The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced Wednesday that tours for the Elko Nevada Temple are underway.
These tours began with an Aug. 27 media day and will continue with tours for invited guests held from Aug. 28-29, as well as with a public open house period held everyday — excluding Sundays — from Aug. 30-Sept. 13.
During the public open house period, guests of all faiths and ages will be welcome to tour the temple free of charge and without prior reservation.
Following this period, Elder Gary E. Stevenson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles will dedicate the temple on Sunday, Oct. 12, with a dedicatory session that will be broadcast to all church units within the temple district.
“The Elko temple district includes towns and communities in six large counties, covering nearly half of the state of Nevada,” reads the church’s Wednesday release. the state of Nevada,” reads the church’s Wednesday release.
Present at the Aug. 27 media day were government leaders, such as Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo and Elko Mayor Reece Keener. Accompanying church leaders included Elder Steven R. Bangerter, executive director of the church’s temple department, and Elder Michael A. Dunn, first counselor in the church’s United States Southwest Area.
About the Elko Nevada Temple
The Elko Nevada Temple — located at 2100 Ruby Vista Drive in Elko, the northeastern part of Nevada — is a 12,901 square feet structure that sits on a 5.2-acre site.
The temple’s exterior is made of structural steel and stone veneer. And inside the temple, motifs of native flowers, such as the desert globemallow are integrated throughout.
Geometric patterns inspired by the Paiute and Shoshone tribes native to the area are also seen inside the temple, accompanied by the use of orange, yellow and green accent colors, which reflect the “vibrant hues” found in the surrounding area’s landscapes.
The Elko Nevada Temple was one of 20 temples announced by church President Russell M. Nelson in April 2021 general conference. Its groundbreaking ceremony took place on May 7, 2022, and once dedicated, the Elko temple will become the state’s third operating Latter-day Saint temple.
The state’s two currently operating temples are the Las Vegas Nevada Temple, dedicated in December 1989, and the Reno Nevada Temple, dedicated in April 2000. A fourth temple, the Lone Mountain Nevada Temple, was announced in October 2022 and site for it was designated earlier this year.
