Knoxville TN Temple, 1st in ET, breaks ground in Town; estimated opening ’26
Members of Knoxville Tennessee Stake Center, 11837 Grigsby Chapel Road in Farragut, joined church officials, as well as local, state and federal officials and church members from other stake centers, to celebrate the milestone.
“This will be the first temple of the Church in East Tennessee,” said Jeffery Pizzino, APR, Temple groundbreaking committee member. “Tennessee has two other temples in operation in the cities of Memphis and Nashville.”
Church leaders estimate the Temple will be finished sometime in 2026.
What makes the Temple different from the chapels — where they have youth programs, basketball, nursery, women’s programs — is “it’s not where we have our weekly meetings,” said Elder Shayne M. Bowen, general authority of the Seventy.
“It’s an opportunity to go to the House of the Lord, literally, and to make covenants with Him,” he added. “Covenants are two-way promises that we promise something and God promises something, and that covenant path, for us, begins with our Lord Jesus Christ and to show repentance. We’re not perfect, but we’re willing to repent.
Bowen also said, “The work of the temple is a work of love. The temple will make a difference in our community. It will be blessed.”
In his invocation, Gerald Davies from the Asheville, North Carolina Stake, prayed, “We acknowledge that having a temple in this area will greatly facilitate our ability to accomplish essential growth.”
Knoxville Temple groundbreaking coordinator Russell Barber said the first Temple was located in Independence, Missouri.
“As we celebrate the commencement and construction of this House of the Lord, let us remember the reason we build these sacred Temples,” Barber said. “It’s so we can make sacred covenants with our heavenly Father and receive priesthood ordinances that will bind us to our heavenly Father and to our Savior Jesus Christ.”
Kaitlyn Adams, a youth member of Knoxville Cumberland Tennessee Stake, said she was “so excited about the day and for Knoxville. It’s been an answer to my prayers.”
“Until this temple was announced, like many of you, the closest temple was four hours away,” said Logan Pickup, youth member of the Kingsport Tennessee Stake.
“We have made it our priority to attend the temple as we traveled to various destinations … it is always the highlight of the trip for me.”
“If you haven’t been thinking celestial about preparing for this temple groundbreaking ceremony today, I invite you to start thinking about all the other things you might be thinking about and begin thinking celestial,” said Gloria Smartt with the Chattanooga Tennessee Stake. “The temple is a house of learning, to have your questions answered.
“Jesus Christ is the reason we build temples,” she added.
“We never began to build a temple without the bells of hell beginning to ring,” quoted Wanas Martin with Cookeville Tennessee Stake from Brigham Young, second president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. “But I do believe, when temples are announced, all the bells in heaven begin to ring.”
With a temple, “there is a greater light,” he said, adding that light illuminates the darkness.
“The Lord is in the holy temple,” Martin added.
Following the dedication ceremony, some members of the Church and local government officials braved Saturday’s rain to break ground at the new temple site, located next to Christ Covenant Church.
