Helena, Montana – The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ Helena Montana Temple is now finished with construction, and the general public is welcome to see the building before it is dedicated.
Only church members who have satisfied certain prerequisites may enter after it has been dedicated.
“We can’t really express how exciting it is, it’s a beautiful building,” Helena Stake President Bret Romney said. “More important than its beauty, though, is what it represents for us. As we have the opportunity to come and meet and worship and learn about our Father in Heaven here. So we’re very excited and feel very blessed.”
The new temple is situated in Treasure State Acres, just north of Helena, at 1260 Otter Road.
Public tours will be offered daily from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. from May 18 through June 3, excluding Sundays.
Reservations are not necessary.
In Montana, there are approximately 51,000 members of the LDS church, distributed across 127 congregations.
The LDS religion places a high value on temples since some rituals, like marriage or the christening of the dead, can only be performed there.
Additionally, on Sundays, church members worship in meetinghouses rather than in the buildings.
The groundbreaking ceremony for the new temple will take place on June 26, 2021, as originally stated on April 4, 2021.
It is the second temple to be built in Montana; the first was in Billings. Before its construction, locals in the area had to drive hours to get to the closest temple.
“When our kids get married they can get married in Helena,” said Amber Colby, a member of the church. “Before we’d have to go to Billings, or travel somewhere else where there’s a temple. So, that’s one thing I’m most excited about.”
The new Helena Temple is the first temple built by Latter-day Saints using the design-manufacture-install method.
The modules were constructed in Birmingham, Alabama, and then trucked to Helena where they were assembled.
The 9,794-square-foot structure has a spire and is 96 feet tall overall.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ Helena Montana Temple will receive a formal dedication on Sunday, June 18.
