From the Church

See stunning interior photos of the Church’s first temple in Virginia

By Haley Lundberg March 20, 2023 02:42 PM MDT

The first temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the US state of Virginia is complete, and Church members are excitedly gearing up for the public open house that starts this weekend. In anticipation, Church Newsroom has released photos of the new temple’s stunning interior.

Official interior photos of the new Richmond Virginia Temple


A sealing room inside the Richmond Virginia Temple.
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A sealing room inside the Richmond Virginia Temple.
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An instruction room inside the Richmond Virginia Temple.
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An instruction room inside the Richmond Virginia Temple.
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The celestial room inside the Richmond Virginia Temple.
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The celestial room inside the Richmond Virginia Temple.
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The baptistry inside the Richmond Virginia Temple.
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The baptistry inside the Richmond Virginia Temple.
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The foyer and a stained glass art piece inside the Richmond Virginia Temple.
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The foyer and a stained glass art piece inside the Richmond Virginia Temple.
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A crystal chandelier hanging in a sealing room inside the Richmond Virginia Temple.
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A crystal chandelier hanging in a sealing room inside the Richmond Virginia Temple.
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A sealing room inside the Richmond Virginia Temple.
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The Richmond Virginia Temple public open house will run from Saturday, March 25, to Saturday, April 15, 2023, except for Sundays and Saturday, April 1 (general conference). The new temple will be dedicated by President Dallin H. Oaks on Sunday, May 7, 2023.

► You may also like: Which Latter-day Saint temples are under construction around the world?

Virginia governor Glenn Youngkin was impressed by the work and love that have clearly been put into the new temple. He told Church Newsroom, “I’m humbled by the clear expression of faith eternal by this extraordinary [Latter-day Saint] community. May this temple be a lasting symbol to all Virginians of our collective legacy of true religious freedom and give the Latter-day Saint community across Virginia and around the world a powerful central location to practice their faith.”

Seth Roberts, bishop of the Bon Air Ward in the Richmond Virginia Midlothian Stake told Church Newsroom, “[Friends] have asked, ‘What about that temple? What is that? What is that building that’s going up in Glen Allen?’ And it was a great opportunity to explain to them what a temple is and then to invite them to come.”

Mamie Kelley, who joined the Church about 10 years ago, told Newsroom, “[Visitors] will feel the Holy Spirit. And even though they may not recognize it as the Holy Spirit, they will feel something different and something tranquil and something that makes them feel good. And I think they will take that away and say to themselves, ‘Hmm. What was that? I really felt something.’”

You can read more about what local Church members are saying about the new temple on Church Newsroom.

And you can see the Church’s promotional video about the historical architecture and design that influenced the new temple in the player below.

▶ You may also like: What unexpectedly seeing a photo of an old missionary apartment in Virginia did for my testimony

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About the Author
Haley Lundberg
Haley is the production editor for LDS Living with a passion for writing and social media. Previously, she worked at Boncom where she assisted with Church campaigns like “Light the World” and “Because of Him.” When she isn’t working, you can find Haley traveling with her husband, Mike, and snuggling her little boy, Calvin.
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