Layton Utah Temple: Key Facts and History
The Layton Utah Temple is the 195th dedicated temple in operation, the 22nd built in Utah, and the second built in Davis County, following the Bountiful Utah Temple. It stands at 1400 Oak Hills Dr, Layton, Utah 84040, on 11.18 acres. The House of the Lord measures 93,539 square feet, rises 215 feet, and sits at an elevation of 4,468 feet. Its exterior finish is precast concrete panels.
Announcement and Dedication
Prophet Russell M. Nelson announced the Layton Utah Temple on April 1, 2018, at the 188th General Conference. A public rendering was released on October 8, 2019.
The groundbreaking was held on May 23, 2020, under the direction of Craig C. Christensen. It had originally been scheduled for May 30, but was moved a week earlier without advance public notice. Church spokesperson Irene Caso explained that, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the need to limit public gatherings, Church leaders determined that a traditional groundbreaking with invited guests was not prudent. The First Presidency assigned the Utah Area Presidency to conduct a small-scale event on May 23 so construction could proceed.
The public open house ran from April 19 through June 1, 2024. Apostle David A. Bednar dedicated the Layton Utah Temple on June 16, 2024.
Architecture and Grounds
Inspired by traditional Latter-day Saint and other religious architecture, the design also draws on Layton’s agricultural heritage and the European Art Nouveau style sometimes called Secessionist architecture. This movement is known for organic shapes, floral and foliage motifs, and curving lines. Throughout the House of the Lord, motifs abstract seedlings, fruit blossoms, and leafy fruit trees, linking local agrarian history with Art Nouveau design. Abstract versions also appear in the exterior friezes. Cascading arched windows soften the temple’s rectilinear form.
The architectural design features two attached end spires and a gold-leafed Angel Moroni statue. Art glass windows portray a seedling growing into a fruit tree. The grounds include more than 400 shade, flowering, and evergreen trees, along with thousands of shrubs and perennials. Granite forms the fountain, where water cascades down its surface. At the west end, plaza pavers echo patterns from the large entry windows.
Interior Design and Materials
The interior carries the exterior’s motifs inside, including seedlings, cherry blossoms, and leafy branches. Recessed millwork details draw inspiration from fruit tree blossoms and leaves. Similar details appear in pilasters, recommend desks, pew end panels, and altars. Organic curves shape the light fixtures and decorative painting. As people move upward between floors, designs in the art glass, lighting, flooring, and millwork become more intricate.
Interior art glass echoes the exterior designs with stylized seedlings, blossoms, and leafy fruit tree branches. The interior glass uses a simplified etched design instead of colored glass. At the entrance to the second-floor patron waiting area is an antique Tiffany art glass piece titled “The Resurrection.” Made by Tiffany Studios circa 1915, the window was purchased from a United Presbyterian Church in Armenia, New York, which was demolished in 2015.
Carpeting throughout the temple was manufactured in the United States. It consists of broadloom nylon selections in cream, gold, and green tones. Several sealing rooms and the celestial room feature decorative carving. Custom area rugs in the entries, baptistry, and bride’s room reflect Art Nouveau, with vibrant colors and stylized organic flowers and foliage that recall motifs found throughout the House of the Lord.
Stone quarried in Turkey and milled in China is used in higher-traffic areas, including the entries, baptistry, and grand staircase. The principal colors are Burder Grey and Burder Blanco, with a stone tile leaf pattern in shades of green.
Finishes and Lighting
Decorative painting follows the temple’s coordinated design. Gold and beige floral patterns accent walls in the various ordinance rooms. Ceilings feature floral patterns, curving lines, and gold-leafed molding around the chandeliers.
African Anigre, stained medium brown, is used for dark wood paneling, coffered ceilings, and trim. Doors are stained to match, and decorative carvings enhance the casings above doors leading to ordinance spaces. Custom-designed bronze hardware and railings continue the temple’s motifs.
Decorative lighting and chandeliers take inspiration from antique Art Nouveau fixtures and the agrarian motifs used throughout the House of the Lord. Designed to complement the surrounding finishes, the fixtures in the ordinance rooms cast warm, bright, inviting light and support the reverent, inspiring character of these spaces.
Artwork in the Layton Utah Temple
The Layton Utah Temple includes original works made specifically for the temple as well as older pieces chosen to complement it:
- “Zion’s Mount” — Josh Clare, living artist, Utah
- “Layton Morning” — David Dibble, living artist, Utah
- “Layton Evening” — David Dibble
- “Ascension of Christ” — Michael Malm, living artist, Utah
- “Beside the Creek” — Ken Stockton, living artist, Arizona
- “Mountains In Winter – Farmington Utah” — LeConte Stewart (1891–1990)
- “Winter in Liberty” — LeConte Stewart
Temple Interior
The House of the Lord contains four instruction rooms, six sealing rooms, and one baptistry.