3 Temples will be Closed for Renovations for 1-2 Years

Posted June 27, 2017 at 10:02 AM in Temple News

(Feature photo can be found here – Mesa Temple – Gold Plated by Alan Fullmer)

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced this morning that three temples will close next year for renovations: the Mesa Arizona Temple, the Raleigh North Carolina Temple, and the Baton Rouge Louisiana Temple. The Mesa Temple is scheduled to close for needed repairs and upgrades in May 2018 and will reopen some time in 2020. The Raleigh Temple will shut down beginning January 2018. And the Baton Rouge Temple will close starting February 2018. The two latter temples will be re-dedicated some time in 2019.

Such renovations are often done on older temples in order to bring them up to code and keep everything in working order. These renovations also help with the aesthetics of the temples, both inside and out, by keeping furnishings fresh and updated and to help maintain functionality, efficiency, and beauty.

All three temples will be open to the public during their open houses before they are re-dedicated. Information regarding the open houses and re-dedications will be provided as the renovations near completion.

Raleigh Temple Sunrise by Alan Fullmer

This will be the second renovation for the 90-year-old Mesa Temple. It was originally dedicated in 1927 by President Heber J. Grant. It was later re-dedicated following refurbishment in 1975 by President Spencer W. Kimball.

The Raleigh Temple was dedicated by President Gordon B. Hinckley in December 1999. He also dedicated the Baton Rouge Temple in July 2000.

This announcement brings the number of LDS temples scheduled for or currently undergoing renovations to 11.

Work is currently underway on the Jordan River Utah Temple, which closed February 15, 2016. The Oklahoma City Oklahoma and Memphis Tennessee Temples will close in October 2017. Renovations for these three temples are planned to be completed this fall.

The Oakland California Temple will close in February 2018, while the Washington D.C. Temple is scheduled to close in March 2018.