Three Temples Dedicated in North America

During November 1999, new temples were dedicated in Halifax, Nova Scotia; Regina, Saskatchewan; and Billings, Montana. Also, ground was recently broken for the Winter Quarters and Perth Australia Temples. As of 30 November 1999, the Church had 66 operating temples, 43 temples under construction, and 6 announced temples for which ground was not yet broken, for a total of 115 temples.

Halifax Nova Scotia Temple

“We pray that those who view it from the outside may recognize it as a place of holiness, dedicated unto Thee,” said President Gordon B. Hinckley in his dedicatory prayer for the Halifax Nova Scotia Temple on Sunday, 14 November.

Accompanying President Hinckley during three dedicatory sessions and the cornerstone ceremony were Elder David E. Sorensen of the Presidency of the Seventy and Elder Gary J. Coleman of the Seventy, First Counselor in the North America Northeast Area. Before the dedication, about 8,100 people visited the temple during a public open house.

“We thank Thee for the ordinances to be performed herein,” said President Hinckley in his dedicatory prayer. “Thou hast revealed these in this dispensation of the fulness of times for the blessing of Thy sons and daughters of all generations. All of these ordinances bespeak our testimony of the eternity of life and of Thy grand and sacred plan for Thy children, that they might move forward on the way of immortality and eternal life made possible through the atoning sacrifice of Thy Beloved Son.”

Located near the intersection of Cole Harbour Road and Cumberland Drive in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, the temple has two ordinance rooms, two sealing rooms, and 10,400 square feet. The temple district includes the Dartmouth Nova Scotia Stake, Saint John New Brunswick Stake, New Glasgow Nova Scotia District, and mission branches in Newfoundland.

Regina Saskatchewan Temple

For the first time in Church history, two temples were dedicated on the same day. While President Hinckley was dedicating the Nova Scotia temple on 14 November, President Boyd K. Packer, Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, was dedicating the Regina Saskatchewan Temple. President Hinckley was originally scheduled to dedicate the Regina temple on 13 November, but transportation problems caused a change in plans.

President Packer was accompanied by Elder Donald L. Staheli of the Seventy, Second Counselor in the North America Central Area Presidency, and Elder Blair S. Bennett, an Area Authority Seventy. A total of about 2,000 members attended the three temple dedicatory sessions. After the dedication, President Packer said, “The Spirit of the Lord was present in great abundance.”

Prior to the dedication, about 8,400 people toured the temple during a public open house. Because a truckers’ strike delayed delivery of exterior construction materials, large sections of granite were still being placed the night before the dedication. The day before the dedication, about 100 members and missionaries laid 18,000 square feet of sod, planted trees, and raised the granite sign in front of the temple.

The temple district covers a 252,000-square-mile area in central Canada that has a population of about one million people, about 4,500 of whom are Church members.

Billings Montana Temple

“Bless those who have worked so long and diligently in the face of opposition to obtain the necessary permits and to erect this sacred temple,” said President Hinckley in his dedicatory prayer for the Billings Montana Temple. “May a glad acceptance now prevail concerning it, even a sense of gratitude for its presence. We pray that this area, in fact this whole city, may feel the Spirit that emanates from this hallowed structure.”

Accompanying President Hinckley during eight dedicatory sessions held 20–21 November were President Thomas S. Monson, First Counselor in the First Presidency; Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles; and Elder Yoshihiko Kikuchi of the Seventy, First Counselor in the North America Central Area Presidency. More than 12,000 members participated in the dedicatory sessions, and some 68,450 people attended the temple’s open house.

With 33,800 square feet, the Billings Montana Temple includes a cafeteria, laundry facilities, brides’ room, chapel, and clothing rental desk. The temple serves about 35,000 members living in eight stakes in Montana and five stakes in Wyoming.

“Our hearts are filled with gratitude,” said President Hinckley in his dedicatory prayer. “Thou hast smiled with favor upon us. Thou hast multiplied our blessings.”

The Halifax Nova Scotia Temple serves members living in eastern Canada’s Maritime Provinces. (Photo by Shaun D. Stahle, Church News.)

President Boyd K. Packer (right) led dedicatory activities for the Regina Saskatchewan Temple. With him were, left to right, Elder Blair S. Bennett, an Area Authority Seventy, and Elder Donald L. Staheli of the Seventy. (Photo by Janet Kruckenberg.)

The Billings Montana Temple stands in bright contrast to the nearby Rimrock cliffs. (Photo by Greg Hill, Church News.)