LDS church announces groundbreaking for 19,000-square-foot temple in Missoula

A new 19,000-square-foot temple under development by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is planned to break ground in June, the church announced Monday afternoon.

The new Missoula Montana Temple will be built in the Lower Miller Creek neighborhood as a part of a larger subdivision previously approved by the Missoula City Council.

The groundbreaking is set for Saturday, June 6, and will be presided over by church Elder Jose A. Teixeira, a special LDS church leader and president of the church's United States central area, a release from the church said.

There are multiple LDS chapels in Missoula, but no temples, which currently are located in Helena and Billings.

"Temples of the Church of Jesus Christ are different from meetinghouses or chapels, where members gather for Sunday worship services," the release said. "A temple is considered a house of the Lord, where the teachings of Jesus Christ are reaffirmed through marriage, baptism and other ceremonies that unite families for eternity."

A formal announcement of the new temple was made by the LDS Church in November 2024.

The new building will be installed at the corner of Lower Miller Creek Road and Old Bitterroot Road. The structure is planned to be one story tall with a steeple in the middle of the building, according to a site rendering. A second support building is also planned for the site, the church said.

Because the city council previously approved the site for religious assembly, no additional public hearing will be required unless the church asks for a variance from city code, the Missoulian previously reported.

The city's permit website shows two building permits were issued in March for the property, one for the main temple, and another for a second building.

City code limits the building height to 35 feet, but a temple steeple has no height max, according to city staff. The church must also comply with the city's lighting ordinance.

The LDS church, known as the Mormon church, has more than 52,000 members in Montana across 140 wards and branches, according to the church.

Data from the 2020 U.S. Religious Census reports that 5,036 Missoula County residents are members of the LDS Church in 10 congregations, representing 4.27% of the total county population

Once complete, there would be a short time period for members of the public to visit the new temple, but eventually access would be reserved to only members of the church.