HELENA, Mont. — The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints broke ground Saturday on its second temple in Montana, under construction in Helena.

A group of church leaders, members and friends gathered in Helena for the groundbreaking event. Elder Vern P. Stanfill, of the faith’s Quorum of the Seventy, presided over the ceremony and offered the dedicatory prayer.

“As a house of the Lord, a holy temple, rises out of the ground in this place, we pray that all who look upon it will see it as a great blessing and come to learn of its significance,” Elder Stanfill said.

Helena temple to be second in Montana

President Russell M. Nelson announced plans for the Helena Montana Temple during April’s general conference. It will go up on 4.8 acres of land located at 1260 Otter Road in Helena. The plans for the temple call for a single-story edifice of approximately 10,000 square feet with a center spire. 

“We are building now for the future,” Elder Stanfill said, citing President Nelson’s talk in April. “We want to bring the house of the Lord even closer to our members, that they may have the sacred privilege of attending the temple as often as their circumstances allow.”

Related: All of Utah’s Latter-day Saint temples to move to Phase 3 in coming months

Church officials plan to announce details for the open house, including a date for the dedication, at a later date.

Billings hosts Montana’s other temple, dedicated Nov. 20, 1999.

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