A groundbreaking ceremony, to signify the beginning of construction, was held on September 8, 1969, conducted by N. Eldon Tanner.

The original design was very contemporary and the lot chosen was in downtown Ogden, surrounded by businesses and offices.

The temple's architecture reflects the cultural heritage of the Wasatch Front and the spiritual significance to the church.

The exterior has a central single spire and gold statue of the angel Moroni, two elements chosen for their symbolic significance and alignment with temple traditions.

[5] [13] The interior has stained glass and decorative carpets, both of which make use of a desert rose and prairie grass motif.

There are also a number of paintings throughout the temple, which feature Christ as a central figure or nature scenes related to the outside landscape.

[14] The temple’s celestial room is intended to create a spiritually uplifting environment, and features a lighted glass dome surrounded by four chandeliers.

Additionally, the desert rose motif used throughout the temple’s interior symbolizes “the prophecy in Isaiah about the desert blossoming as the rose, imagery that inspired the Mormon pioneers who settled Utah and areas of the Mountain West.” [14] Several renovations have occurred to strengthen the temple's structural integrity, update facilities, and enhance its spiritual and aesthetic appeal.

Weather damage to the exterior of the temple was repaired and the spire, which was originally a yellowish-gold, was painted bright white.

[16] On February 17, 2010, the church announced that major exterior and interior renovations that would significantly modify the look of the temple.

The upgrades included replacing electrical, heating, and plumbing systems with modern, energy-saving equipment.

Additional improvements included construction of a new underground parking structure, complete relandscaping of the temple block, and renovation of the adjacent Ogden Tabernacle, including removal of its spire and the addition of a new pipe organ, which was created by the same builder who constructed the organ in the church’s Conference Center.

[1][17][18] The temple's interior was reduced from 131,000 to 115,000 sq ft, but through an improved design, there is more usable space following the reconstruction.

[19] These changes were made to ensure the temple's compliance with contemporary building standards and to accommodate the evolving needs of the church and its members.

[5] On April 25, 2014, the church announced that with renovations nearing completion, a public open house would be held from August 1 to September 6, 2014.

[5] Prior to its dedication, an open house was held from December 16-30, 1971, during which time over 150,000 people visited the temple.

After the open house, the temple was dedicated from January 18-20, 1972, by Joseph Fielding Smith, and subsequently closed to the general public.