Las Vegas Nevada Temple

Dedication of the Las Vegas Nevada Temple

The Latter-day Saints in Las Vegas not only had the need for the temple but also had the desire to support the construction as well. The temple district was asked to contribute to the funding of the temple, and the members not only met the requested contribution but donated 428% of the request, for a contribution of $11 million.

The first day of the open house of the Las Vegas Nevada Temple on Nov. 13, 1989, began with a media tour and a separate tour for 225 government and business leaders. The tours were hosted by then-Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Council of the Twelve Apostles and Elder H. Burke Peterson of the First Quorum of the Seventy, then president of the North America Southwest Area.

Guests in the tour included then-Nevada Gov. Bob Miller; two U.S. Senators — Sen. Harry Reid (a member of the Church) and Richard Bryan; two U.S. congressman Rep. James Bilbray and Rep. Barbara Vucanovich; and other local government and business leaders.

The first day of the temple dedication, Dec. 16, 1989, was attended by the entirety of the First Presidency and Council of the Twelve Apostles. Then-Young Women General President Sister Ardeth G. Kapp and Primary General President Sister Michaelene P. Grassli attended, along with Presiding Bishop Robert D. Hales and other general authorities and their spouses.

President Gordon B. Hinckley, first counselor in the First Presidency, shared that a reporter asked, “Why would you put a temple in a place like this?” President Hinckley responded simply, “Because our members need it.”

The first three dedicatory sessions were presided over by Church President Ezra Taft Benson, with President Hinckley giving the dedicatory prayer. President Thomas S. Monson, second counselor in the First Presidency, read the dedicatory prayer in the second session. Members of the Council of the Twelve Apostles also read the dedicatory prayer in other sessions. In total, 30,177 members attended the 11 dedicatory sessions over the three days.

Dedicatory prayer excerpt: “O Father, look with favor upon Thy sons and daughters wherever they may be. When they err, and come unto Thee in repentance, wilt Thou forgive and remember their sins no more. Give them grateful hearts for the blessings which Thou hast showered upon them. Grant unto them strength to walk the straight and narrow way that leads to life eternal.”

Read the dedicatory prayer of the Las Vegas Nevada Temple here. 

The Las Vegas Nevada Temple was announced April 7, 1984. A groundbreaking ceremony was held a year and a half later, on Nov. 30, 1985, presided over by President Gordon B. Hinckley, first counselor in the First Presidency. After a public open house from Nov. 16 to Dec. 9, 1989, President Hinckley dedicated the temple from Dec. 16 to Dec. 18, 1989.

Architecture and Design of the Las Vegas Nevada Temple

The Las Vegas Nevada Temple rises to 137 feet at the highest of six spires. The 80,350-square-foot temple features white precast stone walls, with a copper roof and detailing. The house of the Lord stands on a 10.3-acre property.

The design of the temple was modeled after the landscape of the desert around Las Vegas. The featured colors of the house of the Lord are dusty rose, rusts and sandy tones. A “progression of light” was used to form a unique and beautiful interior.

In the celestial room, two large chandeliers are featured, each 10 feet high and 8 feet in diameter. Pieces of cut crystal numbering in the thousands hang in each of the chandeliers. On the sides of the celestial room are windows highlighted by a transparent cut star. When sunlight shines through the windows, rainbows are spread throughout the celestial room as the light is taken through the star’s prism points.