Dedication of the Vancouver British Columbia Temple
Although the sky was pouring rain the morning of the May 2, 2010, dedication, Latter-day Saints agreed with President Thomas S. Monson, 16th President of the Church, that it was a “beautiful day.”
The Prophet expressed that the Vancouver temple holds a special place in his heart because he helped pick the temple’s site with previous Church President Gordon B. Hinckley. “Now we see a lovely temple here,” he said. “It couldn’t have been created for a more noble purpose.”
From 1959 to 1962, President Monson also served as a mission leader in Canada with his wife, Sister Francis Johnson Monson, and spoke of his “underlying love for Canada” at the dedication.
“We carry Canada in our hearts,” he said.
Speaking to the youth in attendance at the dedication, President Monson told the young Latter-day Saints that “this is your temple.”
Accompanying the Prophet at the dedication ceremony were President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, second counselor in the First Presidency; Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles; Elder L. Whitney Clayton of the Presidency of the Seventy; Elder William R. Walker, executive director of the Temple Department and Sister Ann M. Dibb, President Monson’s daughter and second counselor in the Young Women general presidency.
Dedicatory prayer excerpt: “We dedicate this temple as an abode for Thee and Thy Son. Let Thy glorious light ever shine upon it. Wilt Thou place Thy ratifying seal of approval upon this dedicatory service and upon all we have done and will do in this, Thy holy house, which we now present to Thee. O Holy Father, accept of our love. Let Thy blessings distill upon us as the dews from heaven. May we walk with faith, never faltering, in the testimonies which we carry in our hearts concerning Thee and Thy precious Son, our Redeemer.”
Read the dedicatory prayer of the Vancouver British Columbia Temple here.
Timeline of the Vancouver British Columbia Temple
On May 25, 2006, the First Presidency announced a temple for Vancouver, British Columbia. A groundbreaking ceremony was held Aug. 4, 2007, with Elder Ronald A. Rasband presiding.
Nearly three years later, beginning April 9, 2010, the public was allowed to tour the new temple until April 24, 2010. After a cultural celebration the day prior, President Thomas S. Monson dedicated the Vancouver British Columbia Temple on May 2, 2010.
Architecture and Design of the Vancouver British Columbia Temple
The Vancouver temple stands on 11.6 acres and is a total of 28,165 square feet. The exterior was made with Branco Siena granite from Brazil, and the structure was designed with a single spire and angel Moroni statue. Trees and flowers fill the grounds around the building.
The temple’s interior includes hardwood from the west coast of Africa and features the motif of British Columbia’s provincial flower — the Pacific dogwood — in paints and carpet sculptings.
Interior Photos of the Vancouver British Columbia Temple
