The LDS Temple Situation in Cody, WY
By Zhaohan Zhang
For years, there has been one major point of contention within the community. It is not entirely wrong per se; it does not deal with lousy crime or anything. I am talking about the creation and location of the new temple for members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This specific building has been a controversial topic for the last couple of years, and the temple has yet to be built. The new temple being built in our very own Cody, Wyoming, would be a considerable accomplishment, as the third temple in the entirety of wyoming is being built in a smaller town. The first two were built in Star Valley in 2016, and Casper which has just finished construction this past month.
The Cody temple was announced only six months after the announcement of the Casper temple in October of 2021. Still, the temple has faced public backlash and disapproval of the project idea for three years, even going to court in June of 2023. The church won the lawsuit against Protect our Cody Neighborhoods (POCN). Thus, on June 9th of this year, construction started on the one-story, 9,950-square-foot building.
The temple is one of three temples in Wyoming and one of 367 worldwide. Of those 367, only 198 have been dedicated. To be dedicated means to be officially picked as a place connected to God, being one of his houses. The contract and location of all temples must be decided by the Church of Jesus Christ and the president of the Latter-Day Saints (Russel. M Nelson).
The fact that a smaller town such as Cody was picked in a significantly less known state like Wyoming sets a precedent for the expansion of not just the Church of Jesus Christ but all religions within America. The temple's location is also conv as it expands the area to allow visitors to visit a temple, mainly in Northern Wyoming and Southern Montana. Cody is also a significant tourist town because of Yellowstone National Park, making it easy for those visiting Yellowstone to access the temple more conveniently. With an Interview with the Mr. Glenn Nielson who graciously donated the land for the temple states in a non direct quote, that the building of the temple is incredibly important to their faith and is truly an amazing opportunity for expansion.
On the other hand, not everyone in Cody belongs to the Church of Jesus Christ; some are not even religious. Many argue and face the fact that with the construction of the new temple comes the increase of religious activity or the fact that there now is a temple in general, especially those who live in that specific neighborhood. Another complaint or concern is the height and the area in which the construction takes place; objectively speaking, the Cody temple is pretty small compared to others in different locations; regardless, it still stands at 101 feet tall, occupying 4.5 acres with 9,950 square feet. There is no argument that the building is enormous. Residents of Skyline Drive, the location of the soon-to-be temple, are primarily concerned with the influx of traffic and people in the area; some citizens walk around or admire their location, and it is possible that the building of the temple could cause issues with those citizens who have been there significantly before the proposal of the temple.
Since the initial proposal of the temple, a group spawned in protest of the building called Preserve Our Cody Neighborhoods or POCN. This particular group has already sued the church for building the temple; the main arguments of the case were that the 101 feet height of the temple was too much and that they did not have or even attempted to apply for a special exemption for the building to be that tall. It is to say that there was "favoritism" within the description of creating the temple as workers on the project where members of the Church of Jesus Christ. however these people could have just as easily simply fulfilling their obligation as members of the City of Cody Planning and Zoning Committee.
Regardless of whatever arguments are made from either side, the fact still stands that the Church won its legal battles, and nothing can change that now. So whether you agree or disagree with the building, the Big Horn Basin is getting its first temple.