Construction of the Winchester Virginia Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints began Saturday, Aug. 9, after the church held a groundbreaking ceremony to dedicate the site.
A Saturday release states this ceremony was presided over by Elder Robert M. Daines of the church’s United States Northeast Area Presidency and was attended by numerous government and interfaith leaders, including Winchester Mayor Les Veach, Virginia State Delegate Bill Wiley, Reverend Bjorn Lundberg of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church and Pastor David Young of Bethel Lutheran Church.
Hundreds of Latter-day Saints also joined the ceremony in-person and via its online broadcast.
“Today is in part about what’s about to be built here, but it is also about what’s already been done,” said Elder Daines as he addressed attendees before dedicating the site for construction.
During his address, Elder Daines thanked those whose faith and efforts “planted seeds” for a temple long before its groundbreaking. He also detailed parts of the region’s history and pleaded for the land and the people in it to welcome the new Latter-day Saint temple.
“This land holds memory,” he said. “And today, we ask it to hold something new. We ask it to hold a temple dedicated to our God.”
Elder Daines then went on to explain the role of temples in Latter-day Saint worship, as well as what drives church members to build and attend temples.
He said, “(Temples are) not a new, modern invention. There’s a long unbroken story that stretches back through scripture. They are a sign of God’s coming kingdom and his invitation of love.”
Following this explanation, Elder Daines testified of temples as “portals to God’s future,” after which he prepared to offer a dedicatory prayer for the construction site.
In his prayer, Elder Daines expressed thanks for the “blessing of temples” and the teachings of Jesus Christ.
“(Christ) went to the temple to pray, to worship, to heal and to teach,” he said. “And we’re grateful for a temple here where we can follow him in worship and seek his healing touch.”
Elder Daines then asked for God’s blessing to be upon the site and those who will labor in it.
“As this ground is broken,” he prayed, “may our hearts be broken open to thee. As the ground is dedicated, may we dedicate our lives to do thy will. … (And) as the temple will be protected, may our hearts be kept from selfishness, pride, anger or despair, so that our lives can rise as a faithful witness to thee and bless those who come seeking thy solace or thy grace.”
To be the state’s second dedicated temple, the Winchester Virginia Temple will serve a population of more than 100,000 Latter-day Saints in more than 210 congregations. It will be situated on a 11.27-acre site at 200 Merrimans Lane, Winchester, Frederick County, Virginia.
Another two temples, currently in planning stages, will bring the total number of operating temples in Virginia to four once dedicated. These temples include the Roanoke Virginia Temple which was announced October 2023 and the Norfolk Virginia Temple which was announced April 2025.
