By McKinsleigh Smith
The Orem Utah Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints towers over the west side of I-15, overlooking Utah Valley University. It is the sixth Latter-day Saint temple in Utah County, joining the Provo, Provo City Center, Mount Timpanogos, Payson, and Saratoga Springs temples.
With Vineyard expecting and planning for massive population growth in the coming years, the Orem Utah Temple will serve one of the most densely populated areas in the state, which includes housing for many Utah Valley University students. The facility will meet the spiritual and ritual needs of 57,000 Utahns who practice the faith and live in a geographical boundary Latter-day Saints call a “temple district.”
The temple will open for free public tours beginning this week. The first open house is Friday, October 27. Tours will run through December 16, 2023. Since Sundays are holy and considered a “day of rest” for Latter-day Saints, tours will not be held on Sundays. The temple will also close for the Thanksgiving holiday.
This temple is the 186th completed temple for the international Church. It was first announced in 2019 and sits on over 15 acres of land. The building itself is 70,000 square feet. Its unique stained glass windows were crafted by artist Tom Holdman, an Orem native.
You can catch a glimpse of the new structure in the video below, courtesy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Provo Tribune: Local News for the Provo/Orem Area 