Frequently Asked Questions about the Fort Collins Mormon Temple

This website was written by someone interested in the construction of LDS temples.  It is not published, nor endorsed, by The Church, nor is the information verified to be accurate.

Latest Information

Announcement Information

What is this about?
On April 2, 2011, leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced a new temple to be build in Fort Collins, Colorado.

When will it be built?
Exact dates have not been announced, except that construction is expected to be completed about two years after plans are approved.  The Church is currently working through the full approval process.

Why is a temple being built in Fort Collins?
Church leaders do not typically explain why a temple is built in a particular locality.  Mormons believe that their leaders are inspired and directed by God in making decisions, such as where to build temples.  From a practical standpoint, a temple in Fort Collins will be more convenient for Latter-day Saints in Northern Colorado, Southeast Wyoming, and Western Nebraska, who currently travel many hours to attend the temple in southern Denver (Centennial).

Will the temple be opened to the public?
There will be an open house available to the public after completion of the construction, but before the dedication of the temple.  All are invited and welcome to attend the open house.  

Where can I ask questions not addressed here?
Official inquiries should be sent to the Church public relations office.  However, you can ask questions by filling out the form on our contact page.  We'll read all questions and provide honest answers where we can.

General Temple Questions

See also this page which explains more about Mormon temples.

How will the temple be used?
The temple will not be used for large or congregational gatherings.  Instead it will be used for personal worship.  

When will the temple be used?
While the schedule for the temple has not been announced, there will likely be sessions available for worship all throughout the day and evening, Tuesday through Saturday. All LDS temples are closed on Sundays. The majority of LDS temples are also closed on Mondays. After dedication, there typically will be no large events or celebrations scheduled at the temple.  

Fort Collins Temple Details

Where will it be build?
On July 8, 2011, the location was announced to be at the intersection of Timberline and Trilby, on the Southeast corner, across from an existing meetinghouse.

Is there not a Mormon church sitting at that corner already?
There is already a meetinghouse on the Northeast corner of Timberline and Trilby, and the temple site is located directly across the street. Temples and meeting houses have different purposes. Meeting houses are used primarily for congregational Sunday services, while temples are for personal and small group worship during the weeks.

How big will the temple be?
The plans for the temple are still being worked on, and the Church is hesitant to specify a size before a completed proposal is ready.  Recently built temples in smaller cities like Fort Collins have been around 18,000 square feet, with some as large as 30,000, presumably depended on the expected amount of use of the temple.  Some news sources have published some speculation about the size of the temple (numbers ranged between 17,000 and 27,000), but none of these news sources cited a spokesperson of the Church.  A church representative did make reference to the size as being similar to the size of the church building across the street, but would be dependent on the function of design, parking requirements, soil conditions, etc.

For size comparison, the new King Soopers grocery store on North College is about 123,000 square feet in size, the Police Station on Timberline is 98,000 square feet, and county records indicate that the Timberline Church is 100,000 square feet in size.  The church building located across the street from the proposed temple site is about 24,500 square feet.

Are there any preliminary site plans?
The Church has posted a couple of graphics which give some insight into the preliminary development plan for the proposed temple site.

What will the temple look like?
The exact plans for the temple have not been completed.  To get some general ideas of what recently built temples look like, you can view images of these temples: Gila Valley Arizona, Twin Falls Idaho, Calgary Alberta, and Panama City Panama.

Fort Collins Religious Diversity

Will Mormons want to live in Fort Collins because of the temple?
When anyone looks to move to a location, they look at schools, transportation, employment opportunities, cost of living, churches, shopping opportunities, etc.  For example, if you were a Costco members, a Costco in Northern Colorado would make Fort Collins a more attractive place to live.  For Mormons, a nearby temple makes Fort Collins a more attractive place to live, but is still only one element in the decision to live in Fort Collins. 

With a Mormon temple in Fort Collins, are Mormons going to try to convert me and my neighbors?
The temple will serve as a place of personal worship and is not a center for proselytizing efforts.  Just like anyone who has found something fantastic in their life, Mormons are eager to share their faith with others.  The announcement of a temple in Fort Collins may mean that your Mormon friends and neighbors are more excited to share this news with you.  Additionally, in order to match the increased curiosity and inquiries from the public, the Church may decide to bring in additional representatives to answer peoples' questions.  However, the proselytizing efforts of the Church after completion of the temple construction will look very much like it is today.

Will masses of Mormons move to Fort Collins because of the temple?
Probably not.  There are 138 existing Mormon temples worldwide, including temples in Denver, Billings, Albuquerque, and Kansas City.  Since there were not masses of Mormons who moved to those areas after construction of temples, there will not likely be any significant number of Mormons moving to Fort Collins because of a temple.

Parking and Traffic

What impact will the temple have on Fort Collins traffic?
Probably very little.  The temple will be constructed on major Fort Collins roads which should easily accommodate any additional traffic. Unlike most other religious buildings around Fort Collins, the LDS temple only accommodates small groups throughout the week, so there should not be any major traffic changes. Before the temple begins normal operations, there may be some unique traffic demands related to building, open house, and dedication events.

Will the temple have adequate parking?
The LDS Church aims to provide adequate parking at its temple sites.  At many other temple sites, the Church provides parking in excess of the amount required by city ordinances.  At the announced location, there is a meetinghouse directly across the street which would be able to accommodate overflow parking should there every be any need for such.

Economic Impact

What short-term economic impact will a temple have on Fort Collins?
The short-term economic impact will likely be similar to the impact that any similarly-sized construction project.

What long-term economic impact will a temple have on Fort Collins?
Mormons will travel from Northern Colorado, Southeast Wyoming, and Western Nebraska to visit the temple in Fort Collins.  Since many will travel long distances, some will likely dine, shop, and fuel their cars in Fort Collins before returning home. In some cases, visitors may decide to stay overnight at local hotels before returning home.