2000 Dedication of the Houston Texas Temple
Church President Gordon B. Hinckley announced a temple for Houston, Texas, on Sept. 30, 1997, during October general conference. It was one of five temples announced at the conference.
President Sterling Pack, a local branch president who volunteered at the Houston temple dedication, said the building was the “crown jewel” of the Texan Church members.
“Next week, four couples from my branch are going to be sealed here. They’ve been waiting for this temple,” he said.
President Hinckley visited Houston to dedicate its new house of the Lord on Aug. 26, 2000. The Prophet was accompanied by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and Elder Richard J. Maynes, a counselor in the North America Southwest Area.
“Now there is a temple here,” said Elder James Olson, an Area Seventy also at the dedication. “The temple has lighted up the city of Houston, and our neighbors are taking a look at us. The Church is going to have an increasing influence for good in the lives of the people of Houston, members and nonmembers alike.”
Dedicatory prayer excerpt: “Let Thy blessings rest upon all who will serve here. Smile with favor upon the temple presidency, the matron and her assistants, and all who labor with them in administering the great and singular work for which this temple has been erected. Let Thy Holy Spirit touch the hearts of all who come as patrons. Manifest unto them the importance of that which they do, and grant them satisfaction in their service.”
Read the dedicatory prayer of the Houston Texas Temple here.
2018 Rededication of the Houston Texas Temple
On Aug. 26, 2017, as storms from Hurricane Harvey hit Texas, the first floor of the Houston Texas Temple was filled with more than a foot of water, and the temple was closed for refurbishments due to water damage.
During an August 2017 tornado, Houston-area native Bethany Vermillion took shelter with her children in a closet in their home and prayed for their safety as well as the temple’s.
Vermillion said that after the tornado had passed, she “found out on Facebook about what was happening at the [Houston Texas Temple]. We saw the photos of a guy kayaking to the entrance of the temple. We couldn’t believe it.”
Clyde Criddle, a longtime volunteer in the Houston temple before its closure, was surprised with the severity of the storm but excited to resume temple work after the building’s renovation.
“We are so excited to once again be with our brothers and sisters in the temple,” he said.
President M. Russell Ballard, acting president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, rededicated the Houston Texas Temple on April 22, 2018.
Dedicatory prayer excerpt: “We ask Thee, Heavenly Father, for protection over Thy temple, that Thy sacred work for the living and for the deceased may continue from this day forward. May Thy children come here often to make covenants and receive ordinances for themselves and for their kindred dead. Please bless all Thy children in this temple district to keep Thy commandments, preparing them for all Thy promised blessings to those who love Thee and seek Thy holy presence.”
Read the rededication prayer of the Houston Texas Temple here.
Timeline of the Houston Texas Temple
Church President Gordon B. Hinckley announced a temple for Houston, Texas, on Sept. 30, 1997. The groundbreaking for the temple was held on June 13, 1998. Visitors toured the house of the Lord during its open house from Aug. 5 through Aug. 22, 2000. The Houston Texas Temple was dedicated on Aug. 26, 2000.
The temple was closed for renovations after sustaining water damage from Hurricane Harvey in August 2017. It was then rededicated by President M. Russell Ballard on April 22, 2018.
Aftermath of Hurricane Harvey Near the Houston Texas Temple
Architecture and Design of the Houston Texas Temple
The Houston Texas Temple was originally constructed with an area of 33,970 square feet on an 8-acre site. Water damage from Hurricane Harvey in August 2017 necessitated eight-month renovations and repairs to the house of the Lord.
The interior features two instruction rooms and three sealing rooms. The exterior, finished with Luna Pearl granite, was built with buttresses to give a castlelike appearance similar to temples built in the 19th century.
Interior Photos of the Houston Texas Temple
