First Church of Jesus Christ Latter-day Saints temple in Pittsburgh area set to open
CRANBERRY, Pa. (KDKA) — A Church of Jesus Christ Latter-day Saints temple is set to open in Cranberry Township.
"We'll have a temple within 15, 20 minutes away," retired Pittsburgh Steeler Chris Hoke said. "And for us, it's everything because a temple is a place where we can go and worship our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."
Hoke is president of the Pittsburgh North Stake of the church, widely known as the Mormon church. There are 29,000 church members in the Pittsburgh region, and this new temple is here for them. Until now, the closest temples were in Philadelphia, Washington, D.C. and Cleveland, Ohio.
Covered in white granite and reaching 125 feet into the sky, this temple is something local church members say they've been praying for.
For church members, it's a very big deal to have a temple in Cranberry Township. The announcement that the temple was being built came in 2020, construction started a year later and now it will be dedicated on Sept. 15.
"It's announced in a big conference twice a year," Hoke said. "They announce where new temples are going to be built. And back in 2020, it was announced by the prophet, the president of the church, that the temple was going to come here to Pittsburgh. It was received with exhilaration, with excitement, tears of joy."
Entering any temple is something reserved for only some in the faith, not all. However, after a new temple is built and before it is dedicated, there are tours open to the public. Those run from Aug. 16 to Aug. 31. The temple doors will swing open for the general public from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
"It's a place where we can go and feel peace and joy and happiness in his house," Hoke said. "We call it a temple, the house of the Lord."