The Calgary Alberta Temple is the 140th

temple A temple (from the Latin ) is a place of worship, a building used for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. By convention, the specially built places of worship of some religions are commonly called "temples" in Engli ...

the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Restorationism, restorationist Christianity, Christian Christian denomination, denomination and the ...

(LDS Church). The intent to build the temple was announced on October 4, 2008, by church president

Thomas S. Monson Thomas Spencer Monson (August 21, 1927 – January 2, 2018) was an American religious leader, author, and the 16th president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). As president, he was considered by adherents of the rel ...

, during general conference. It was the third temple built in

Alberta Alberta is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Canada. It is a part of Western Canada and is one of the three Canadian Prairies, prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to its west, Saskatchewan to its east, t ...

. The first, previously known as the Alberta Temple, was built in

Cardston Cardston is a town in Alberta, Canada. It was first settled in 1887 by members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) who travelled from Utah, via the Macleod-Benton Trail, to present-day Alberta in one of the century ...

in 1923. The Edmonton Alberta Temple opened in 1999. The temple has a single attached central spire with a statue of the

angel Moroni The angel Moroni () is an angel whom Joseph Smith, founder of the Latter Day Saint movement, reported as having visited him on numerous occasions, beginning on September 21, 1823. According to Smith, the angel Moroni was the guardian of the gold ...

. This temple was designed by Abbarch Architecture, an architectural firm located in

Vancouver Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...

British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...

. A groundbreaking ceremony, to signify the beginning of construction, was held on May 15, 2010, conducted by Donald L. Hallstrom of the

Presidency of the Seventy A presidency is an administration or the executive, the collective administrative and governmental entity that exists around an office of president of a state or nation. Although often the executive branch of government, and often personified by a ...

History

Church president Thomas S. Monson announced the intent to build the Calgary Alberta Temple on 4 October 2008, during general conference. At the time, the temple was intended to serve over 18,000 church members in

Calgary Calgary () is a major city in the Canadian province of Alberta. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population of 1,481,806 making it the third-largest city and fifth-largest metropolitan area in C ...

and the surrounding areas. The temple is located adjacent to the church's Royal Oak chapel in northwest Calgary. The groundbreaking on May 15, 2010 was presided over by Donald L. Hallstrom, with other church general authorities and area leaders in attendance, including

William R. Walker William Russell Walker (born 25 May 1944) has been a general authority of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) since 2002. Walker was born to J. Harris and Beth Russell Walker in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada, and raised i ...

and Richard K. Melchin. After construction was completed, a public open house was held from September 29 to October 20, 2012, where over 100,000 people toured the temple. A cultural celebration was held October 27, 2012, and the temple was dedicated by Monson the following day. The first

president President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...

of the temple was Blair S. Bennett, a former

stake president A stake is an administrative unit composed of multiple congregations in certain denominations of the Latter Day Saint movement. The name "stake" derives from the Book of Isaiah: "enlarge the place of thy tent; stretch forth the curtains of thine ha ...

and

area seventy Seventy is a priesthood office in the Melchizedek priesthood of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). Traditionally, a church member holding this priesthood office is a "traveling minister" and an "especial witness" of J ...

from

Sherwood Park, Alberta Sherwood Park is a large hamlet in Alberta, Canada within Strathcona County that is recognized as an urban service area. It is adjacent to the City of Edmonton's eastern boundary. While long confined to generally south of Highway 16 ( Yel ...

. In 2020, like all the church's others, the Calgary Alberta Temple was closed for a time in response to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

Design and architecture

Designed by Abbarch Architecture, the temple's traditional Latter-day Saint design and architecture reflects both the cultural heritage of Alberta and its spiritual significance to the church. The temple is on a 10.17-acre plot, with landscaping of bushes, flower beds, and trees. These elements are designed to provide a tranquil setting to enhance the sacred atmosphere of the site. The structure stands three stories tall and is constructed with gray granite from China. The exterior has a single attached central spire topped with a statue of the angel Moroni, chosen for their symbolic significance and alignment with temple traditions. The interior has stained-glass windows and other decorative elements like railings and doorknobs centered around a wheat stalk motif to represent Alberta’s agriculture. The interior has a green and gold color scheme. There is “a hand-painted mural of a scenic Alberta landscape,” in one room of the temple, with other paintings throughout. The temple includes two instruction rooms, three

sealing room In temples of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), an ordinance room is a room where the ceremony known as the '' Endowment'' is administered, as well as other ordinances such as Sealings. Some temples perform a progr ...

s, and a

baptistry In Christian architecture the baptistery or baptistry (Old French ''baptisterie''; -4; we might wonder whether there's a point at which it's appropriate to talk of the beginnings of French, that is, when it wa ... ''baptisterie''; Latin ''baptist ...

, each designed for ceremonial use. The design uses elements representing the history and heritage of Alberta, to provide deeper spiritual meaning to the temple's appearance and function. Symbolism is important to church members and includes the wheat stalk motif found throughout the temple, which represents the region’s long agricultural history.

Temple presidents

The church's temples are directed by a temple president and matron, each serving for a term of three years. The president and matron oversee the administration of temple operations and provide guidance and training for both temple patrons and staff. Serving from 2012 to 2015, the first president of the Calgary Alberta Temple was Blair S. Bennett, with Mary Jane E. Bennett serving as matron. As of 2024, G. Lawrence Spackman is the president, with Flora E. Spackman as matron.

Admittance

On June 6, 2012, the church announced the public open house that was held from September 29 to October 20, 2012 (excluding Sundays). The temple was dedicated by Thomas S. Monson on October 28, 2012. Like all the church's temples, it is not used for

Sunday worship In Christianity, the Lord's Day refers to Sunday, the traditional day of communal worship. It is the first day of the week in the Hebrew calendar and traditional Christian calendars. It is observed by most Christians as the weekly memorial of the ...

services. To members of the church, temples are regarded as sacred houses of the Lord. Once dedicated, only church members with a current

temple recommend In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), a temple is a building dedicated to be a House of the Lord. Temples are considered by church members to be the most sacred structures on earth. Upon completion, temples are usuall ...

can enter for worship.

References

External links