Columbia River, Washington, USA Temple

History

Allan D. Alder, the Columbia River temple’s first president, said, “I still can’t believe we have a temple here. I always knew it would happen, but I never expected to see it occur in my lifetime.”* His feelings matched those of the Saints in the Tri-Cities area and elsewhere. The Temple Department of the Church was even surprised, the Tri-Cities location was at the bottom of their list of potential temple sites! Once announced, the people were thrilled and everyone wanted to help, some even calling to donate land. Prior to the groundbreaking, the temple location was not announced to the public. This allowed all the permits and legal issues to be solved ahead of time and the temple was accepted by the community without opposition. As the walls of the temple went up, a large painting of the Savior was placed in the entryway for all the construction workers to see. It served as a constant reminder of whose house this was and the level of craftsmanship that needed to be maintained. On the first day of the open house, there was still landscaping to be finished. Volunteers who wanted to be have a part in the temple lined up, literally shoulder to shoulder, planting flowers and spreading landscaping bark. The last flowers were planted and the pots removed only half an hour before the first tour began. Two original paintings within feature the Columbia River. Art glass from Germany highlights the narrow windows in the temple spire. Bethel Vermont granite, the whitest granite that can be quarried in the United States, coming from near Joseph Smith’s birthplace, covers the exterior walls and spire. Patrons visiting the celestial room often reported “hearing voices”. It was discovered that the domed ceiling created a unique acoustic effect, making the slightest whisper heard across the room. The Columbia River temple was dedicated on November 18, 2001. In the dedicatory prayer, President Gordon B. Hinckley quoted, “And do Thou grant, Holy Father, that all those who shall worship in this house may… receive a fulness of the Holy Ghost, and be organized according to thy laws” (Doctrine & Covenants 109: 14-15) Let this temple remind you to always be worthy to have the Holy Ghost with you.

How Temple Coins are Made

Dave started creating jewelry using metals in 1992, ten years later he had worked with nearly every metal in the jewelry industry! Moving to Thailand, he spent the next nine years perfecting his skills with various metals, 3D models and 3D printers. He dreamed of producing something that would bring delight to purchasers and carry with it positive feelings that would touch the souls of those who owned them. In 2014 he was able to realize his dream. Returning to the US, he uses Lost-wax casting to create a metal master from brass alloy for each temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, depicting, in the highest degree of definition possible, a coin with a 3D image of a temple. The reverse of each coin is cast with the words “Stand ye in holy places.”

Purchase one or two of the temples that hold special meaning to you. Commemorate your visit to a temple by picking up the corresponding coin. Celebrate a milestone in a loved one’s life by gifting them a temple coin to inspire them. Collect them all or just a few. Some are cast in precious metals, making each coin an investment that will be a treasure in every sense of the word.

Additional Information

• Free Shipping on orders over $35.
• All coins are 1 1/4 in.
• Pewter Coins are cast from lead free alloys.
• Brass Coins cast from a silicone, brass alloy.  Giving our brass coins a rich yellow gold color for a fraction of the cost of gold coins.
• Silver Coins are cast from an alloy of silver containing 92.5% by weight of silver and 7.5% by weight of other metals, usually copper.
• Gold Coins cast in 14K Gold are 58.5% pure gold.  The remaining alloy consists of a copper and silver mix.
• All of our coins are developed, cast, and finished locally in our facility in Logan, UT, U.S.A.

*Source Note: Hawkins, “Temples of the New Millennium” 217.