Helena Montana Temple

The Helena Montana Temple is the 179th temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) and is located in Helena, Montana, United States.

History
Plans to build a temple in Helena were announced on April 4, 2021, by church president Russell M. Nelson. In June 2021, the LDS Church released the location and rendering for the planned temple, with a groundbreaking, to signify beginning of construction, announced for later in the month. The groundbreaking was held on June 26, 2021, with Vern P. Stanfill presiding. The public open house was from May 18, 2023 to June 3, 2023 and the temple was dedicated on June 18, 2023, by Gary E. Stevenson.

Construction
To shorten the construction time of its temples, the Helena Montana Temple is the church's first constructed using modular construction techniques. The Alabama-based company, BLOX, which specializes in modular building for hospitals, built the temple in 25 separate modules in its facility at Bessemer, Alabama, which were then put taken to the construction site in Montana and assembled.

Architecture
The Helena Montana Temple is built in an art deco style to reflect Montana's 19th-century architectural history and includes designs that draw upon the area's Native American artwork. The decorative patterns are derived from the buttercup flower, with the flower and leaf designs utilized to draw upon principles of Native American geometric patterns. The temple includes buttressing and employs horizontal bands to mimic mountain cliff faces. The temple features a single spire, which causes the 9,794 square-foot building to be 96 and-a-half feet tall. The exterior windows are split into three parts representing the root of the buttercup plant, its potential, and its full flower, with a blue border to represent Native American beadwork.