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San Antonio Texas Temple
Number	120
Dedication	May 22, 2005, by Gordon B. Hinckley
Site	5.5 acres (2.2 ha)
Floor area	16,800 sq ft (1,560 m)
Height	115 ft (35 m)
Official website • News & images
Church chronology
← Manhattan New York Temple San Antonio Texas Temple → Aba Nigeria Temple
Additional information
Announced	June 24, 2001, by Gordon B. Hinckley
Groundbreaking	March 29, 2003, by H. Bruce Stucki
Open house	April 16 – May 7, 2005
Current president	Rodney James Larsen
Designed by	Rehler, Vaughn & Koone
Location	San Antonio, Texas, U.S.
Geographic coordinates	29°38′29″N 98°29′20″W / 29.6415°N 98.4888°W / 29.6415; -98.4888
Exterior finish	Granite
Temple design	Classic modern, single-spire design
Baptistries	1
Ordinance rooms	2 (two-stage progressive)
Sealing rooms	2
(edit)

The San Antonio Texas Temple is the 120th operating temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

History

On June 24, 2001, the church announced it would build a temple in San Antonio, Texas, making it the state's fourth. Within ten years, the number of church members in the area grew from 9,000 to 12,000. Until the San Antonio Texas Temple was completed, Latter-day Saints in the area travelled 200 miles (320 km) to reach the nearest temple, near Houston.

On March 29, 2003, a site dedication and groundbreaking ceremony was held to signify beginning of construction, and was attended by 450 members. As the temple neared completion in September 2004, a ceremony was held to place a thirteen-foot, gold leafed angel Moroni statue on the temple's spire.

After the building's completion, a public open house was held April 16 through May 7, 2005, to allow people to see the inside of the temple. During these three weeks, more than 65,000 people toured the newly finished temple. The inside of the temple is aesthetically furnished with African Cherrywood, stained glass windows, paintings of Jesus' life and a mural by San Antonio artist Keith Bond. The use of color in the stained-glass windows, in a slightly muted southwest style, and the indigo and star motif inside the central spire, sets this edifice apart from other temples.

Church president Gordon B. Hinckley dedicated the temple on May 22, 2005. A celebration was held at the Alamodome the night before the dedication. More than 20,000 people attended to watch the event, which featured over 4,000 singers and dancers, horses, fireworks, and presentations of Texas history, family values, and Latter-day Saint beliefs. Hinckley specified that his remarks were directly to the 4,300 youth gathered at the event, speaking about the temple. He stated that if the adults wanted to hear from him, they needed to attend the temple's dedication the next day. Other speakers spoke on the temple pointing to the atonement and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

At the time of its completion, the San Antonio Texas Temple served about 45,000 church members in an area spanning from Killeen to Brownsville. It has a total of 16,800 square feet (1,560 m), with two ordinance rooms, two sealing rooms, and a baptistry (used for baptisms for the dead). Landscaping of the temple includes shrubbery, trees, a water feature and walkways. The temple is on a 5.5-acre site and is 16,800 square feet. A single spire marks the center, and the temple uses art glass for the exterior. The interior features paintings of the life of Jesus Christ, along with other murals in ordinance rooms. The celestial room features a floor to ceiling art glass pieces depicting the tree of life (as found in the Book of Mormon). Gordon B. Hinckley said that "There is no other temple in all of the Church in all of the world that is more beautiful than San Antonio in its interior designs."

In 2020, like all others in the church, the San Antonio Texas Temple was closed for a time in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Gallery

• Waterfall steps in front of the Temple.
• Temple spire with night star motif.
• San Antonio Temple at night.
• Colored stained glass and spire.
• Stained glass northeast facade.
• Stained glass, south facade.

See also

AustinDallasEl PasoFort WorthHoustonLubbockMcAllenMcKinneySan AntonioOklahoma CityTulsaBentonvilleAlbuquerqueCiudad Juárez(edit) Dallas-Fort Worth Temples DallasFort WorthMcKinney(edit) Temples in Texas and Oklahoma (edit) = Operating = Under construction = Announced = Temporarily Closed

• Comparison of temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
• List of temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
• List of temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by geographic region
• Temple architecture (Latter-day Saints)
• The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Texas

References

1. "San Antonio Texas Temple". Church News. March 12, 2010. Retrieved January 4, 2025.
2. ^ "San Antonio Texas Temple". Church News. Retrieved January 4, 2025.
3. "Public to Tour New San Antonio Texas Temple". newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org. March 16, 2005. Retrieved January 4, 2025.
4. "San Antonio Texas Temple". Church News. March 12, 2010. Retrieved January 4, 2025.
5. "San Antonio Texas Temple". Church News. Retrieved January 4, 2025.
6. ^ "Share a duty to lead". Church News. May 28, 2005. Retrieved January 4, 2025.
7. "Jubilee". Church News. May 28, 2005. Retrieved January 14, 2025.
8. "San Antonio Texas Temple". Church News. March 12, 2010. Retrieved January 4, 2025.
9. Stack, Peggy Fletcher. "All Latter-day Saint temples to close due to coronavirus", The Salt Lake Tribune, 26 March 2020. Retrieved on 28 March 2020.

External links

• San Antonio Temple Official site
• San Antonio Texas Temple at ChurchofJesusChristTemples.org

• 21st-century Latter Day Saint temples in the United States
• Religious buildings and structures in San Antonio
• Temples (LDS Church) completed in 2005
• Temples (LDS Church) in Texas
• 2005 establishments in Texas