Oklahoma to get new Latter-day Saints temple in Tulsa

TULSA — A local leader of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints knew it was only a matter of time before his faith group would build a second temple in Oklahoma — he just didn't know when or where it would happen.

The suspense ended for Michael Bright, 51, and other Oklahoma Latter-day Saints with the recent announcement that Tulsa has been chosen as one 20 sites around the world where new temples will be built. About 90 congregations representing more than 50,000 Latter-day Saints are currently in Oklahoma, according to Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

"I was just so grateful, I got so excited," said Bright, president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Broken Arrow stake. "I was in Salt Lake City, Utah, at the time and I kept getting texts from people in Oklahoma saying 'Did you know? Did you know?'"

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Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints President Russell M. Nelson's shared the news about new temple sites at the Latter-day Saints' semiannual general conference gathering on Oct. 1 in Salt Lake City.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints currently has 182 temples dedicated, 59 under construction or renovation and 99 in planning and design — a total of 335. Latter-day Saints have meeting houses and chapels for weekly gatherings throughout the state, but the faith group's temples are different because they are considered houses of the Lord. The temples are considered particularly set apart from Latter-day Saints church houses, because they are the site of Latter-day Saints' marriage ceremonies, baptisms and other ceremonies that unite families for eternity. For example, Bright said Latter-day Saints may have civil ceremonies in other locations, but church members believe that only marriages performed in temples are "sealed" or blessed to last for eternity.

Meanwhile, the first Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints temple in Oklahoma was built in 2000 at 12030 N Mustang Road in Oklahoma City. It is nestled among residential homes in the Surrey Hills area near Northwest Expressway and Mustang Road. It was closed in 2017 for remodeling and opened again in 2019 for rededication and a community open house. According to Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the first Latter-Day Saint meetinghouse in Oklahoma was constructed in 1892.

Along with Tulsa, other U.S. locations where new temples will be built include Colorado Springs, Colorado; Vancouver, Washington; Roanoke, Virginia; Kahului, Hawaii; and Fairbanks, Alaska. New temples sites outside the U.S. include Cancun, Mexico; Osaka, Japan; Cape Coast, Ghana; Savai'i, Samoa; Piura, Peru; and Huancayo, Peru.

Others include: Vina del Mar, Chile; Goiania, Brazil; Joao Pessoa, Brazil; Calabar, Nigeria; Luanda, Angola; Laoag, Philippines; Mbuji-Mayi, Democratic Republic of the Congo; and Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.

Why is Tulsa getting a new temple?

Bright said there weren't any immediate details about why Tulsa was chosen as a temple site at this time, but he said his own view is that the Tulsa area's thriving Latter-day Saints community could have played a role in the selection process. Bright said there are five Tulsa-area Latter-day Saints stakes (Broken Arrow, Tulsa, Owasso, Gore and Bartlesville), which are geographical areas composed of about 3,000 people who make up congregations called wards. He said his Broken Arrow stake includes five wards in Tulsa, one in Tahlequah and one in Wagoner.

"Our population is growing as population growth hits the Tulsa area," Bright said. "And the Saints here have just been very faithful and diligent trying to do their part to be good Christians and representatives of Jesus Christ in all that they do."

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Also, Bright said Latter-day Saints leaders recently have indicated that a high priority has been placed on temple expansion throughout the world to give members of the faith group more access to the houses of worship.

"To have a temple close by is just a blessing in our lives," he said.

The church leader said the exact location of the temple has not yet been announced, and there are currently no architect's renderings or other images to show what the new Tulsa temple might look like. But he said local flavor/cultural is incorporated into most Latter-day Saints temples like the Oklahoma landscape mural featured in the Oklahoma City area temple or the Japanese architecture incorporated into the design of a temple in Japan. The Oklahoma City-area temple also includes stained glass windows featuring images of the Indian blanket, Oklahoma's official state wildflower, and Native American dreamcatchers.

'Really big news'

Charlotte Sellers, of Cleveland, Oklahoma, said much the same thing. She said she was surprised and excited to learn about the planned Tulsa temple.

"When I heard it announced, I literally almost fell out of my chair," Sellers said.

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She said Oklahoma Latter-day Saints, including those in the Tulsa-area, had to travel to Salt Lake City, Utah, to visit a temple many years ago. Sellers said a temple eventually was built in Mesa, Arizona, and then another one was constructed in Dallas, and Oklahomans flocked to those sites. Sellers said the construction of the Oklahoma City-area temple meant Oklahoma Latter-day Saints wouldn't have to travel outside the state, and now northeastern Oklahoma church members will have one in their own backyard.

"I think the proximity makes it even easier to go to the temple more frequently, and there's a lot of spiritual strength and learning about the Savior in the temple," she said.

The Oklahoma resident said the planned new temple will be good for the Tulsa area in general, not just Latter-day Saints.

"You know, whenever any people try to increase their devotion to God, it's a good thing and everybody benefits when we have things in mind, like loving our neighbors as ourselves. It's just good for everybody so, I'm just really happy about it," she said.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to build new Tulsa temple