"Each holy temple stands as a symbol of our membership in the Church, as a sign of our faith in life after death, and as a sacred step toward eternal glory for us and our families."
—Russell M. Nelson
The Spokane Washington Temple was the 59th operating temple in the world when it was ultimately dedicated in 1999.
The announcement for its construction was made in August of 1998. Ground breaking began just over a year later, in October of 1998. Less than one year later, 52,000 members and non-members alike came to tour the building during its open house in August of 1999.
Dedication: On 21–23rd of August, 1999, Gordon B. Hinckley dedicated the Spokane Washington Temple with roughly 16,000 members attending.
Here are several facts about the temple:
~ Sits on a 2 acres site
~ Has a granite exterior finish
~ Has two ordinance rooms (two-stage progressive) and two sealing rooms
~ Total Floor Area of 10,700 square feet.
Regional Temples: The Spokane Washington Temple was the second temple built in the state of Washington, following the Seattle Washington Temple (1980). Not long after the Spokane Temple came the Columbia River Washington Temple, in 2001.
The Temple is located in the Veradale suburb of Spokane, located east of the city of Spokane. It serves approximately 50,000 LDS church members who come from Eastern Washington, Northern Idaho and Western Montana. The closest temple in Montana is Billings (Montana's only temple). The closest temple in Canada is Vancouver BC. The closes temple in Idaho is Boise.
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| Spokane Washington Temple, before Moroni statue was replaced to face westward. |
Architecture: Described as a "classic modern, single-spire design," the temple has two progressive ordinance rooms and two sealing rooms. The Spokane Washington Temple was the first of 38 small temples that were built in an aggressive building cycle using relatively identical models and floor plans. If you look at the other "identical temples", you can see the similarities, yet they are differentiated by minor variations in finish and unique landscaping that is suited for regional climate. These similar temples can be found throughout the united states, as well as Australia, Mexico, Quebec, Fiji, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay.
