McKinney Texas Temple

Latter-day Saint temples differ from meetinghouses where church members and our friends meet for Sunday worship services and other weekday activities. We consider a temple to be a literal “House of the Lord”, much like Biblical temples. It is where the Gospel of Jesus Christ is taught through sacred ordinances that bless individuals and unite families for eternity. Inside, members learn more about the purpose of life and make promises to serve Jesus Christ and bless the lives of others.Everything members experience in the temple centers on Jesus Christ and His Gospel—which is to love God and our neighbors.

The proposed McKinney Temple is a two-story, 44,000 square feet design. This size will accommodate a growing population of Latter-day Saints in North Texas and serve 16,000 members from Fairview and the surrounding areas, including Mckinney, Allen, Frisco, Prosper and Sherman. Currently, the nearest operating temple is in Dallas—with an additional under construction in the Fort Worth area.

The McKinney Temple will be a place of beauty and peace. This is reflected in its planned architecture, built to the highest standards of construction, and designed to enhance the community. For example, the building will be set back from the road with landscaping in the foreground including lawns, trees, and flowers to beautify the area.

Concerns have been raised about this project. We have been following all federal, state, and local laws and ordinances regarding the approval process—and will continue to do so. These laws and ordinances allow all denominations to seek variance approval of the size, height, lighting, and other features of their proposed houses of worship. Our request for a height variance is not uncommon and similar requests have been made by other organizations who have built in Fairview. In fact, religious groups follow this same approval process in communities throughout the United States in constructing houses of worship.

Across denominations, a steeple’s upward reach symbolizes the aspiration to connect with God and the heavens—and it represents spiritual ascent and the desire for communion with the divine. It visualizes a beacon of light and hope. Reverand James Field, of the Catholic Archdiocese in Boston, described steeples as “theology in brick and mortar.” Latter-day Saints share these same sentiments.

Unlike a cathedral, LDS temples do not contain a single, large sanctuary for Sunday worship. Instead, they are designed with a series of smaller rooms where the highest ordinances of the Church take place in small, reverent services by special appointment during the week. Because of this, large numbers of people do not attend at the same time—and traffic in and out of the temple will be minimal. Local lighting ordinances will be followed, ensuring that the beauty of the building can be admired at night without disturbing the character of the town.

We desire to be good neighbors and welcome your questions or concerns about the project.