Temple Square has carried the sounds of drills and cranes for years. On Friday, it also carried something else: the First Presidency inspecting the Salt Lake Temple as renovation work enters its final phase.
The First Presidency and the Presiding Bishopric of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints toured the historic house of the Lord on Dec. 12, as the pioneer-era building moves closer to the finish line of a sweeping renovation that began nearly six years ago, per ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
Church President Dallin H. Oaks was joined by his wife, Sister Kristen Oaks, and his counselors, President Henry B. Eyring and President D. Todd Christofferson and his wife, Sister Kathy Christofferson.
The leaders visited one of the temple’s two baptistries, sealing rooms and other ordinance spaces as construction draws closer to completion.
The Salt Lake Temple is scheduled to host a public open house from April through October 2027 — an opportunity for all to walk through the temple and learn about Latter-day Saint beliefs before it is rededicated and returns to its sacred use.
In October 2025 general conference, President Oaks testified of the spiritual significance of temples for Latter-day Saints, saying temple ordinances “enable us to return as eternal families to the presence of our Heavenly Father.”
Worship in the house of the Lord lies at the heart of our faith. Temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints offer peace, perspective, and eternal hope. As President Dallin H. Oaks (@OaksDallinH) has taught, temples "enable us to return as eternal families to the… pic.twitter.com/n2J3yCO7CU
— The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (@Ch_JesusChrist) December 18, 2025
The Dec. 12 tour continues a pattern of hands-on involvement from church leadership during the multiyear project.
- In May 2020, a time capsule was opened with the First Presidency that was originally placed in the capstone of the Salt Lake Temple.
- Then in May 2021, then-church President Russell M. Nelson toured renovation work at the temple — a visit later referenced in connection with his October 2021 conference message about strengthening spiritual foundations.
The Salt Lake Temple renovation has been framed by church leaders as both preservation and preparation: strengthening the building against future earthquakes while protecting historic craftsmanship and expanding capacity for ordinance work, including adding a second baptistry.
Outside the temple, visible signs of progress have ramped up in recent weeks as workers removed long-standing scaffolding around the six towers, gradually unwrapping the landmark from the top down. In October, one of two cranes was removed as well.
