The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has picked the location for Silicon Valley’s first-ever Mormon temple.
The church identified 771 West Fremont Ave. in Sunnyvale as the site for what is likely to become a major religious landmark in the South Bay city, according to a press release published on Monday. The address is already home to an existing Mormon chapel, which is where LDS members meet on a weekly basis. Temples, on the other hand, are where important rituals like baptisms and marriages occur and are known for sometimes incorporating unique architectural styles.
Oakland is currently home to the only Bay Area Mormon temple and was dedicated in 1964. Monday’s press release said the Sunnyvale temple will be single-story and about 30,000 square feet, which is about a third of the size of the church’s Oakland location.
The church’s leadership, overseen by its 98-year-old President Russell M. Nelson, announced plans for the South Bay temple back in April, along with projects in Modesto and Bakersfield. Altogether, the church has plans for approximately 150 new temples around the world.
LDS members are organized into “congregations” or “wards” — which each have up to 800 members. Between eight to 10 of these make up a “stake,” of which there are about 25 in the Bay Area.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
Source: www.mercurynews.com