The Bismarck North Dakota Temple is the 61st operating temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). Missionary work in North Dakota began in 1914 and by 1930, there were 145 members in the state, and by 1997, those numbers had climbed to 5,000. Ground was broken for the temple on October 17, 1998, despite inclement weather. The Bismarck North Dakota Temple district covers about 200,000 square miles (5.0E+5 km2) and serves about 9,000 members. The temple sits on . The exterior is finished with granite veneer from Quebec. A gold-plated statue of the Angel Moroni tops the single-spire. LDS Church president Gordon B. Hinckley dedicated the temple in North Dakota, the only state he had not previously visited, on September 19, 1999. The Bismarck North Dakota Temple has a total of 10,700 square feet (990 m2), two ordinance rooms, and two sealing rooms. In 2020, like all the church's other temples, the Bismarck North Dakota Temple was closed in response to the coronavirus pandemic. See also Russell T. Osguthorpe, temple president (2014–) Comparison of temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints List of temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints List of temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by geographic region Temple architecture (Latter-day Saints) The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in North Dakota References Additional reading External links Bismarck North Dakota Temple Official site Bismarck North Dakota Temple at ChurchofJesusChristTemples.org 20th-century Latter Day Saint temples Buildings and structures in Bismarck, North Dakota Latter Day Saint movement in North Dakota Religious buildings and structures in North Dakota Temples (LDS Church) completed in 1999 Temples (LDS Church) in the United States 1999 establishments in North Dakota Religious organizations based in North Dakota