The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will open a temple in North Suffolk by 2029 to serve the more than 10,000 Mormons in Hampton Roads.
The temple would be the fourth anticipated for Virginia — a Richmond temple was dedicated in 2023, construction began last year on a temple in Winchester and plans are in the works for a temple in Roanoke. The Suffolk temple will be at the busy corner of Harbor View Boulevard and Bridge Road.
Not long ago, Mormons in the region were forced to travel to Washington or South Carolina to find their nearest temple, said Mark Smith, who as stake president for the Suffolk temple will be its primary spiritual leader.
“The idea that there would be another temple closer than Richmond was out of our mind — there was no way anyone thought this would happen,” Smith said. “We’re super blessed.”
Smith, 57, explained that temples differ from the church’s chapels — there are several in Hampton Roads — in that you must be a “member in good standing” to enter, which is determined through a series of interviews with church leaders every couple of years. If a member falls out of good standing, they can still return by resolving what led to that status.
The planned temple will be an 18,850-square-foot, one-story building on a 23-acre site and will have an adjacent church store where they will sell temple clothing, the Book of Mormon and other items, according to a spokesperson. The land was purchased in April 2024, according to city property records.
The design plan will be completed some time this fall and there will be a groundbreaking ceremony in early 2027. Construction is expected to be completed in early 2029, according to Smith. There will be a two-week open house before the building is dedicated.
There are just over 100,000 Mormons in Virginia, according to the church’s website. Smith said this new temple will serve about 30 congregations in Hampton Roads and the surrounding area.
“Increased time in the temple will help us prepare for the Second Coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ,” President Russell M. Nelson said following the Norfolk Virginia Temple announcement in April 2025.
Gavin Stone, 757-712-4806, gavin.stone@virginiamedia.com
https://www.pilotonline.com/2026/02/15/mormon-temple-suffolk/

