October Features Two Milestone Anniversaries for Colorado Temples

Fort Collins Colorado Temple

By Corey Christiansen, Denver Metro Area News Media Specialist

A decade. Wow!

It’s hard to believe it’s already here, but the Fort Collins Colorado Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints just celebrated 10 years of operation. This majestic structure in northern Colorado was dedicated on October 16, 2016 by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf.

Originally announced in April 2011 by President Thomas S. Monson, the Fort Collins Temple became the second temple in Colorado. It serves Latter-day Saints living in northern Colorado and southern Wyoming. Visible from I-25, the temple features a single central tower with a statue of the angel Moroni on the top.

The temple groundbreaking took place in August 2013. After three years of construction, a three week open house was held for the temple followed by the 2016 dedication. The day prior to the dedication, a cultural celebration was held at Hughes Stadium on the campus of Colorado State University. Young men and women from the new temple district presented the history of the Church in Colorado and Wyoming.

During the event, President Uchtdorf encouraged the youth to “make the values of the temple the focus of your life. Take on the shine of the life of Christ, and harmony will be among you. Unity will be among you and you will be a majestic example of the principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ.”

Denver Colorado Temple

In addition to the Fort Collins Temple, the Denver Colorado Temple is also celebrating an important milestone this month. October 24 marks the 40th anniversary of this elegant temple located in Centennial, a southern suburb of Denver.

The spire of this temple also features an angel Moroni statue and is visible from C-470 at the S. University Boulevard exit. Standing at 90 feet tall, it’s actually a bit shorter than the Fort Collins Temple which stands at 112 feet.

The Denver Colorado Temple was first temple built in Colorado and was announced in March 1982. President Gordon B. Hinckley presided at the groundbreaking in May 1984 and then construction was completed in the summer of 1986. An open house was held in September followed by the dedication by President Ezra Taft Benson from October 24-26, 1986.

When this temple opened, it became the 40th dedicated temple in operation throughout the world (the Fort Collins Temple was the 153rd). During the cornerstone ceremony for the sacred structure, President Benson described the temple as “a “beacon to members and nonmembers alike…a constant, visible symbol that God has not left man to grope in darkness.”

Temples are literally houses of the Lord where faithful Church members “find opportunities for peaceful reflection and for learning more about God’s plan of happiness and Jesus Christ’s role in that plan. Temple worship teaches us who we are and what we can become.”

Worldwide, there are currently 385 temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that have been dedicated, are under construction or have been announced. Colorado has three operating temples with the third located in Grand Junction. A fourth temple is under construction in Colorado Springs.