KENTWOOD, Mich. (WOOD) — A groundbreaking date has been set for the Grand Rapids temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The church, widely known as the Mormon church, will break ground on the temple on Dec. 7. The ceremony will be ticketed, but it will also be livestreamed for those who would like to watch.
The single-story Grand Rapids Michigan Temple is set to be built on a 10.5-acre site at 2400 Forest Hill Avenue near Burton Street in Kentwood. It will be around 20,000 square feet.
Construction of the temple is expected to take between two to four years, a spokesperson for the church told News 8.
It will be only the second Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints temple in Michigan, with the first located in Detroit. A temple differs from chapels in that it is a sacred place used for specific ceremonies. Once dedicated, those who can enter the temple are limited.
The Grand Rapids Michigan Temple was first announced in 2022 during the church’s general conference.
“I promise that increased time in the temple will bless your life in ways nothing else can,” President Russell M. Nelson said at the time.
Michigan has more than 46,000 members of the faith, according to the church, in almost 100 congregations.