Kona Hawaii Temple

Dedication of the Kona Hawaii Temple

The Kona Hawaii Temple was dedicated by President Gordon B. Hinckley in four sessions starting from Jan. 23 to Jan. 24, 2000. Abigail Kailimai of the Honomu Branch of the Hilo Hawaii Stake, who attended the Laie Hawaii Temple dedication in 1919, led the choir during the first dedicatory session for the Kona temple.

The Kona house of the Lord was the last temple in Hawaii to be announced in the 20th century. The dedication was part of a yearlong celebration commemorating the sesquicentennial of the Church being established in Hawaii.

Dedicatory prayer excerpt: “For many years now a sacred house of the Lord has stood in Laie on the island of Oahu. Saints from all over Hawaii have traveled to that house to receive those blessings which are granted only in temples of the Lord. Now we have this second temple, here on the big island. May the work increase. May there come into the hearts of the people a growing desire to come to the House of the Lord, here to taste the sweet refreshment of the Holy Spirit. May the influence of this Thy house be felt among Thy people, and may it find expression in their lives and in their homes.”

Read the dedicatory prayer of the Kona Hawaii Temple here

Timeline of the Kona Hawaii Temple

May

07

1998

Announced

Plans to construct a temple in Kona, Hawaii, were announced on May 7, 1998, by the First Presidency to local Church leaders in the country. At the time, the First Presidency consisted of Church President Gordon B. Hinckley and his counselors, President Thomas S. Monson and President James E. Faust.

March

13

1999

Groundbreaking

Elder John B. Dickson of the Seventy, president of the North America West Area, presided over and offered the dedicatory prayer on the site for the Kona Hawaii Temple. Elder Donald L. Hallstrom, an Area Seventy, assisted him in breaking ground for the site. One thousand two hundred people, including Church members, community members and guests, attended the groundbreaking services.

January

12

2000

Open house

From Jan. 12 to Jan. 15, 2000, the Kona temple held an open house for people to view the facilities.

January

23

2000

Dedication

President Gordon B. Hinckley dedicated the Kona Hawaii Temple on Jan. 23 and Jan. 24, 2000.

October

2023

Closed for renovations

In October 2023, the Kona temple was closed for extensive renovations and expansion expected to be completed by late 2025. The temple will be expanded to approximately 12,000 square feet.

SEE ALL Timeline of the Kona Hawaii Temple

In May 1998, the Church announced plans to build a temple in Kona, Hawaii. The Kona temple is the second to be built in the state of Hawaii, after the Laie Hawaii Temple. Just under a year later, Elder John B. Dickson of the Seventy and president of the North American West Area, dedicated the site for the house of the Lord. The Kona temple was dedicated by President Gordon B. Hinckley on January 23, 2000.

The Kona temple was closed for renovations in October 2023.

Architecture and Design of the Kona Hawaii Temple

The Kona Hawaii Temple is made of white marble veneer and contains two instruction rooms, two sealing rooms and one baptistry. Covering an area of 10,700 square feet, the structure sits on a 7-acre site overlooking the ocean and has a view of Mount Hualalai.

Starting in October 2023, the temple started undergoing renovation and expansion, which will increase its area to 12,000 square feet. Construction efforts are planned to be completed by late 2025.