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

News Stories

Photo:  Intellectual Reserve, Inc.

Elder Cook Dedicates the Moses Lake Washington Temple

Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles dedicated the Moses Lake Washington Temple today. He quoted from an October 2018 address by President Russell M. Nelson, saying "I promise you that the Lord will bring the miracles He knows you need as you make sacrifices to serve and worship in His temples." Elder Cook was accompanied by his wife, Sister Mary Cook; Elder Mark A. Bragg, General Authority Seventy and president of the Church’s North America West Area, and his wife, Sister Yvonne Bragg; and Elder Shayne M. Bowen, also a General Authority Seventy and assistant executive director of the Temple Department, and his wife, Sister Lynette Bowen.
Photo:  Intellectual Reserve, Inc.

Media Day Held for the Moses Lake Washington Temple Open House

On the first day of the open house for the Moses Lake Washington Temple, a media day event was held for journalists and other guests, presided by Elder Gary B. Sabin of the North America West Area presidency. Invited guests will tour the temple from Tuesday, August 1, through Thursday, August 3. Public tours begin Friday, August 4, and continue through Saturday, August 19, except for Sundays. The interior design of the temple draws inspiration from regional crops, such as apple, potato, and alfalfa blossoms. The landscaping was designed to provide shade and beauty throughout the year.
Photo:  Tanner Bennett

Open House Tickets Available for the Moses Lake Washington Temple

Free reservations are now available to tour the interior of the newly completed Moses Lake Washington Temple, located at 401 Yonezawa Boulevard, Moses Lake, Washington. The two-week public open house begins Friday, August 4, and continues through Saturday, August 19, 2023. The open house experience includes a brief video overview followed by a short walking tour through the temple.
Photo:  Rosalie Black

Moses Lake Washington Temple Open House and Dedication Announced

The First Presidency has released the dates for the open house and dedication of the Moses Lake Washington Temple. The open house will begin with a media day on Monday, July 31, followed by tours for invited guests over the next three days. The general public is invited to tour the building from Friday, August 4, through Saturday, August 19, 2023, with no tours are held on Sundays. Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles will preside at the dedication on Sunday, September 17, in two sessions held at 10:00 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Both sessions will be broadcast to all units in the temple district.
Photo:  Colleen Donovan

Glass Installed in the Doors of the Moses Lake Washington Temple

Glass windows are being installed in the doors, sidelights, and transom of the entrance to the Moses Lake Washington Temple. The glass is mostly transparent with a beautiful stained-glass border. Landscaping will pick up in the spring when patches of bare ground will be covered in grass, plants, and flowers. The inscribed panels for the monument sign have been installed.
Photo:  Colleen Donovan

More Lighting Added to the Moses Lake Washington Temple

Additional lighting has been added to the exterior of the Moses Lake Washington Temple along the main level cornice, similar to the Bentonville Arkansas Temple. Beautiful backlit stained glass has been installed in the steeple. The temple has been under construction for 27 months. It will be the fourth in the state of Washington. A fifth has been announced for the Tacoma area.
Photo:  Colleen Donovan

Exterior Lighting Installation for the Moses Lake Washington Temple

Accent lighting has been installed on the roof of the Moses Lake Washington Temple to illuminate the steeple and upper walls of the building. Construction observers have been thrilled by the initial lighting tests, which provide a preview of how the temple will appear each night once the full lighting system has been installed and placed on a timed schedule. The views of the temple are especially spectacular from the interstate.
Photo:  Colleen Donovan

Installing Stained Glass in the Moses Lake Washington Temple

The first panes of stained glass are being installed in the Moses Lake Washington Temple. Beautiful apple blossoms are depicted in the glass, carrying the theme that is used throughout the temple. Scaffolding is coming down from the completed steeple, and the concrete base for the monument sign has been installed at the entrance to the grounds. A fifth temple has been announced for the state of Washington in the area of Tacoma.
Photo:  Kevin Roylance

Installing Fence Posts at the Moses Lake Washington Temple

Black fence posts are appearing on the grounds of the Moses Lake Washington Temple where work is getting underway on installing the ornamental fence. Concrete planters and walkways are giving shape to the hardscape while stone cladding of the temple exterior enters the final stretch. Scaffolding remains around the steeple and the front entry. Construction of the temple began nearly two years ago.
Photo:  Talmage Hales

Cladding the Steeple of the Moses Lake Washington Temple

Stone cladding is moving up the steeple of the Moses Lake Washington Temple, bringing the exterior of the building closer to completion. Construction of the temple and meetinghouse began 22 months ago and is anticipated to be completed next year. The community of Moses Lake was settled in 1897 and later named after a Columbia-Sinkiuse tribe leader by the name of Chief Moses.
Photo:  Jill Christensen Pace

Cladding the Upper Structures of the Moses Lake Washington Temple

Stone cladding has wrapped around the main body of the Moses Lake Washington Temple, leaving only the entrance and the upper structures to be clad. Work has already begun on the mechanical level, and additional scaffolding has been erected around the steeple frame, which is not yet sheathed and sealed. Construction of the temple and an adjoining meetinghouse began 21 months ago.
Photo:  Elena Kienitz Ameny

Cladding the Mechanical Level of the Moses Lake Washington Temple

Stone cladding of the main floor walls of the Moses Lake Washington Temple is largely finished, and work has begun on the upper mechanical level. The temple sits on Interstate 90, which crosses through Washington state from Spokane on the east to Seattle on the west. The temple will serve members residing in North Central Washington.
Photo:  Colleen Donovan

Preparing to Landscape the Moses Lake Washington Temple Grounds

Preparations have begun for major landscaping of the Moses Lake Washington Temple grounds. The soil has been smoothed to the proper grade, and dozens of evergreen trees stand in an irrigated dirt patch awaiting planting. Granite cladding, which started on the south side and progressed to the west, has now wrapped to the north (front) side of the building. The carved stone apple blossoms above the window groupings are a delight to construction observers.
Photo:  Colleen Donovan

Granite Cladding Progress on the Moses Lake Washington Temple

Scaffolding has been removed from the south side of the Moses Lake Washington Temple, unveiling the beautiful granite cladding that faces the interstate. Stonework continues on the west side of the building while framing of the portico progresses on the north. Perfectly carved leaves and apple blossoms decorate the temple's pinnacles and window groups. The temple is Washington's fourth.
Photo:  Colleen Donovan

Cupola Assembly Added to the Moses Lake Washington Temple

The zinc-plated cupola and finial assembly for the Moses Lake Washington Temple has been attached to the top of the steeple frame. The elegant lines and materials of the new structure already give the building a more sacred and stately appearance. While stone cladding continues on the ground floor, sheathing of the steeple and mechanical level are progressing.
Photo:  Peggy Brown

Moses Lake Washington Temple and Meetinghouse Progress

A new photograph taken at the Moses Lake Washington Temple complex shows the nearly completed brick exterior of the meetinghouse and the plastic-shrouded exterior of the temple where stone cladding continues to progress. The tenting around the temple allows the crews to maintain a higher temperature than the brisk winter weather provides. Zinc shingles were attached to the temple cupola this month at an off-site location. It will be delivered at a later date.
Photo:  Colleen Donovan

Apple Blossoms Featured in the Moses Lake Washington Temple Cladding

New photographs of the Moses Lake Washington Temple show the breathtaking detail in the granite cladding being installed on the building's exterior. Sculpted apple blossoms are featured in the panels above the windows, honoring the region's legacy of apple production. Washington is the largest apple-producing state in the country. The annual Washington State Apple Blossom Festival is celebrated each year in the city of Wenatchee, which belongs to the new temple district.

Stone Cladding of the Moses Lake Washington Temple Begins

The first pieces of stone cladding have been attached along the base of the Moses Lake Washington Temple. The walls are damp proofed and hanging brackets are attached before the stone is installed. Sheathing is progressing on the recently framed mechanical level. Off site, the concave cupola for the steeple is being manufactured. The steel tube frame will be covered in a stainless steel skin followed by zinc shingles.
Photo:  Colleen Donovan

Damp Proofing the Moses Lake Washington Temple

The white exterior of the Moses Lake Washington Temple is changing to a beautiful shade of seafoam green with the application of a damp-proofing membrane to the surface of the insulated concrete forms (ICF blocks). The installation of temporary glass in the window openings has also begun. The steeple frame was recently installed, which will be crowned with a concave pyramid cap and a metal finial.
Photo:  Dylan Littlefield

Moses Lake Washington Temple Steeple Frame Installed

The steeple frame for the Moses Lake Washington Temple has been installed atop the base structure, creating a beautiful silhouette for the rising building with its crisp lines and precise symmetry. With the winter months approaching, the construction crew will be focused on framing the roof and boarding the door and window openings. Shingles are being laid for the on-site meetinghouse.
Photo:  Colleen Donovan

Framing the Mechanical Level of the Moses Lake Washington Temple

Dusk settles over the Moses Lake Washington Temple construction site where steel frames for the mechanical level of the building have been fastened to the center tower walls. The grounds have been staked and hardscaping has begun with concrete curbing along the future driveways and parking areas. The meetinghouse west of the temple has been framed and roofing is well underway.
Photo:  Linda Merrill

Meetinghouse Framed at the Moses Lake Washington Temple Site

As construction moves forward on the Moses Lake Washington Temple, crews are also busy building the on-site meetinghouse. Over the past month, the wood frame and sheathing for the church have been erected while the walls for the base of the temple steeple have grown taller. Members in Moses Lake and the surrounding region currently travel to the Tri-Cities to attend temple services at the Columbia River Washington Temple.
Photo:  Colleen Donovan

Moses Lake Washington Temple Steeple Rising

Rising up out of the center of the Moses Lake Washington Temple are the wall forms for the steeple pedestal, supported by the walls of the central Celestial Room. A notch at the top of each wall form indicates the future location of a window. Framing has begun at the corners and along the facade of the temple for the pilasters that will add dimension to the exterior. Pieces of steel are being staged for the framing of the roof and the interior.
Photo:  Colleen Donovan

Forming the Steeple of the Moses Lake Washington Temple

The exterior walls of the Moses Lake Washington Temple have been formed and poured, allowing work to proceed on the walls of the central Celestial Room and steeple base. Reinforcing steel bar rises in straight rows above the interior wall sections, ready to connect with the lower walls of the steeple. Crew members don bright orange safety vests on the work site to ensure that they are highly visible to the other workers.
Photo:  Emilee Beus

Wall Forming Progresses for the Moses Lake Washington Temple

The majority of the white ICF blocks needed to form the exterior walls for the Moses Lake Washington Temple have been assembled on the foundation and filled with concrete around the inserted steel bar. The stay-in-place blocks serve to not only form the walls but also to insulate the building and to protect it from moisture damage. The openings for doorways and windows are visible across the structure.
Photo:  Colleen Donovan

Forming the Moses Lake Washington Temple Exterior Walls

Installation of the exterior wall forms for the Moses Lake Washington Temple is moving forward swiftly with the help of an innovative product known as insulated concrete forms (or ICF blocks). The interlocking, stay-in-place forms incorporate insulation, a vapor barrier, and rebar holders for efficient and cost-effective construction. Forms have also been installed for the stake center foundation.
Photo:  Colleen Donovan

Moses Lake Washington Temple Rising Above Ground

Construction of the Moses Lake Washington Temple is moving above ground with crews already forming the exterior walls. Structural studs, conduits, and other materials lie in staging areas for use in framing, running utilities, and building the internal support for the temple. The city sits on Moses Lake—the largest natural body of fresh water in Grant County with over 120 miles of shoreline.
Photo:  Colleen Donovan

Forms Removed from the Moses Lake Washington Temple Foundation

Forms have been removed from the reinforced concrete composing the basement and foundation for the Moses Lake Washington Temple. The steel bar rising from the concrete will create as a solid connection between the foundation and the main level walls. The temple will be the fourth for the state of Washington with the other three located in Seattle, Spokane, and the Tri-Cities.
Photo:  Colleen Donovan

Forming the Moses Lake Washington Temple Basement

Wall forms have been set in place for the partial basement of the Moses Lake Washington Temple with shorter forms stretching to the west for the rest of the foundation. The basement will provide a space for storage; access to mechanical, electrical, data, and plumbing equipment (including the baptismal font); and a workshop for refurbishments and repairs.
Photo:  Colleen Donovan

Building the Foundation for the Moses Lake Washington Temple

Snow covers the Moses Lake Washington Temple site where mounds of excavated dirt sit around the cavity carved out for the foundation. Footings have been poured, and reinforcing steel is being set for the foundation walls. Members in the Moses Lake region currently belong to the Columbia River Washington Temple district, which has grown significantly over the past several years.