The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Sunday dedicated the Cleveland Ohio Temple, a new house of worship that church leaders said will expand local access to temple ordinances for members across northeastern Ohio.
Dedication, leaders and local reach
Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles conducted a single dedicatory session on Aug. 16, 2026, that was broadcast to meetinghouses throughout the temple district and rebroadcast later in the afternoon. The Cleveland temple is the church’s 221st operating temple worldwide and the second in Ohio.
“I cannot imagine a more important blessing than having greater access to the power of godliness through the ordinances of the temple,” Elder Bednar said following the ceremony.
Church officials said the new temple will serve more than 12,000 Latter-day Saints belonging to the Cleveland, Akron, Hiram and Kirtland stakes. Elder Bednar was accompanied at the dedication by his wife, Susan, and other church leaders, according to the church announcement.
Local context and historical link to Kirtland
The Cleveland temple sits about 20 miles southwest of the historic Kirtland Temple, the 1836 site that is maintained as a church historic site and open for public tours. Church Historian and Recorder Elder Kyle S. McKay, quoted in the release, described Kirtland as representing an early promise in the restoration of the church and said Cleveland could represent a continuation or fulfillment of that hope.
- Temple dedicated: Aug. 16, 2026
- Operating number: 221st worldwide
- Ohio temples: second operating in-state (Columbus dedicated 1999; Cincinnati announced April 2024)
- District served: Cleveland, Akron, Hiram and Kirtland stakes (more than 12,000 members)
What this means for Cleveland-area members
Church leaders emphasized proximity as a pastoral issue: when a temple is nearby, they said members must be intentional in making use of its ordinances rather than allowing convenience to dull spiritual commitment. The dedication follows a period of local outreach that typically accompanies a new temple: public open houses, community information and coordination with local congregations.
For many Cleveland-area Latter-day Saints, the new temple reduces travel time and expense previously required to visit a temple. The church’s announcement notes that many Saints historically have made significant sacrifices to attend a temple at least once in their lifetimes; with a temple nearby, leaders said those blessings will be more accessible.
Temple counts and state context
Ohio’s first modern operating temple, in Columbus, was dedicated in 1999. A Cincinnati temple was announced in April 2024; the Cleveland temple adds to that statewide presence.
| Temple | State status | Year (if dedicated/announced) |
|---|---|---|
| Columbus Ohio Temple | Operating | 1999 |
| Cleveland Ohio Temple | Operating | 2026 |
| Cincinnati Ohio Temple | Announced | 2024 (announcement) |
Church leaders frequently cite both practical and spiritual reasons for building temples in areas with growing membership. The dedication on Aug. 16 was scheduled the same day Church President Dallin H. Oaks dedicated the Belo Horizonte Brazil Temple, the announcement said.
Religious institutions with new or expanded facilities often draw attention from civic leaders and neighbors about topics such as traffic, land use, architecture and community programming. The church’s statement framed the Cleveland temple primarily as a religious site intended to serve the spiritual needs of local members and to connect with the historical Kirtland site that figures in the church’s early history.
The Cleveland Ohio Temple dedication marks an addition to Cleveland’s religious landscape and to the church’s network of temples serving members in the region.
