The following is excerpted from the Church Newsroom. To read the full report, CLICK HERE.

A group of Latter-day Saint leaders, members and friends of the Church in Helena, Montana, gathered to break ground for the Helena Montana Temple on Saturday, June 26, 2020.

Elder Vern P. Stanfill of the Seventy presided over the ceremony and offered the dedicatory prayer.

“As a house of the Lord, a holy temple, rises out of the ground in this place, we pray that all who look upon it will see it as a great blessing and come to learn of its significance,” said Elder Stanfill.

In his remarks, Elder Stanfill said that leading up to the groundbreaking ceremony, he “pondered greatly on the many who have lived in the shadow of these mountains who … sacrificed, served, and hoped for this day.”

“Theirs is a legacy of faith and discipleship of the Savior,” he said. “They have driven millions of miles, met in homes, store fronts … and a myriad of other places as they have worked to build the church here in Montana.”

The Helena Montana Temple was announced by Church President Russell M. Nelson during the April 2021 general conference.

To read the full report, CLICK HERE.