A small but historic religious building on 21st Street in Ogden, Utah, goes largely unnoticed to passersby. But it represents a significant story of worship and community for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
This meetinghouse was constructed for the Ogden Branch for the Deaf in 1917. It is one of the first buildings in the western United States constructed for the deaf community. For 80 years, the sacred structure stood as a gathering place for the Church’s deaf membership and an inspiration for all deaf congregations throughout the Church. Since 2001, the building has been a part of the Church’s prison ministry.
After an 18-month restoration project, the building will continue to serve as a meetinghouse for the Church’s prison ministry. An open house for the restored building was held the morning of Sunday, July 27, 2025. The timing coincided with the 2025 Deaf Symposium in Orem, Utah.
“This building is more, much more than a building. It’s a sanctuary,” said Elder Jason Jensen, an Area Seventy in Utah. “This building is the beginning of the deaf [Latter-day Saint] community. This is the trunk, so to speak, and all the branches started from this building.”
Read more at Church Newsroom.
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