Modesto California Temple

Groundbreaking of the Modesto California Temple

Ground was broken for the Modesto California Temple on Oct. 7, 2023, with Elder Gary B. Sabin — first counselor in the North America West Area presidency — presiding. Local faith, government and civic leaders attended the ceremony, including Modesto Mayor Sue Zwahlen, a Latter-day Saint.

Jerry Callister, a local Latter-day Saint and longtime resident of Modesto, was among those who spoke at the groundbreaking. “The crowning evidence of the growth of the Church in any area is the dedication of a temple,” said Callister. “This temple is going to bless not just Modesto but all the communities around it. It is in the temple that families can be sealed for time and for all eternity.”

In his dedicatory prayer on the site and construction process, Elder Sabin prayed that this new house of the Lord “will stand as a beacon of light and hope and a witness of the reality and divinity of Thy Beloved Son and of the eternal nature of the soul and the divine potential of Thy children.”
https://youtu.be/-rlXi9ZBu4g

The Modesto California Temple was announced on April 3, 2022, by President Russell M. Nelson. Approximately a year and a half later, ground was broken for the temple on Oct. 7, 2023, with Elder Gary B. Sabin presiding.

Architecture and Design of the ​​Modesto California Temple

Construction plans for the Modesto temple call for a single-story temple of approximately 30,000 square feet. Exterior renderings show several arched windows lining the outside of the temple, with a large arch in front of the entry doors.

Above the edifice will be a tall, thin tower with four long, arched windows around the exterior and a small dome at the top. The temple will be built on a 17.63-acre site, with a large courtyard in front of the entrance and grass fields and flower gardens decorating the grounds. An existing meetinghouse currently stands adjacent to the temple site.

Groundbreaking Photos of the Modesto California Temple