A rendering of the Modesto California Temple.The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
The Modesto California Temple site in relation to nearby cities in the state.Screenshot from Google Maps
The location of the Modesto California Temple site.The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Groundbreaking of the Modesto California Temple
Ground was broken for the Modesto California Temple on Oct. 7, 2023, withElder Gary B. Sabin — first counselor in the North America West Area presidency — presiding. Local faith, government and civic leaders attended the ceremony, including Modesto Mayor Sue Zwahlen, a Latter-day Saint.
Jerry Callister, a local Latter-day Saint and longtime resident of Modesto, was among those who spoke at the groundbreaking. “The crowning evidence of the growth of the Church in any area is the dedication of a temple,” said Callister. “This temple is going to bless not just Modesto but all the communities around it. It is in the temple that families can be sealed for time and for all eternity.”
In his dedicatory prayer on the site and construction process, Elder Sabin prayed that this new house of the Lord “will stand as a beacon of light and hope and a witness of the reality and divinity of Thy Beloved Son and of the eternal nature of the soul and the divine potential of Thy children.”
A groundbreaking ceremony was held for the Modesto California Temple on Oct. 7, 2023. Elder Gary B. Sabin, first counselor in the North America West Area presidency, presided over the ceremony.
The Modesto California Temple was announced on April 3, 2022, by President Russell M. Nelson. Approximately a year and a half later, ground was broken for the temple on Oct. 7, 2023, with Elder Gary B. Sabin presiding.
Architecture and Design of the Modesto California Temple
Construction plans for the Modesto temple call for a single-story temple of approximately 30,000 square feet. Exterior renderings show several arched windows lining the outside of the temple, with a large arch in front of the entry doors.
Above the edifice will be a tall, thin tower with four long, arched windows around the exterior and a small dome at the top. The temple will be built on a 17.63-acre site, with a large courtyard in front of the entrance and grass fields and flower gardens decorating the grounds. An existing meetinghouse currently stands adjacent to the temple site.
Groundbreaking Photos of the Modesto California Temple
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Elder Gary B. Sabin, center, and his wife, Sister Valerie Sabin, lead invited guests in turning shovels of dirt at the Modesto California Temple groundbreaking on Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023, in Modesto, California. | The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
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Church leaders and invited guests participate in the groundbreaking of the Modesto California Temple in Modesto, California, on Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023. | The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
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Elder Gary B. Sabin, a General Authority Seventy, and his wife, Sister Valerie Sabin, greet participants prior to the Modesto California Temple groundbreaking in Modesto, California, on Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023. | The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
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Church leaders and invited guests participate in the groundbreaking of the Modesto California Temple in Modesto, California, on Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023. | The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
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Elder Gary B. Sabin, a General Authority Seventy, speaks at the Modesto California Temple groundbreaking in Modesto, California, on Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023. | The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
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A Primary choir participates at the Modesto California Temple groundbreaking in Modesto, California, on Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023. | The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
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Sue Zwahlen, Modesto city mayor and Latter-day Saint, speaks during the Modesto California Temple groundbreaking in Modesto, California, on Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023. | The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
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The ceremonial golden shovels used at the Modesto California Temple groundbreaking in Modesto, California, on Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023. | The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
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Father and daughter turn shovels of dirt at the Modesto California Temple groundbreaking in Modesto, California, on Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023. | The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Additional Facts
Fact #1
This will be the 10th Latter-day Saint temple in the state of California.
