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The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has scheduled the groundbreaking ceremony for the Winchester Virginia Temple. The event will take place on Saturday, August 9, 2025, with Elder Robert M. Daines, Second Counselor in the North America Northeast Area Presidency, presiding.
The temple will be constructed on an 11.27-acre site at 200 Merrimans Lane in Winchester, Frederick County, Virginia. The plans outline a single-story structure covering approximately 30,000 square feet.
President Nelson announced this temple during the April 2023 general conference. At that time, he stated: “Jesus Christ is the reason we build temples,” adding that these structures are His holy houses where making covenants and receiving essential ordinances can bless lives uniquely.
This temple will be the fourth in Virginia. Previously, President Dallin H. Oaks dedicated the Richmond Virginia Temple on May 7, 2023. Additionally, announcements were made for the Roanoke Virginia Temple in October 2023 and the Norfolk Virginia Temple in April 2025.
The Church established its first stake in Richmond in 1957 and saw significant growth throughout the state during the subsequent decades. Currently, more than 100,000 Latter-day Saints reside across over 210 congregations in Virginia.
Latter-day Saints view temples as sacred places of worship distinct from regular meetinghouses or chapels where all are welcome to attend services and activities. Temples serve as venues for sacred ceremonies such as marriages that unite families eternally and proxy baptisms for deceased ancestors who lacked baptism opportunities during their lifetimes.
