The Richmond Virginia Temple.The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
The Richmond Virginia Temple.The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
The Richmond Virginia Temple.The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
The Richmond Virginia Temple.The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
The Richmond Virginia Temple.The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Dedication of the Richmond Virginia Temple
During a media day for the Richmond Virginia Temple, before it was open to the public, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin toured the building. In his remarks at the event, he drew attention to how a house of the Lord — the state’s first — is now in “the first state to forge religious freedom into the fabric of our nation.”
This history stretches back to Thomas Jefferson, an American founding father who wrote the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, a forerunner to the First Amendment and constitutional protection of religious freedom.
“May this temple be a lasting symbol to all Virginians of our collective legacy of true religious freedom,” said Gov. Youngkin, “and give the Latter-day Saint community across Virginia and around the world a powerful central location to practice their faith.”
The Richmond Virginia Temple was dedicated byPresident Dallin H. Oaks, first counselor in the First Presidency, during two sessions on May 7, 2023. During the cornerstone ceremony on the same day, the Apostle said, “The most important idea about a cornerstone is that Jesus Christ Himself is the chief Cornerstone, setting the direction for the building at the key position in the foundation.”
President Oaks was joined by his wife, Sister Kristen M. Oaks; Elder W. Mark Bassett, second counselor in the North America Northeast Area presidency and his wife, Sister Angela Bassett; Elder Kevin R. Duncan, executive director of the Church’s Temple Department and his wife, Sister Nancy Duncan; and Elder Michael John U. Teh, a General Authority Seventy, and his wife, Sister Grace Teh.
Dedicatory prayer excerpt: “Please bless all who worthily serve in Thy holy temples that they may participate with joy and understanding that Thy work will go forward in power to fulfill Thy purposes for all Thy children. We pray that Thy Spirit will always be present in these holy spaces to enlighten and guide and bless all who are here and all that is said and done here.”
Elder Randall K. Bennett, a General Authority Seventy and president of the North America Northeast Area, offered the dedicatory prayer for the groundbreaking ceremony. The groundbreaking ceremony was kept to a small handful of leaders to comply with COVID-19 guidelines.
March
25
2023
Open house
The open house for the Richmond Virginia Temple was held from March 25 through April 15, 2023. A media day was also held on March 20, and invited guests toured the building from March 21 to March 24, 2023. More than 46,500 visitors attended the temple open house.
May
07
2023
Dedication
President Dallin H. Oaks, first counselor in the First Presidency, dedicated the Richmond Virginia Temple on May 7, 2023, throughout two sessions.
The Richmond Virginia Temple was announced by President Russell M. Nelson on April 1, 2018. Two years later, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the site for this house of the Lord was dedicated by Elder Randall K. Bennett, president of the North America Northeast Area, on April 11, 2020.
After a public open house from March 25 to April 15, 2023, the Richmond temple was dedicated on May 7, 2023, by President Dallin H. Oaks, first counselor in the First Presidency.
Architecture and Design of the Richmond Virginia Temple
The Richmond Virginia Temple is a two-story building with 36,200 square feet. Its design includes one large steeple with a gold angel Moroni statue on top.
The design choices were inspired by local historical American traditions, such as Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello and the University of Virginia. Symbols of Virginia’s state tree and flower — the dogwood — can be seen around the interior.
Interior Photos of the Richmond Virginia Temple
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The colonial design accentuates the foyer of the Richmond Virginia Temple. A nod to Jeffersonian motifs is found in the richly colored area rug that displays a period-correct octagon pattern incorporated with the dogwood blossom (the Virginia state flower). One hundred-year-old repurposed art glass from a protestant church depicting Jesus with His sheep greets visitors upon entering. | The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
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The baptistry in the Richmond Virginia Temple. Jesus commanded that all must be baptized to return to the presence of God. Devout Latter-day Saints can make offerings of proxy baptism for their ancestors that did not have that opportunity while living. | The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
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The grand staircase in the Richmond Virginia Temple is reflective of colonial design and constructed of Peruvian walnut with vibrant colors of the era incorporated in the stair’s carpet runner. | The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
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Instruction rooms of the Richmond Virginia Temple are where Latter-day Saints make promises to God and receive a deeper understanding of Jesus and his teachings in an effort to become better disciples. | The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
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The sealing room in the Richmond Virginia Temple is where families are united for eternity through marriage. The room features an altar in the middle with a crystalline chandelier above it. The mirrors, positioned across from each other, reflect endless images to represent eternity. | The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
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The meticulous craftsmanship of one of several crystal chandeliers in the Richmond Virginia Temple is showcased. | The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
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The crystal chandelier in the celestial room in the Richmond Virginia Temple showcases the Jeffersonian-influenced design that includes the incorporation of octagons with a guilloche (interlocking circle) border accented with dogwood blossoms (the Virginia state flower). | The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
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The majority of the millwork throughout the Richmond Virginia Temple is painted to reflect similar techniques seen in early colonial-style interior architecture. Inlaid gold leaf and period-appropriate molding garnish the paneled altar found in the sealing room where families are united for eternity through marriage. | The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
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The celestial room of the Richmond Virginia Temple is designed to be a tranquil respite that represents the progression toward Heavenly Father’s presence. The influence of Jeffersonian architecture, popular throughout Virginia, can be found in the decor and design cues of the temple as evidenced in the celestial room. | The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
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Painted wood doors reflect the colonial design of the Richmond Virginia Temple accented with oil-rubbed bronze hardware that includes a small dogwood blossom (the Virginia state flower). | The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Additional Facts
Fact #1
This was the first Latter-day Saint temple in Virginia.
Fact #2
The first branch in Richmond, Virginia, was organized in 1919 and had fewer than 100 Saints.
Fact #3
The Virginia Stake was the 245th stake in the Church of Jesus Christ but only the sixth stake on the Atlantic coast.
Fact #4
At the time of the Richmond temple's dedication, more than 34,000 members lived in the Richmond area, totaling more than a third of the state's Latter-day Saint population.
This was the first Latter-day Saint temple in Virginia.
Fact #2
The first branch in Richmond, Virginia, was organized in 1919 and had fewer than 100 Saints.
Fact #3
The Virginia Stake was the 245th stake in the Church of Jesus Christ but only the sixth stake on the Atlantic coast.
Fact #4
At the time of the Richmond temple's dedication, more than 34,000 members lived in the Richmond area, totaling more than a third of the state's Latter-day Saint population.
