SALT LAKE CITY — Leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints toured the Salt Lake Temple last Friday, Dec. 12, as the historic landmark’s extensive renovation project enters its final phase.
Church President Dallin H. Oaks, along with his counselors, President Henry B. Eyring and President D. Todd Christofferson, walked through the construction site to observe the progress of the multiyear undertaking. They were joined by their wives and members of the Presiding Bishopric, the body responsible for managing the Church’s temporal affairs.
The delegation visited several significant areas within the temple, including marriage-sealing rooms, rooms used for sacred ceremonies, and one of the building’s two baptistries. The group has remained closely involved with the project since it began on Dec. 30, 2019.
Previously, the Church announced that a public open house and celebration for the temple and the surrounding Temple Square is scheduled to take place from April to October 2027. The tours will provide a rare opportunity for the general public to see the interior of the temple before it is rededicated for sacred use.
During the Church’s general conference in October 2025, President Oaks emphasized the spiritual significance of the work being done, noting that temple ordinances “enable us to return as eternal families to the presence of our Heavenly Father”.
For Latter-day Saints, temples are considered “houses of the Lord” and differ from regular meetinghouses used for Sunday worship. They are sacred spaces where members make formal promises to live Christlike lives and participate in ordinances that the Church teaches to unite families for eternity.