Temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Demolition of the Brayton meetinghouse has been completed where the new Anchorage Alaska Temple will be constructed. A chain-link fence with a blue privacy screen surrounds the construction area so that patrons still have access to the current temple, located at the southeast corner of the property. Preparations are underway for running new water, sewer, and electric lines.

Demolition has begun on the Brayton building, which housed congregations belonging to the Anchorage Alaska Stake. The new Anchorage Alaska Temple will be built on the site of the meetinghouse next to the existing temple, allowing it remain open during construction. Once the new temple has been constructed, the former temple will be demolished, and a new meetinghouse will be constructed at that location. A distribution center building will also be constructed.

The 50-year-old stake center for the Anchorage Alaska Stake is being disassembled and prepared for demolition to make way for a new temple building that will replace the current temple once it is completed. The retiring meetinghouse will bless over 25 organizations in Alaska in the form of donated materials. For example, volunteers from Alaska Children’s Institute for the Performing Arts in Kenai came on Saturday, February 17, to collect curtains, trim, finish wood, and a handicap access ramp for their theater that burned down three years ago. They had been crowd-sourcing materials and funds to rebuild ever since the fire. "These materials are a godsend," said Mayor Micciche.

The First Presidency has announced that the Anchorage Alaska Temple will be reconstructed as a new building where the adjoining meetinghouse is located. The existing 11,930-square-foot temple will remain open during the construction of the replacement 30,000-square-foot facility. Once completed, the former temple will be decommissioned, and a new meetinghouse will be built. Construction is expected to begin in early 2024 and be completed by the summer of 2026. The temple will have two instruction rooms with 40 seats each.

Over the past month, 37 temples have moved to Phase 4 of reopening including five in Europe, seven in Brazil, and 25 in the United States. Under Phase 4, capacity restrictions are eliminated and face masks requirements are lifted if local government regulations allow. Appointments are still required for all ordinances. All other temples in operation are in Phase 3 except for the Suva Fiji Temple, which remains in Phase 1, and the Kyiv Ukraine Temple, which is temporarily closed.