The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has filed preliminary plans with Saratoga Springs, Utah, for construction of a new temple.
The temple, which was announced in April 2017 by then-Church President Thomas S. Monson, will be located in the new Beacon Pointe subdivision, west of Redwood Road and north of Meadow Side Drive. Plans call for a three-story temple of approximately 87,000 square feet. An adjacent 21,000-square-foot meetinghouse will also be built.
The documents filed deal with open space plans, including landscaping, parking, utilities, transportation and other site-related issues. They also lay out general design principles and uses for the 22.7-acre temple site.
Specific design plans for the temple are still being developed. Further information — including interior and exterior renderings — will be made public later. A groundbreaking date has not been set.
Utah currently has 17 operating temples. In addition to Saratoga Springs, temples have also been announced in Layton, Tooele Valley and Washington County.
Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints consider temples to be the “house of the Lord,” the most sacred places on earth. Unlike meetinghouses, where Sabbath worship and weekly activities take place, temples are open throughout the week and are closed on Sundays.