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[maxgallery id="42476"]Community members got their first look Wednesday night at design plans and renderings of a proposed Mormon temple – the first in Virginia – that is planned for an 11-acre site in Glen Allen.
Several hundred people attended an open house at the Richmond Stake Center of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Short Pump, at which church officials displayed eight interior and exterior renderings of the proposed temple.
The temple is planned on a site at 10915 Staples Mill Road, at the intersection of Mountain Road. Construction could begin by mid-2020, and the facilities could be completed by the end of 2022, according to church officials.
"Many hours of work and planning have gone into the design for this beautiful temple," said Brent Roberts, managing director of the church's Special Projects Department. "We are pleased to share these renderings with Church and community members so they can look forward to the completion of this sacred structure and anticipate the blessings it will bring to this area."
The temple, first announced in April 2018 by Church President Russell M. Nelson, will be a two-story building of just more than 36,000 square feet. The site also will include an adjacent 16,000-square- foot meetinghouse.
Officials have not discussed the anticipated cost of the facilities but have said all necessary funds were raised by church members.
The design of the temple draws heavily from historical American traditions, according Bill Williams, the church's director of temple design. Elements found on buildings throughout Virginia – such as Thomas Jefferson's Monticello and the University of Virginia – will be part of the temple's overall look, he said.
"Temple patrons and visitors will notice simple yet beautiful ornamentation, hearkening back to the humble beginnings of the United States," Williams said. "Interlocking diamond chains and accents of the flowering dogwood – Virginia's state tree and flower – will be found on the inside and outside of the temple. The landscaping design is inspired by historic Williamsburg and will help contribute to a reverent, peaceful atmosphere for all who come here."
Once completed, the temple will serve church members in Virginia, eastern West Virginia and northeastern North Carolina. More than 100,000 Mormons live in Virginia, according to church officials. The closest temples are in suburban Maryland, near Washington, D.C., and near Raleigh, North Carolina.
"This temple will greatly bless both our members and the communities in which we live," said Mike Waters, the church's local spokesman. "It's also historically significant to have this temple located only a few miles from where the Virginia General Assembly in 1786 enacted the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom. The freedom to worship as we see fit started here, and that freedom continues to manifest itself today through this inspiring edifice."
Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints consider temples to be the "house of the Lord." Unlike meetinghouses, where Sabbath worship and weekly activities take place, temples are open throughout the week and closed on Sundays.
