The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has released exterior renderings showing the planned design for three temples: Moses Lake Washington, Tooele Valley Utah and Washington County Utah.

This comes as project leaders file public documents relating to the temples’ design in preparation for the eventual groundbreaking and beginning of construction at each site. The locations of all three temples have previously been announced.

The Moses Lake Washington Temple, which was announced in April 2019 by Church President Russell M. Nelson, will be built on a 17-acre site located on Yonezawa Blvd between Division Street and Rd K NE. Plans call for a single-story temple of approximately 20,000 square feet with a center spire.

Moses Lake Washington Temple Exterior Rendering A rendering of the Moses Lake Washington Temple. © 2020 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.

The Tooele Valley Utah Temple, which was announced in April 2019 by Church President Russell M. Nelson, will be located northwest of the intersection of Erda Way and Highway 36 in Erda, Utah. Plans call for a three-story temple of approximately 70,000 square feet.

Tooele Valley Utah Temple Exterior Rendering A rendering of the Tooele Valley Utah Temple. © 2020 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.

Update: On June 19, 2020, the First Presidency approved that the official name of the Washington County Utah Temple will be the Red Cliffs Utah Temple.

The Washington County Utah Temple, which was announced in October 2018 by Church President Russell M. Nelson, will be built on a 14-acre site located northeast of 3000 East 1580 South in St. George, Utah. Plans call for a three-story temple of approximately 90,000 square feet. This will be the city’s second temple. The St. George Utah Temple, which was dedicated in 1877, closed November 4, 2019 for an extensive renovation and is expected to reopen sometime in 2022.

Washington County Utah Temple Exterior Rendering A rendering of the Washington County Utah Temple. © 2020 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.

Detailed design plans for these temples are still in process. Interior renderings will be made public later. Groundbreaking dates have not been set.

The Moses Lake Washington Temple will be the Church’s fourth temple in that state. The others are in Richland, Seattle, and Spokane.

Utah currently has 17 operating temples. In addition to Tooele Valley and Washington County, temples have also been announced in Layton, Orem, Syracuse, and Taylorsville. A temple in Saratoga Springs is currently under construction.

Latter-day Saints consider temples to be the “house of the Lord” and the most sacred places of worship on the earth. Temples differ from the Church’s meetinghouses (chapels). All are welcome to attend Sunday worship services and other weekday activities at local meetinghouses. The primary purpose of temples, however, is for faithful members of the Church to participate in sacred ceremonies such as marriages that unite families forever and proxy baptisms on behalf of deceased ancestors who did not have the opportunity while living.