Lubbock Texas Mormon Temple

The Lubbock Texas temple joins temples in Dallas and Houston in serving the 220,000 members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Texas. The Lubbock temple will serve western Texas and eastern New Mexico with about 13,500 members.

The site for the temple is shared with a stake center, similar to a diocese. The exterior of the temple is finished with Empress white and majestic gray granite quarried in China. The temple is medium sized with a total of 16,498 square feet, two ordinance and two sealing rooms. It is of classic modern design with a single spire, topped by a statue of the angel Moroni.

Members in the area are overjoyed to have a Mormon temple so close. Jay B. Jensen, the new temple president said, “Many said it was a like a dream, that they couldn’t believe this was really happening.”1 Many members attended the temple groundbreaking ceremony even though it was raining, because as President Jensen said, “Their spirits were not dampened by the weather.” 2

Elder Rex D. Pinegar presided at the groundbreaking ceremony held on 4 November 2000. During the ceremony he said, “A family gathers to see and be part of the beginning of the family home because it will be a place where they can come to experience the love, receive the counsel, and feel the belonging feelings of their earthly family. There are few feelings to match that of ‘coming home.’ We have gathered here today to begin construction of a temple, which is the symbol of our heavenly home. In this ‘heavenly home’ we will feel the love and experience the presence of the spirit of our Father in Heaven.” He continued, “Coming to this ‘home’ we can receive His greatest blessings. And, just as there is work to do and service to give around an earthly home to enable all family members to enjoy the greatest happiness, there is work to do and service to give when we come to this ‘home,’ the House of the Lord.” 3

Members of the Mormon Church believe that a temple is the literal House of the Lord on earth. They go to temples to have their ordinance work completed; ordinances that include endowments and sealings. The endowment ordinance is a teaching session where members learn about the plan of God for mankind, followed by a series of covenants made between God and each man or woman. Sealing ordinances are performed during marriage ceremonies. They promise that if the man and woman remain faithful, their marriage will not end at death, but last for eternity.

Service is an important part of temple worship. Within Mormon temples members act in proxy for those who are deceased, performing the necessary ordinances, including baptisms, priesthood ordinations, endowments, and sealings. Because these ordinances must be performed on earth, members provide this service for those who did not have a chance to do the ordinances themselves. A strong emphasis is put upon people discovering their own deceased ancestors and completing their temple work. This is the main reason that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has such a large family history database.

During the open house of the new temple, about 21,000 people toured the temple. After viewing the many pictures of Christ and learning the purpose of temples, many of them left saying, “I know now that what I’ve been taught about this church not being Christian is not correct.” 4 Leaders hope that people in the area will be more open to learning about the Church because of the temple.

The Lubbock Texas temple was dedicated by President Gordon B. Hinckley on 21 April 2002. During the prayer, President Hinckley said, “Our dear Father, as we dedicate this house we dedicate ourselves that we may more faithfully serve Thee as those called to work in Thy great kingdom.” 5

Physical Address:
7016 Frankford Ave
Lubbock, TX 79424
United States

Mailing address:
P.O. Box 65359
Lubbock, Texas 79464-5359
United States
Phone:   806-794-0774

For more information about Mormon temples visit the sites below:

LDS (Mormon) Temple resources
LDS Temples – Mormon Temples – Salt Lake Temple
Teachings About Mormon Temples

(1) 11 November 2000, Church News.
(2) 11 November 2000, Church News.
(3) 11 November 2000, Church News.
(4) “News of the Church,” Ensign, July 2002, 74
(5) “Dedicatory prayer: Lubbock Texas Temple,” Church News 27 Apr. 2002, 26 Jun. 2005