The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has opened the doors to its Willamette Valley Oregon Temple to the public. The church, located in Springfield, Oregon, will be the third Lord’s House in the state.
Open houses begin this week and will run from Thursday, April 23rd to Saturday, May 9th, excluding Sundays. A media day will also be held on Monday, April 20th, and invited guests will tour the building from April 21st to 22nd.
As Media Day begins, two General Authority Seventies, Elder Brian J. Holmes and Elder K. Brett Nattress, lead a tour of media representatives.
In conjunction with Media Day, the Church published interior and exterior photos of the Willamette Valley Temple on April 20 at ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
After an open house, President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, will dedicate the temple on Sunday, June 7. The dedication ceremony, which begins at 10 a.m., will be broadcast once to all units in the temple area, with a rebroadcast scheduled for 2 p.m.
With upcoming temple dedications currently scheduled, the Willamette Valley Temple will become the Church’s 218th or 219th temple in operation around the world. It will be dedicated on the same day and at the same time as the dedication of the Yorba Linda California Temple.
Design and function
Located on 10.29 acres at 300 International Way in Springfield, Oregon, the Willamette Valley Temple is a 30,635 square foot structure constructed from insulated concrete forms and structural steel.
The design motif is inspired by the lush Pacific Northwest landscape and features mountain laurels and a repeating prismatic pattern. Art glass windows highlight the green vegetation and blue water of the nearby Mackenzie and Willamette Rivers, as well as the gradient shades of gold, purple, pink, green, blue and yellow.
Soft gold and green patterned carpets are used in various areas throughout the temple, with white carved broadweave carpets in the sealing and celestial rooms, and firm green carpets in the administrative areas. The stone floors feature Italian marble with gold accents and green and blue stones from Italy and Brazil. The celestial and sealing rooms also feature White V marble from Vietnam and Italy.
The walls of the temple feature white and beige tones, with the celestial and sealing rooms featuring vinyl wall coverings with detailed organic raised patterns, and the baptismal and leadership rooms with horizontal stripes. Crystal chandeliers illuminate the bridal room, celestial room, and sealing room, and all other areas feature frosted glass fixtures with bronze accents.
The woodwork throughout this temple is made of stained cherry wood, with painted grade maple and poplar used in some areas. The interior doors are also stained cherry and have art glass panels and brass hardware. The ceiling is made of gypsum board and acoustic ceiling tiles.
About Willamette Valley Temple
The late Church President Russell M. Nelson announced on April 4, 2021 that he would build a house in the Lord in Eugene, Oregon. Five months later, the name “Willamette Valley” was announced, referring to the valley that stretches from north of Eugene to Portland, Oregon.
Groundbreaking for the temple took place on October 29, 2022, with Elder Valerie V. Cordon officiating. Elder Cordon, a General Authority Seventy who went on to become the Church’s first counselor in the North America West Region, implored during the site’s dedication prayer that “the temple, even in its construction phase, will be a beacon of hope and peace that will inspire this community to come to Christ.”
oregon church
When the Willamette Valley Temple is dedicated, it will join two other operating Houses of the Lord in the state: the Portland Temple, dedicated in 1989, and the Medford Temple, dedicated in 2000.
A significant Latter-day Saint presence did not appear in Oregon until 1887, when a Utah businessman built a sawmill on the North Powder River near Baker, Oregon. They convinced hundreds of Latter-day Saint families to move there.
The first stake in Oregon was established in 1901. By 1930, approximately 3,230 church members lived in the state.
On August 4, 1929, 76 church members assembled in the Eugene branch organization. The Portland Stake was created on June 26, 1938, the same day the Eugene branch became a ward.
Approximately 150,000 Latter-day Saints currently call Oregon home, living in approximately 300 wards and branches.
Willamette Valley Oregon Temple
Address: 300 International Way, Springfield, Oregon 97477
Announcement: April 4, 2021, President Russell M. Nelson
Groundbreaking ceremony: October 29, 2022, presided over by Elder Valerie V. Cordon, a General Authority Seventy.
Open to the public: April 23 to May 9, 2026, except Sundays
Dedication Ceremony: June 7, 2026 by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
Site area: 10.29 acres
Building size: 30,635 square feet
Building height: 119 feet (including spire)
