Elder Clark G. Gilbert of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles will preside over the dedication of the Cody Wyoming Temple on Oct. 25, 2026, marking a significant milestone for the faith in Wyoming. The dedication ceremony is scheduled for 10 a.m. and will be rebroadcast at 2 p.m., with the event broadcast to congregations throughout the temple district.
Public Open House Schedule
The upcoming dedication follows a series of scheduled public events designed to allow the community to view the new edifice. According to Church News, a media day is scheduled for Aug. 24, 2026, followed by specialized tours for invited guests on Aug. 25 and Aug. 26. The general public is invited to tour the temple during an open house period running from Aug. 27 through Sept. 12, 2026, though the temple will remain closed to the public on Sundays.
Architecture and Location
The Cody Wyoming Temple, a single-story building of approximately 9,950 square feet, is located in the southwestern part of the city. According to Church site plans released on March 13, 2023, the edifice sits west of Skyline Drive and north of the Cody Canal. The location offers views of Heart Mountain to the north, as well as the Rattlesnake and Cedar mountains to the west.
Development Timeline
The announcement of the Cody temple dates back to Oct. 3, 2021, when Church President Russell M. Nelson revealed it as one of 13 temples during the October 2021 general conference. This announcement coincided with the groundbreaking for a house of the Lord in Casper, Wyoming. The project reached a major milestone on Sept. 27, 2024, when a groundbreaking ceremony was held. Elder Steven R. Bangerter, a General Authority Seventy and first counselor in the Church's North America Central Area presidency, presided over that ceremony.
Groundbreaking Ceremony
During the 2024 groundbreaking, Elder Bangerter offered a dedicatory prayer for the site, requesting that visitors feel a spirit of peace and find comfort and assurance within the walls. He prayed that the temple would bring joy, prosperity, beauty, and unity to the community and those who enter.
Religious Significance in Wyoming
The Cody Wyoming Temple will be the third Latter-day Saint temple in the state. It follows the dedication of the Star Valley Wyoming Temple in 2016 and the Casper Wyoming Temple in 2024. The establishment of the temple addresses the needs of a growing population; while Wyoming is the least-populated state in the country, members of the Church represent more than 10% of the state's residents.
Regional Access
The presence of the temple provides a local alternative for members who previously traveled significant distances for services. Currently, the closest temple to Cody is the Billings Montana Temple, located approximately 90 miles to the north. The new temple is positioned approximately 45 miles east of the East Entrance Station.
Community and History
The Cody temple is led by President Michael Snyder and Matron Clarlyn Snyder. The construction of the temple serves a community in Cody, a city known as the "rodeo capital of the world" and named for Colonel William Frederick "Buffalo Bill" Cody. The religious history of the region includes the organization of the first stake in northwestern Wyoming in 1901 in Lovell, following the settlement of Latter-day Saint pioneers in the Big Horn Basin in 1893.
