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McALLEN — Residents who may have been curious about the large temple being constructed on the corner of Trenton Road and Col. Rowe Boulevard won’t have to wait any longer to take a peek inside.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is opening their McAllen Temple for public tours and is welcoming the Rio Grande Valley community to attend.
This is their fifth temple to open in Texas.
Invited guests were given a guided tour Monday morning following a special briefing from church leaders, such as General Authority Seventy and member of the Temple Department Executive Committee Elder Adeyinka Ojediran.
The church plans on opening three more Texas temples in Austin, Fort Worth and Prosper.
When asked why McAllen received a temple before a larger city such as Austin, Ojediran said it was due to demand, though not only from practicing members.
“There are wonderful saints here who for years have been longing to be in the House of the Lord and what a blessing it is that the Lord inspired his prophet, President Russell M. Nelson, to announce that a temple be built here,” Ojediran said.
“So, the temples are built where the Lord will wander from time to time because the Lord is mindful of all his sons and daughters all over the world.”
According to the church’s website, the temple is a single-story building that encompasses 27,897 square feet and measures 98 feet from the base to the top of the dome. The spire adds another 10 feet.
Details representing the state of Texas can be found on the exterior and interior of the Temple, such as paintings of the Rio Grande and citrus groves.
Similarly, the design of the temple is inspired by citrus crops grown in the Valley as well as the Spanish colonial architecture found here.
The tour consisted of viewing several rooms such as the Baptismal font, upheld by 12 oxen to represent the 12 tribes of Israel, the Instruction room, where one learns more about God, and the Celestial room, which is considered the most sacred.
“It was actually a very tranquil and peaceful experience,” Hidalgo County Pct. 4 Commissioner Ellie Torres said when describing her time during the tour. “Truly, truly you can feel the presence of the heart and soul of this church and this community by experiencing visiting those rooms.
“I would definitely encourage anyone to take these tours and come out and visit the community that is here in this temple and truly appreciate what has been built here in the city of McAllen, not only to serve south Texas but also our neighbors across the border.”
Tours open to the public beginning Aug. 25 and will continue until mid-September and close for preparation to officially open to practicing members on Oct. 8.
