Bismarck North Dakota Temple

Dedication of the Bismarck North Dakota Temple

The Bismarck North Dakota Temple was dedicated by President Gordon B. Hinckley on Sunday, Sept. 19, 1999, in three sessions, with 3,015 people in attendance. Accompanying him were his wife, Marjorie; Elder Richard G. Scott of the Quorum of the Twelve; and Elder Yoshihiko Kikuchi of the Seventy and his wife, Toshiko.

During the dedication ceremony, President Hinckley was amazed to learn of church members traveling five hours from Grand Forks, North Dakota, to meet him. He said rhetorically, “Who would have ever dreamed we could have a temple in Bismarck?”

Dedicatory prayer excerpt: “We thank Thee for the faith of Thy sons and daughters in the vast area of this temple district, men and women who love Thee and love their Redeemer, and have stood steadfast as Thy people. They have felt much alone. They are out on the frontier of the Church. Their numbers are still not large. But they are entitled to every blessing which the Church has to offer, including the ordinances here administered.”

Read the dedicatory prayer of the Bismarck North Dakota Temple here.

Timeline of the Bismarck North Dakota Temple

July

29

1998

Announced

Plans to construct a temple in Bismarck, North Dakota, were announced on July 29, 1998.

October

17

1998

Groundbreaking

Elder Kenneth Johnson of the Seventy, first counselor in the North America Central Area Presidency, conducted and presided over the groundbreaking ceremony for the Bismarck North Dakota Temple.

June

10

1999

Placement of angel Moroni statue

An 11-foot, fiberglass, gold-leafed angel Moroni statue was placed atop a spire, 70 feet above the ground. Elder Yoshihiko Kikuchi of the Seventy presided over the occasion.

September

10

1999

Open house

More than 10,201 visitors attended after the Fargo North Dakota Stake presidency invited members to bring a nonmember friend to the open house.

September

19

1999

Dedication

President Gordon B. Hinckley dedicated the temple in three sessions on Sunday, Sept. 19, 1999.

SEE ALL Timeline of the Bismarck North Dakota Temple

In July 1998, it was announced that a temple would be built in Bismarck, North Dakota. In October of the same year, the groundbreaking site was dedicated by Elder Kenneth Johnson of the Seventy, first counselor in the North America Central Area Presidency. Church president Gordon B. Hinckley dedicated this house of the Lord on Sunday, Sept. 19, 1999.

Architecture and Design of the Bismarck North Dakota Temple

The Bismarck North Dakota Temple sits on a 1.6-acre site, measuring 10,700 square feet, 149 feet long and 77 feet wide. The exterior finish is made out of white marble.

Inside the temple are a celestial room, 2 baptistries, 2 ordinance rooms and 2 sealing rooms.