Announcement:
7 April 2019Groundbreaking and Site Dedication:
10 October 2020 by David L. StapletonPublic Open House:
4–19 August 2023Dedication:
17 September 2023 by Quentin L. CookSite:
17 acres | 6.9 hectaresArchitectural Features:
Single attached central spireOrdinance Rooms:
Two instruction rooms, two sealing rooms, and one baptistryTotal Floor Area:
20,000 square feet | 1,858 square metersElevation:
1,157.72 feet | 352.87 metersGroundbreaking Ceremony
Elder David L. Stapleton, Area Seventy, presided over the groundbreaking ceremony for the Moses Lake Washington Temple on Saturday afternoon, October 10, 2020. "Please help us as we not only dedicate this ground," he said in his site dedicatory prayer, "but also rededicate our lives to Thee and Thy purposes when this new temple will be completed in all its beauty." Due to social distancing guidelines, attendance was limited to a small group of individuals who came together to mark the beginning of construction of Washington's fourth temple. Groundbreaking coordinator Steve Jorgensen said in his remarks, "We are recipients of this blessing because of the pioneer heritage of those who came. Many of us today are children or grandchildren of the early pioneers."1
Temple Rendering
On April 7, 2020, an official exterior rendering of the Moses Lake Washington Temple was released. Additional exterior and interior renderings will be made public later.
Temple Design
The Moses Lake Washington Temple will be a single-story building of approximately 20,000 square feet with a central spire. A meetinghouse of approximately 17,000 square feet will be constructed next to the temple.
Temple Site
On October 29, 2019, the location for the Moses Lake Washington Temple was officially announced as a 17-acre property across from Yonezawa Park and near Moses Lake High School. The deed that transferred ownership of the two contiguous lots, dated June 19, 2019, noted that the land was being sold for a future church. The location, just a mile and a half west of the junction of I-90 and Highway 17, will provide convenient access to patrons traveling from the surrounding region. Standing on the north side of I-90, south of Yonezawa Boulevard, the temple will be a beautiful landmark to travelers along these major routes.
Temple Announcement
On April 7, 2019, at the 189th Annual General Conference, President Russell M. Nelson announced Washington's fourth temple to be constructed in the scenic community of Moses Lake. Members in the region currently attend temple services at the Columbia River Washington Temple, located in the rapidly growing Tri-Cities area. There are nearly 290,000 Latter-day Saints in Washington.2
Temple Facts
The Moses Lake Washington Temple will be the fourth temple built in Washington, following the Seattle Washington Temple (1980), the Spokane Washington Temple (1999), and the Columbia River Washington Temple (2001).
- "Groundbreaking Held for Moses Lake Washington Temple," The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints News Release, 10 Oct. 2020.
- "Prophet Announces Eight New Temples at April 2019 General Conference," The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints News Release, 7 Apr. 2019.