Anchorage Alaska Temple

The Anchorage Alaska Temple is the 54th operating temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) and the first in Alaska. Dedicated on January 9, 1999, by church president Gordon B. Hinckley, it was among the earliest constructed under the church's initiative to build smaller temples, following the Monticello Utah Temple. Located in Anchorage, it serves church members in Alaska and the Yukon Territory. Architecturally, the temple has a single spire with a gold-leafed statue of the angel Moroni on its top. The design uses Alaskan motifs, including representations of fir trees on doorway pilasters and stained glass reminiscent of water. The west side displays the Big Dipper pointing to the North Star, like the Alaskan state flag. Its exterior is Sierra white granite, and its interior includes two ordinance rooms, one sealing room, and a baptistry, and a total floor area of 11,937 square feet. In April 2003, the temple underwent significant renovations, adding a second ordinance room, offices, dressing rooms, a waiting area, laundry facilities, and an elevator. The temple was rededicated by Hinckley on February 8, 2004. In January 2023, plans were announced to reconstruct the temple on an adjacent site, increasing its size to approximately 30,000 square feet. The existing temple remains operational during construction, with the new facility expected to be completed by 2026.

In 1997, church president Gordon B. Hinckley announced that the church would begin building smaller temples, with the first in Monticello, Utah, and the second in Anchorage, Alaska. The church announced that the temple would be constructed on an approximately 3.4-acre (1.4 ha) property located at 13111 Brayton Drive in Anchorage. The preliminary plans called for a one-story structure of more than 6,800 square feet. A groundbreaking ceremony took place on April 17, 1998, marking the commencement of construction. This ceremony was presided over by F. Melvin Hammond, a church general authority, and attended by local church members and community leaders. During construction, challenges included the Subzero Alaskan weather conditions, but the construction was completed in approximately nine months.

The west side of the temple features the seven stars of the Big Dipper pointing to the North Star, a symbol found on the Alaskan state flag and also the Salt Lake Temple. The temple walls are covered with Sierra white granite from near Fresno, California. The design uses Alaskan motifs, such as likenesses of fir trees on the doorway pilasters. The stained glass is reminiscent of water, and evergreens and earth stones provide decorative elements on doorway posts. Following completion of construction, a public open house was held from December 26, 1998, to January 2, 1999, with approximately 4,300 people visiting the temple.Gordon B. Hinckley dedicated the temple on January 9, 1999, with more than six thousand members from as far away as the Yukon in attendance, despite the freezing weather. A remodel that culminated with a rededication on February 8, 2004, which increased the size from 6,800 square feet to 11,937 square feet (1,109.0 m²), and a total of two ordinance rooms and one sealing room. In 2020, like all the church's others, the Anchorage Alaska Temple was closed for a time in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In January 2023, the church announced plans to relocate the Anchorage Alaska Temple to an adjacent spot currently occupied by a meetinghouse at 13111 Brayton Drive. The new building will be approximately 30,000 square feet, an increase from its current 11,937 square feet, four times the original size, and 150% of the 2nd version's size. Construction on the new building began in early 2024 and is anticipated to be completed by 2026. The

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