LAS VEGAS (FOX5) —Construction on a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints temple near the 215 and Lone Mountain is progressing with a large crane — referred to on site as “Big Bird” — visible at the front of the building.
The project broke ground in fall 2025. A separate meeting room building on the property will be used for Sunday services, while the temple itself will serve a different function, according to Bud Stoddard, Stake President, of the Lone Mountain Stake of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. But the temple is a different story.
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“It’s a place where we only do certain sacred ordinances that can only take place inside of our sacred temples,” Stoddard said.
He added, “And so those include things like baptisms, proxy baptisms, on behalf of our ancestors who never had the opportunity to be baptized in this life.
And marriages will be performed in the temple.
“And it is our belief that these marriages last not just until death do you part, but for time and all eternity,” said Stoddard.
Stoddard said the temple’s height is intentional. “A temple that…points gradually toward heaven is religiously symbolic for us,” he said. Church officials cited Las Vegas’s growing population and membership as the reason for a second area temple.
Stoddard also talked about what officials asked of work crews when construction started.
“We asked that the construction workers respect the nature of this building. And so we ask that they not smoke on the side or use foul language, use any kind of illegal drugs. We ask that they get along with one another. We ask that the site be orderly and clean,” said Stoddard.
He says the request was received very well.
Neighbor concerns
Height, traffic and overnight construction remain concerns for some nearby residents. One neighbor noted that the structure will be visible directly from backyards in the area.
Neighbor Chris Yarbrough says he knew the temple was going in when he bought a home.
“Well, when we bought here, one of the rules, I guess, was nothing over 30 feet,” said Yarbrough.
He added, “And you have something that’s going to be as high as a casino in the air.”
Overnight work is also a point of contention. One neighbor provided a photo they said was taken at 3 a.m. in June. Temple officials said crews conduct some work at night due to heat. And said crews will work at night once per month through September.
Timeline
Church members said they could not provide a specific completion date. The existing temple at French Mountain took approximately four years from groundbreaking to completion. If this project follows a similar timeline, it could be finished around 2029. But again the exactly timeline is unknown right now.
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