Regina Saskatchewan Temple | Church News Almanac
Dedication of the Regina Saskatchewan Temple
On Nov. 14, 1999, President Boyd K. Packer, acting president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, dedicated the Regina Saskatchewan Temple at a place seen by some members as a “forgotten place on the Canadian prairie.” There were 2,020 members who attended the three dedicatory sessions.
Initially, Church President Gordon B. Hinckley was scheduled to dedicate the Regina temple on Saturday, Nov. 13, 1999, and the Halifax temple in Nova Scotia, Canada, on Sunday, Nov. 14, 1999. Due to difficulties with his flight, President Hinckley could not leave on Friday, causing him to arrive in Halifax on Saturday. Instead, President Packer was assigned to dedicate the Regina temple while President Hinckley dedicated the Halifax temple. Both temples were dedicated on Sunday, Nov. 14, marking the first time in Church history that two houses of the Lord were dedicated on the same day.
In his dedicatory prayer, President Packer blessed the temple to “remain strong and that it may stand against the forces of nature” and that God could “safeguard it from any act of vandalism or evil of any kind.”
Read the dedicatory prayer of the Regina Saskatchewan Temple here.
Timeline of the Regina Saskatchewan Temple
August
03
1998
Announced
Church President Gordon B. Hinckley announced plans to construct a temple in the province of Saskatchewan, in the city of Regina, on Aug. 3, 1998. President Hinckley made the announcement as he spoke to Latter-day Saints in a nine-day ministry around Canada.
November
14
1998
Groundbreaking
November
05
1999
Open house
The open house lasted from Nov. 5 to Nov. 6. Elder Donald L. Staheli of the Seventy, second counselor in the North America Central Area presidency, led VIP tours two days prior to the public viewing of the temple.
November
14
1999
Dedication
After a change in scheduling and plans, President Boyd K. Packer, acting president of the Quorum of the Twelve, dedicated the Regina temple in three sessions. The Halifax Nova Scotia Temple was dedicated by Church President Gordon B. Hinckley on the same day, marking a historic first time when two houses of the Lord were dedicated on the same day.
SEE ALL Timeline of the Regina Saskatchewan Temple
On Nov. 14, 1998, Elder Hugh W. Pinnock of the Seventy presided over the groundbreaking ceremony of the Regina Saskatchewan Temple. The services brought in 480 people, including members of the Saskatoon Saskatchewan Stake Presidency and the Canada Winnipeg Mission Presidency.
Exactly one year later, President Boyd K. Packer of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles dedicated the Regina temple, while President Hinckley dedicated the Halifax temple. Both leaders dedicated their respective temples on the same day, Sunday, Nov. 14, marking the first time in church history that two temples were dedicated on the same day.
Architecture of the Regina Saskatchewan Temple
The Regina Saskatchewan Temple is a 10,700-square-foot structure made of light gray granite and sits on 3.2 acres of land at an elevation of 1,889.76 feet. Out of the 3.2 acres, 1.6 acres is occupied by the temple and the parking lot.
Alongside the temple is a meetinghouse that accommodates two to three wards.
A seven-foot angel Moroni statue sits on top of the temple spire.
The interior contains one baptistry, a 700-square-foot celestial room, two instruction rooms, two sealing rooms, dressing rooms and a small office area.
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