Dedication of the Medford Oregon Temple
Elder D. Lee Tobler, a General Authority Seventy and first counselor in the North America Northwest Area, presided at the groundbreaking ceremony of the Medford Oregon Temple and explained the building would be “another ensign to the Restoration of the gospel.”
Nearly 46,000 attended the open house March 24-31, 16,000 more than expected. On April 16, 2000, President James E. Faust, second counselor in the First Presidency, dedicated Oregon’s second temple in four sessions. More than 8,000 members attended the sessions from both within the temple and from the Central Point Oregon Stake Center.
In the dedicatory prayer, President Faust spoke of the youth: “Bless the youth of the Church, dear Father. Lead them in paths of righteousness and truth. Protect them from the alluring and seductive calls of the adversary.”
Elder Michael T. Robinson, an Area Seventy who was the first president of the Central Point Oregon Stake, said he had reflected many times about when the groundbreaking was held for the Central Point stake center. “I’ve wondered how many of us who were there even had an inkling of an idea that the Lord would see fit to build a temple here. I can tell you that I didn’t. But I want you to understand that Heavenly Father knew and that this land was planned to hold a temple.”
“Out of the 225 people who worked on the temple,” said Corey Vitas, the general contractor of the temple, “all of them felt the Spirit here at one time or another. The concrete contractor ripped up the curb after the first time and redid it because it ‘wasn’t perfect.’ And he wasn’t even a member. That’s the spirit all the workers had about the temple. They would say, ‘This is our temple.’”
Dedicatory prayer excerpt: “We present it to Thee as our offering, given in love and with deep gratitude for Thy manifold blessings upon us. ... Wilt Thou touch the hearts of Thy people in this temple district that they may ever regard it with gratitude and appreciation, that they may qualify themselves to come here as Thy servants and carry forward the great work for which it is designed.”
Read the dedicatory prayer of the Medford Oregon Temple here.
Timeline of the Medford Oregon Temple
The Medford temple was announced March 15, 1999, by the First Presidency. On May 20, 1999, Elder D. Lee Tobler of the Seventy, first counselor in the North America Northwest Area presidency, presided over the groundbreaking services of the Medford temple. Joining him in shoveling dirt were Central Point Mayor Bill Walton and Elder Michael T. Robinson, an Area Seventy.
Following a successful open house, President James E. Faust, second counselor in the First Presidency, dedicated the Medford temple on April 16, 2000. Elder Neal A. Maxwell of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and Elder F. Melvin Hammond of the Seventy assisted in placing mortar around the cornerstone.
Architecture and Design of the Medford Oregon Temple
The Medford Oregon Temple stands adjacent to the Central Point Oregon Stake Center, 35 miles north of the California border. The temple covers 10,700 square feet and includes a celestial room and a baptistry, two endowment rooms and two sealing rooms.