Dedication of the Feather River California Temple
A month after the Feather River California Temple’s announcement on Oct. 7, 2018, record-breaking wildfires devastated parts of the area. Church President Russell M. Nelson and his wife, Sister Wendy Nelson, accordingly visited fire victims in January 2019. After seeing the area’s goodness in the face of trial, President Nelson said, “Now I feel better informed about what was behind the revelation that there should be a temple in Yuba City.”
Kathie Turner, who lost her home in the fires, saw the construction of the house of the Lord as “beauty for ashes” (Isaiah 61:3). She said, “The fire affected a broad area, and much of it is now our temple district. ... We all experienced the ashes, and now we are all experiencing the beauty.”
Local Church leaders held a public open house for the Feather River California Temple from Aug. 19 to Sept. 9, 2023, and invited the community to attend. Several members of other faiths toured the temple during this time.
Pang Werlhof, a local Latter-day Saint, said, “This area is filled with such wonderful people, different cultures and religions, and they came together as a community to recognize the importance of our temple and our religion.”
Holly Brown, who served as a temple open house and dedication coordinator, also saw the support of non-Latter-day Saint residents. “To see their eyes open up and realize that we are really Christians and this temple is all about Jesus Christ, it has been wonderful to share that with people,” she said. “It is not a mystery anymore to them.”
Visitors at the open house included Karm Bains of the Sikh faith, who toured the temple 11 times. “It was just an all-around amazing experience for everybody who attended. The Feather River temple is a real gem in the community,” Bains said. “To have the house of the Lord right here in Yuba City, Sutter County, is a true blessing, and not just for the members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but for the entire community.”
The Feather River California Temple was dedicated in two sessions by Elder Ulisses Soares of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles on Oct. 8, 2023. He was joined by Elder Kevin R. Duncan, General Authority Seventy and executive director of the Temple Department; Elder Mark A. Bragg, a General Authority Seventy and president of the Church’s North America West Area; and Elder James R. Rasband, a General Authority Seventy. Their wives were also in attendance.
“The dedication of this and all the other temples testifies that God has a divine vision and plan for His sons and daughters from all generations,” said Elder Soares at the ceremony. “It is indeed evidence of the divinity of His true gospel. This temple stands as a beacon in this area.”
Dedicatory prayer excerpt: “We pray for the members of the Church in this area and their future generations that they can rejoice in Thy covenant path and partake of the blessings of their attendance in this temple, as they come for their own ordinances and covenants or for a vicarious work for their ancestors. May these Saints transform this holy house into their place of defense and refuge from the spiritual storms of the world.”
Read the dedicatory prayer of the Feather River California Temple here.
Timeline of the Feather River California Temple
The Feather River temple was announced Oct. 7, 2018, by President Russell M. Nelson. The Yuba City California Stake Center building, originally on the temple site, was demolished to create room for the temple. The groundbreaking and site dedication were held on July 18, 2020, and presided over by Elder Paul H. Watkins, Area Seventy.
After a public open house from Aug. 19 to Sept. 9, 2023, the Feather River California Temple was dedicated on Oct. 8, 2023, by Elder Ulisses Soares of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
Architecture and Design of the Feather River California Temple
The Feather River temple has an area of 41,665 square feet. This structure features a neo-Byzantine exterior style, which is found in other buildings throughout the Sacramento Valley area. On the roof and toward the front of the temple is a rectangular-shaped tower with an octagonal lantern tower and domed cupola above it.
Interior elements of the house of the Lord reflect early Christian architecture, such as a modified quatrefoil pattern in the millwork. Carved carpet patterns represent plants in the area, such as local wildflowers and the California poppy, the state flower. Doors inside the building were made with cherry wood. The motif of the almond blossom — a significant flower in the region — is prominent throughout art-glass windows of the temple.
The temple site, located across the street from City Hall, spans 9.24 acres and includes a new meetinghouse and distribution center built near the temple. Thousands of plants adorn the site, including mature native oak, redwood and hackberry trees, as well as 100-year-old olive trees from a local orchard.
Interior Photos of the Feather River California Temple
