Two Latter-day Saint temples to start construction in the U.S. this October

Rebecca Olds
·2 min read
An artist’s rendering of the Modesto California Temple.
An artist’s rendering of the Modesto California Temple. | The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Two temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will start construction in October just one day apart — one in California and the other in Texas.

The groundbreaking dates were released by the church on Monday, and attendance is restricted to invitation only.

Modesto California Temple

An artist’s rendition of how the outside of the Modesto California Temple will look upon completion. The groundbreaking is scheduled for Oct. 7, 2023. | The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
An artist’s rendition of how the outside of the Modesto California Temple will look upon completion. The groundbreaking is scheduled for Oct. 7, 2023. | The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

The Modesto California Temple was announced first in April 2022. It will officially begin construction about a year and a half later on Oct. 7.

Presiding over the event and offering the dedicatory prayer will be Elder Gary B. Sabin, a General Authority Seventy and the first counselor of the North American West Area Presidency.

California has seven operating temples, per the church. The Feather River California Temple will be the next to be dedicated, on Oct. 8 — a day after the Modesto California Temple’s groundbreaking.

Fort Worth Texas Temple

An artist’s rendition of how the outside of the Fort Worth Texas Temple will look upon completion. The groundbreaking is scheduled for Oct. 28, 2023. | The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
An artist’s rendition of how the outside of the Fort Worth Texas Temple will look upon completion. The groundbreaking is scheduled for Oct. 28, 2023. | The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

The Fort Worth Texas Temple was announced by President Russell M. Nelson two years ago during the October 2021 session of the church’s general conference. A year later, the location of the Fort Worth Texas Temple was announced and now, two years later, the Fort Worth temple will officially start construction, with the groundbreaking ceremony taking place on Oct. 28.

Elder Jose L. Alonso, a General Authority Seventy and the first counselor in the North America Southwest Area Presidency, will offer the dedicatory prayer that day.

There are four other open and operating temples in the state already — in Dallas, Houston, Lubbock and San Antonio. A fifth is to be dedicated earlier during the month on Oct. 8, in McAllen.

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