Columbia River Washington Temple

The Columbia River Washington Temple is the 107th operating temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church).

The Columbia River Washington Temple, located in Richland near Badger Mountain, is the third temple in the state of Washington, following the Seattle Washington and Spokane Washington temples. Church membership in Washington has grown from 67,000 members in 1970 to nearly 230,000 in 2001. Because of the tremendous growth church leaders felt another temple should be built within the state. The Columbia River Temple serves 32,000 members in eastern Washington and northern Oregon.

Some parts of the temple foundation includes 2-inch river rock used as fill in concrete forms. During construction of the temple, people were allowed access to open bins of this river rock at the edge of the construction site. Many people wrote names of children, loved ones, etc. on the rocks that were later incorporated into the building itself.

The temple was announced in April 2000 and groundbreaking ceremonies followed that same year. Stephen A. West, a member of the Second Quorum of the Seventy, who himself served as a missionary in the area many years before, presided at the groundbreaking ceremony.

Before the temple was dedicated it was opened to the public. Nearly 65,000 people visited the temple during the open house period. LDS Church president Gordon B. Hinckley dedicated the Columbia River Washington Temple on November 18, 2001. Allan D. Alder and his wife, Roma, of Hermiston, Oregon were the first temple president and matron (2001–2004).

The Columbia River Washington Temple has a total of 16,880 square feet (1,568 m²), two ordinance rooms, and two sealing rooms.