Orem Utah Temple

Orem Utah Temple

Orem Utah Temple, my 54th Temple

The Orem Utah Temple was dedicated on January 24, 2024, just in time for the Provo Utah Temple to close a month later.  I attended this temple less than a month after its dedication.  Located less than a minute off the freeway, this temple is very convenient to attend.  The temple's address is 1451 S 1100 W in Orem, Utah.

My favorite thing about this temple is the artwork inside, especially one painting that I think represented one of the mothers of the stripling warriors placing a helmet on her son's head as he prepared to go off to battle.  There were other beautiful, striking paintings that caught my eye and admiration.

I made a reservation, but there was plenty of space in my endowment session.  This might change, however, when the Provo temple closes.  The Orem Temple is within 15 minutes of both the Provo Temple site and the Provo City Center Temple.  It's within a half hour of the Payson, Mount Timpanogos, and Draper temples.  It's within an hour of the Bountiful, Saratoga Springs, Jordan River, and Oquirrh Mountain Temples, as well as the Salt Lake Temple site.  The Ogden Temple is just barely more than an hour from the Orem Temple.  So if you wanted to do a Temple Tour, you have many choices, including the Orem Temple.  Soon the Taylorsville Utah Temple and Layton Temple will join the list of temples within an hour's drive.

The Trip

I have stayed at a few different hotels in Provo/Orem.  The Residence Inn by Marriott is the closest to BYU campus, and very nice, but a bit pricey.  I've also stayed at Hyatt Place at 180 W 100 N Provo, which was also very nice but didn't have parking when I stayed there.  I stayed at the Ramada Inn by Wyndham on University Avenue in Provo, which was clean and affordable, and ideal for someone on a budget.  I also stayed at the Hampton Inn on University Avenue recently, which was very nice.  It is only about ten minutes from BYU campus.  I've stayed in a couple different Airbnb's in Provo.  One is listed below, and we loved this one.  It was very clean, modern, and had lots of beds for a large family:

Home in Provo

The other was at the link below.  It is the upstairs of a house and has 2 bedrooms with king beds.  It was nice, although the neighborhood did make me a little bit nervous.  It was affordable, though, and clean.  This is where I stayed when I first visited the Orem Temple:

Upstairs Home in Provo

While on this trip, we ate at Cafe Rio, Freddy's, and Zupa's, all very close to this house and minutes away from BYU campus.  Provo/Orem has just about every chain restaurant you can think of.  On this trip I also attended the Provo City Center, Provo, Mount Timpanogos, and Payson temples.  There is so much to do in Provo, especially when the weather is nice.  Hiking, walking or biking along the river trail, shopping, visiting campus, movies, dancing, etc.  Since it's a very busy college town there is no limit to the activities available to keep you occupied.

Saratoga Springs Temple

The Saratoga Springs Temple was my 53rd Temple

James and I attended the Saratoga Springs Temple on my 49th birthday in 2023!  It is such a beautiful temple in a beautiful area of Utah.  I have a couple favorite things about this temple.  One is the purple chairs in the Celestial room.  I sat in a chair and my feet were well above the ground.  My husband laughed at me as I sat and swung my legs, looking like a little kid in one of the large purple chairs in the Celestial room.  I also loved the stained glass in the windows, and how they make rainbows on the walls inside the temple.  Perhaps we were there at just the right time to see this beautiful view on the white walls of the temple as we walked to our endowment room.  I love the views from outside the temple as well, looking out at the beautiful and well kept city where the temple resides.  While we were there, a large family gathered for photos after a wedding on the front lawn.  It made me happy to see them in front of the temple, everyone so happy to be there!  Such a beautiful and sacred place!

James and I before our endowment session

A large family gathering in front of the temple

view from behind the temple - a cute mom taking a photo of her little daughter by the reflecting pool

Me in front of my 53rd temple

We also attended the Saratoga Springs Temple open house in June of 2023.  

My daughters and I at the Open House, 2023

 

The San Antonio Texas Temple

 

The San Antonio Texas Temple was my 52nd temple

Our son Teancum and daughter Lizzie at the San Antonio Temple in May 2023

Teancum and Lizzie, May 2023

Beautiful flower beds on the grounds of the temple

Perfectly manicured grounds of the San Antonio Texas temple

Beautiful stained glass windows

Cornerstone, 2005

Beautiful view from the temple

The waterfall fountain in front of the temple

James at the temple

That's me standing in front of the temple

My son Micah and his wife Jancy and their two sons Krew and Kyden

My daughter Lizzie and grandson Krew at the fountain on the grounds of the temple

Angel Moroni peering over the trees on our way to the temple

We've almost made it to the temple!

We went to visit our son Micah and his family in Houston, and took a 3 hour road trip to San Antonio to attend my 52nd temple -- the San Antonio Texas Temple.  The temple was dedicated in 2005 and is located at 20080 Stone Oak Parkway in San Antonio.  This temple reminds me of the Snowflake Arizona Temple, partly because of the waterfall in front, and also because of its size.  It is a small temple.  It is filled with beautiful stained glass.  In fact, the sealer who officiated our sealing session told us that this temple had the most stained glass of any temple in the world, until the Rome Temple was completed.  There is beautiful stained glass everywhere you look.  That is my favorite thing about this temple!  We performed sealings as a family, and then Teancum and Lizzie went to the baptistry and performed baptisms as well.  While we waited for Lizzie and Teancum to come out, we enjoyed walking around the beautiful grounds and admiring the view from the temple.  One of the most special experiences while on the temple grounds, was that a friend of ours opened his mission call over Facebook live and he was called to the San Antonio Texas mission!  It was a very special coincidence to be there at the same time that he read his call!

While we were in San Antonio we also went to see the Alamo and drove past the Riverwalk.  We went to eat at Torchy's.  We stayed at the Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott and had a suite with 2 double beds and pull-out couch, adjoined with Micah & Jancy's room that had one king bed and a pull-out couch, both for a great price.  It was fun to walk around the Alamo, and it was free!  We just scheduled our tour (and were an hour late because the temple took longer than we planned, but they took us anyway!).  San Antonio is humid and warm, but not unbearably so in May.  It is definitely worth the trip, especially to attend the beautiful temple!

The Alamo, May 2023

lit-up trees at the Alamo

Davy Crocket at the Alamo

Torchy's Tacos