SPRINGFIELD – A Willamette Valley Oregon Temple just opened its doors this week. The property at 300 International Way in Springfield has been under construction since Oct. 2022, and now through May 9 (excluding Sundays), folks can see what lies inside the 30,000-square-foot building.
There are 154,000 Latter-day Saints in Oregon, yet only two temples prior to this building’s erection have existed in the state, with the closest one in Portland and another in Medford. Creswell High School senior and youth representative, Elizabeth Lewis, shared her appreciation for the close proximity of the new temple.
“I’ve really been thinking about how incredible it is that we get this temple so close to us. It’s going to be such an amazing opportunity to be able to go so often when we’ve had this big contrast of a two-hour distance,” Lewis said.
She said that because of the distance to the temple in Portland, she would only make about two trips a year. With the addition of the temple in Springfield, she plans on going weekly.
For Latter-day Saints, Sunday worship and community activities typically happen in a local meetinghouse called a chapel. A temple is a holy building where members perform important religious ceremonies, such as baptism for the dead, marriage sealings, and endowment ceremonies. Temples are not used for regular Sunday worship and are considered the most sacred structures, serving as a place for making eternal covenants with God and strengthening family bonds.
The establishment is so sacred that members need a temple recommend in order to enter it. A recommend certifies someone’s worthiness to enter a temple and participate in sacred ordinances.
Everything in the temple has meaning and was designed with purpose. Basic components are mirrored in temples throughout the world, but local flair gives the Willamette Valley Oregon Temple a familiar feel.
“One of the motifs here is, you have the two rivers, McKenzie River and the Willamette River,” Elder Kevin Nattress said. “In the design of this temple, they wanted to actually include some beautiful rivers, and you can see that in the stained glass.”
Green vines, white and purple flowers, and delicate gold trim decorate the inside of the temple. Beige marble from Italy and stained cherry wood are used throughout the building. Crystal and brass chandeliers hang from the ceilings.
Now through May 9 (excluding Sundays) from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., all are welcome to tour the temple. This opportunity will not be available for anyone after June 7, when a dedicatory session will only permit folks with a temple recommend to enter.
