom press release said.
Elder Kevin R. Duncan, Temple Department executive director further explained why temples feature local surroundings.
“We try to connect every temple that is built to the people who live by that temple. Our desire for people that come into this building is that they’ll say ‘that’s my home.’ And the artwork and the flowers, they are representative of this area,” Elder Duncan said.
Another detail-oriented room within the temple was the brides room. This is a room dedicated to brides as they prepare to get married and sealed for time and all eternity within the temple.
Sister Kristin M. Yee, Second Counselor in the Relief Society General Presidency spoke about how the details within the brides room reminds individuals of Heavenly Father’s love for his daughters.
“It’s a beautiful room but I felt a special spirit in there,” Sister Yee said. “There’s just this sacred intricacy in the design of it, showing us in the details how much He cares about his daughters.” She said President Nelson had asked the general relief society presidency to share with the sisters that they are necessary, precious and loved.
Sister Yee also commented on the importance and significance of the instruction room within the temple. The instruction room is where individuals can make covenants and learn more about God’s plan for his children.
“We learn about our journey in the context of eternity, where we are at now. It helps to know where we were before so we can understand our part now and what we can do to receive help and strength and joy now in this life and be able to return back to live with Him. It’s all possible through Jesus Christ,” Sister Yee said.
Other significant rooms inside the temple include the sealing room and the celestial room. The sealing room is where couples and families have the opportunity to be sealed together not only for time, but for all eternity.
The celestial room is a unique room within the temple as there are no ordinances preformed there. “Rather, it is a place of quiet peace, prayer, and reflection meant to symbolize heaven, where we may live forever with our family in the presence of our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ,” the Church’s website says.
To see these rooms in person, individuals can schedule a public open house tour here. Admission is free and reservations are recommended, but not required. Weekend and evening reservations are mostly filled until late June, early July.
“Temples are intended to reflect the serenity of Heaven and bring to all who enter in a feeling of the love that God the Father and his son Jesus Christ have for all people,” Elder Duncan said.
