Bentonville Arkansas Temple
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Photo: Silvia Martin
Temple Milestones in 2023
The year of 2023 brought the announcement of 35 new temples, matching the number of announcements made in 2022 and tying for the highest number of announcements made in a single year. There were 8 groundbreakings held during the year and 11 dedications of new temples. A record number of 3 temple dedications were held on a single day on September 17 when the Bentonville Arkansas Temple, Brasília Brazil Temple, and Moses Lake Washington Temple were dedicated. U.S. states and countries receiving their first temples included Arkansas, Puerto Rico, Thailand, and Virginia. The 2 temples rededicated were the Columbus Ohio Temple and St. George Utah Temple.
Photo: Intellectual Reserve, Inc.
Elder Bednar Returns to Arkansas to Dedicate the Bentonville Arkansas Temple
"We are blessed to witness and participate in the ongoing fulfillment of prophecies that holy houses of the Lord will dot the earth," said Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles at today's dedication of the Bentonville Arkansas Temple. "Surely the Lord is hastening His work in marvelous ways all around the world." When the Bednars came to live in Northwest Arkansas in August 1980, there were only about 2,000 Latter-day Saints in the area of the new temple district. Now there are between 35,000 and 40,000 members of the Church.
Photo: Intellectual Reserve, Inc.
Open House Begins for the Bentonville Arkansas Temple
The open house for the Bentonville Arkansas Temple begins this week. Invited guests will tour the facility from Monday, June 12, through Friday, June 16, 2023. The public is welcomed to tour the temple from Saturday, June 17, through Saturday, July 1, excluding Sundays. The temple's architecture draws inspiration from local historic buildings such as the neoclassical Benton County Courthouse and the colonial-revival-style Massey Hotel. The Arkansas State Capitol, completed in 1915 in Little Rock, was also referenced. The primary designs of the art glass include the dogwood blossom, sunbursts, and diamond designs, recognizing Arkansas as home to the only diamond mine in the United States. Red, yellow, and blue patterns are reminiscent of a quilt, honoring Bentonville’s small-town American heritage.
Photo: Zach Bowie
Planting Flowers on the Bentonville Arkansas Temple Grounds
With an open house just five weeks away, volunteers have converged en masse on the grounds of the Bentonville Arkansas Temple to plant a rich display of plants and blooms in the flowerbeds including petunias, begonias, geraniums, potato vines, zinnias, salvia, verbena, vinca, celosia, lantana, and more. Reservations for the public open house to be held Saturday, June 17, through Saturday, July 1, (except Sundays) are available online.
Photo: Alex Alleman
September Dedication Slated for the Bentonville Arkansas Temple
A media day will be held for the newly constructed Bentonville Arkansas Temple on Monday, June 12, followed by tours for invited guests from Tuesday, June 13, to Friday, June 16, 2023. The public is invited to tour the temple from Saturday, June 17, through Saturday, July 1, with no tours held on Sundays. Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, who lived in Arkansas for about 14 years, will preside at the dedication of the temple on Sunday, September 17 in two sessions held at 10:00 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. The dedicatory sessions will be broadcast to all units in the temple district.
Photo: Valerie Chandler
Bentonville Arkansas Temple Missionary Couple Concludes Service
Elder Jon and Sister Debbie Paget have concluded their missionary service overseeing the construction of the Bentonville Arkansas Temple. In addition to taking over 12,000 photographs and writing a 612-page history, the valiant couple spent numerous hours traveling and presenting to members of the temple district while welcoming visitor groups of all sizes to the temporary visitors' center. Their love and devotion to the people of the quad-state area is deeply appreciated and will be dearly missed. The open house and dedication dates for the temple have not yet been announced.
Photo: Becky Myers
Construction Fence Removed from the Bentonville Arkansas Temple
It's the two-year anniversary of the Bentonville Arkansas Temple groundbreaking, and the autumn sun has graciously provided a halo around the dome. The construction fence has been removed from the temple site, but signage on the permanent fence indicates that the area is still a construction zone. Pansies and ornamental cabbage have been planted in some of the garden spaces while interior finish work continues to progress.
Photo: Valerie Chandler
Interior Windows Arrive at the Bentonville Arkansas Temple
A special delivery was unpacked at the Bentonville Arkansas Temple this week. Interior windows emerged from the wooden crates marked Holdman Studios, featuring a combination of stained, frosted, swirled, and beveled glass. An art glass team will be on site for the next few days to oversee the installation process. The oxen for the baptismal font arrived last week along with lighting fixtures from Schonbek. The interior of the temple will be a stunning representation of the heavenly realms.
Photo: Valerie Chandler
Fence Completed Around the Bentonville Arkansas Temple
The ornamental fence that surrounds the Bentonville Arkansas Temple has been fully installed including four wide-arched gates. Sconce light fixtures beautifully decorate the fence posts and light up the walkways for patrons. Handsome pilasters are featured at each corner of the building, and the garden spaces on the grounds are teeming with plant life. Construction of the temple has been underway for 22 months.
Photo: Valerie Chandler
Entrance Doors for the Bentonville Arkansas Temple Installed
At the entrance to the Bentonville Arkansas Temple, wooden forms have been set in place for the front staircase and beautiful gold-colored doors have been installed in the doorway opening. Stained glass will be installed in the doors, coordinating with the stained-glass windows used throughout the temple. Fence panels will soon be attached to the black posts that been have been dropped across the front of the building.
Photo: Valerie Chandler
Accent Lighting for the Bentonville Arkansas Temple
Additional accent lighting has been installed for the Bentonville Arkansas Temple including uplight fixtures in the flower beds that cast light on the exterior. Wall lanterns have been affixed to fence columns, and post lanterns have been mounted to concrete bases in the garden spaces. Black fence posts are being dropped in ahead of the picket installation. Sod has been laid for the east lawn.
Photo: Valerie Chandler
Tree Planting Underway at the Bentonville Arkansas Temple
The landscaping crew at the Bentonville Arkansas Temple is hard at work planting a wide variety of trees across the grounds including Dogwood, Maple, Magnolia, Laurel, Holly and Chaste. Irrigation lines are popping up in the flower beds, including the area around the monument sign, which will deliver moisture to the plentiful flowers, grasses, bushes, and shrubs. Finish work continues on the temple interior.
Photo: Valerie Chandler
Stained Glass Installation Underway at the Bentonville Arkansas Temple
Stained glass installation began last month at the Bentonville Arkansas Temple. In the accompanying photograph, crews are seen steadying a round stained-glass window beneath the opening where it will be installed. The transparent glass will be a protective layer that fits over the stained glass. Work began with the steeple and will progress to the main level. The temple in Bentonville is the first to be constructed in the state of Arkansas.
Photo: Valerie Chandler
A Beautiful Evening at the Bentonville Arkansas Temple
Evening views of the Bentonville Arkansas Temple are heavenly, with the deepening blue skies and glorious light coming from the House of the Lord. This photograph gives a glimpse inside the baptistry where the arched windows are located. Lighting for the cornice has recently been around the top of the building, and stands of dogwood trees have been planted on every corner of the temple site.
Photo: Valerie Chandler
Distribution Center Materials Arrive in Bentonville, Arkansas
Deliveries have arrived at the Bentonville Arkansas Temple site for the distribution center that is housed in the adjoining stake center. The shelving units were installed, and stocking began soon after. Not only will the center offer temple clothing but also Latter-day Saint scriptures, manuals, art, music, books, and youth emblems. The new center is slated to open on May 19. Distribution facilities are also in the works for the nearby Kansas City Missouri Temple.
Photo: Valerie Chandler
More Deliveries Made to the Bentonville Arkansas Temple
Crates of materials continue to arrive at the Bentonville Arkansas Temple grounds where they are unloaded and unpacked for installation inside the temple. The latest deliveries include top-quality interior doors and Turkish marble floor tile. The concrete retaining walls and planter boxes in the entrance plaza are being clad in stone while concrete is poured for stairs and walkways that will connect the stake center parking to the temple grounds.
Photo: Valerie Chandler
Delivering Millwork to the Bentonville Arkansas Temple
Custom millwork for the interior of the Bentonville Arkansas Temple is being delivered by truck and carried inside for installation. Windows and doors will be cased in beautifully crafted moldings featuring keystones and arches. Piles of aggregate and mulch have also arrived on site for the continued landscaping efforts. The temple has been under construction for about 16 months.
Photo: Valerie Chandler
Monument Sign Arrives at the Bentonville Arkansas Temple
The monument sign for the Bentonville Arkansas Temple arrived by truck yesterday. It was lifted into place at the base of the retaining wall that surrounds the entrance plaza, centered on the entrance doors. The sign gives the name of the Church, the name of the temple, and the numeric portion of the address on McCollum Drive. The temple in Bentonville is the first for the state of Arkansas and will serve members from portions of four states.
Photo: Valerie Chandler
Bentonville Arkansas Temple Makes Headlines
The Bentonville Arkansas Temple is grabbing the attention of motorists on I-49 and was recently featured in an article in the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. President Simon Keogh, president of the Bentonville Arkansas Stake, was interviewed for the piece. He said, "As a sacred place of worship, we want it to be uplifting, edifying, and inspiring for people." He continued, "The building has the ability to inspire, but that is a reflection of what happens inside." Read the full article.
Photo: Dean Atkinson
Annual Nativitiy Celebration in Bentonville, Arkansas
At this year's Nativity and Noel Celebration held at the Bentonville stake center, a sliver of moon poked through the storm clouds over the Bentonville Arkansas Temple to create a Christmas scene that seemed orchestrated by heaven. Inside the stake center, there were 280 nativities on display from around the world in addition to a live nativity, a tri-stake choral presentation, and community musical numbers. Installation of the exterior lighting system for the temple has begun, and it is being tested along the way—including the dramatically lit steeple.
Photo: Valerie Chandler
Building Planters Around the Bentonville Arkansas Temple
Blockmasons at the Bentonville Arkansas Temple are installing low-profile block walls around the entrance and foundation of the temple to form the raised flower beds that will bring color and vibrance to the landscaping. The concrete block will be clad in stone that beautifully coordinates with the temple. Soft landscaping has also begun with the delivery and planting of numerous trees in the outlying areas of the grounds.
Photo: Valerie Chandler
Installing Windows in the Bentonville Arkansas Temple
The Bentonville Arkansas Temple is being enclosed with windows ahead of the dipping temperatures that will come with the winter months. This glass will protect the stained glass that will be installed behind them later. Concrete bases have been installed for the lamp posts that will light the parking lot, and dirt is being compacted around the foundation.
Photo: Valerie Chandler
Bella Vista Bypass Improves Access to the Bentonville Arkansas Temple
A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held this morning at the Arkansas-Missouri border celebrating the completion of the I-49 Bella Vista Bypass, which provides a safer and more efficient route to the Bentonville Arkansas Temple for many of the members living on the north side of the temple district. The new highway will open to the public on Friday, October 1, culminating a dream that has been decades in the making.
Photo: Valerie Chandler
Main Archway Moldings Installed at the Bentonville Arkansas Temple
A telescopic handler lifted the final precast panel into place this week at the Bentonville Arkansas Temple. Molded side panels were installed inside the main portico archway, followed by the installation of the arch as one seamless curved panel. The newly completed portico creates a graceful, welcoming facade to the entrance of the building, beckoning patrons to perform the work of salvation.
Photo: Valerie Chandler
Bundles of Steel Studs Delivered to the Bentonville Arkansas Temple
On the grounds of the Bentonville Arkansas Temple, bundles of steel studs have been delivered to support the framing of the interior that is well underway. Steel is the material of choice over wood for its numerous advantages. In addition to being perfectly straight, the studs are impervious to fire, moisture, rot, and termite damage. As framing progresses, window openings are being temporarily covered with plastic or plywood.
Photo: Valerie Chandler
Cupola Installed Atop the Bentonville Arkansas Temple Steeple
The Bentonville Arkansas Temple reached its final height today with the installation of a domed cupola atop the body of the steeple. The octagonal lattice-patterned cupola is topped with a small domed lantern and an elegantly spun finial with a prominent lower ball and tapering ridges. Cladding of the exterior in precast panels is nearly completed. The addition of the cupola gives the temple a more finished look.
Photo: Valerie Chandler
Entablature Placed Over the Bentonville Arkansas Temple Entrance
The final precast panel for the portico of the Bentonville Arkansas Temple (representing an entablature) has been installed over the beautiful arched openings. An ornamented frieze features depictions of the dogwood flower, and an overhanging cornice completes the classic look. During the same time that the temple has been under construction, a renovation of the adjoining stake center has been underway. The west entrance has now been reopened with new stairs and a new ramp leading to the Distribution Center and space designated for offices and temple maintenance.
Photo: Cleeo Wright
Holiness to the Lord Panel Installed at the Bentonville Arkansas Temple
The striking Holiness to the Lord panel has been attached to the portico frame of the Bentonville Arkansas Temple. The sacred words and symbols will remind patrons that they are entering the House of the Lord. Cladding of the temple is nearly finished including the steeple, which will be capped with a metal cupola and finial. The first precast panel was fastened to the temple frame just six weeks ago.
Photo: Valerie Chandler
Cladding the Steeple of the Bentonville Arkansas Temple
Cladding of the Bentonville Arkansas Temple in custom concrete panels has reached the lower tier of the steeple. Each side features a circular window opening for the stained glass that will be installed during the later stages of construction. The windows will be backlit to produce a glimmering glow each evening when the sun sets. The city of Bentonville is famous for being the world headquarters of Walmart, the world's largest retailer.
Photo: Valerie Chandler
Precast Panel Progress at the Bentonville Arkansas Temple
In a matter of a couple of weeks, cladding of the Bentonville Arkansas Temple has been completed on two sides and is well underway on a third, leaving only the front side and the steeple entirely unclad. A grouping of arched windows is featured at the center of each side of the building, mimicking the arched openings in the portico at the temple entrance. The ivory panels are splendidly detailed in symbols and ornamentation including the dogwood flower and the compass rose.