The Idaho Falls Idaho Temple (formerly the Idaho Falls Temple) is the tenth constructed and eighth operating
temple
A temple (from the Latin ) is a building reserved for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. Religions which erect temples include Christianity (whose temples are typically called churches), Hinduism (whose temples ...
of
the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Christianity, Christian church that considers itself to be the Restorationism, restoration of the ...
. Located in the city of
Idaho Falls, Idaho
Idaho Falls (Shoshoni language, Shoshoni: Dembimbosaage) is a city in and the county seat of Bonneville County, Idaho, Bonneville County, Idaho, United States. It is the state's largest city outside the Boise metropolitan area. As of the 2020 Un ...
, it was the church's first temple built in
Idaho
Idaho ( ) is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. To the north, it shares a small portion of the Canada–United States border with the province of British Columbia. It borders the states of Montana and Wyom ...
, and the first built with a modern single-spire design.
History
The temple in Idaho Falls was announced on March 3, 1937. The building was designed by the church board of temple architects:
Edward O. Anderson
Edward Oliver Anderson (May 16, 1891 – August 9, 1977) was an American architect based in Salt Lake City, Utah. He was a church architect for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church).
Early career
Anderson began his educ ...
,
Georgious Y. Cannon
Georgius Young Cannon (March 6, 1892 – March 29, 1987) was a 20th-century architect in the American West who operated principally out of Salt Lake City, Utah. Cannon trained at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), graduating in 1918. ...
,
Ramm Hansen
Ramm Hansen (July 22, 1879 – December 30, 1971) was an early to mid-20th-century Norwegian-born, American architect.
Hans Leonard Ramm Hansen was born at Moss, Norway, Moss in Østfold, Norway. Hansen graduated cum laude from the Royal Academy ...
, John Fetzer,
Hyrum Pope
Hyrum Conrad Pope (December 2, 1880 – August 24, 1939) was a German-born architect with important architectural works throughout the western United States and Canada. Pope was born in Fürth, Bavaria and immigrated to the United States as ...
,
Lorenzo Snow Young
Lorenzo Snow Young (November 16, 1894 – March 26, 1968), nicknamed "Bing", was a 20th-century architect in Utah. Young practiced for 40 years in Salt Lake City, Utah and is credited with having designed over 700 buildings.
Young's architec ...
. The exterior of the temple was completed in September 1941 and the interior was expected to be completed the following year. However, with
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
shortages, it delayed the completion of the temple for four more years. In spite of delays, church
president
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
*President (education), a leader of a college or university
*President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Automobiles
* Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...
George Albert Smith
George Albert Smith Sr. (April 4, 1870 – April 4, 1951) was an American religious leader who served as the eighth president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church).
Early life
Born in Salt Lake City, Utah Territor ...
dedicated the Idaho Falls Temple just one month after the war ended, on September 23, 1945. The temple was built on a plot, has four ordinance rooms and nine sealing rooms, and has a total floor area of .
In 1983 the temple was the first to receive an angel Moroni statue after its original dedication.
The name of the temple was changed from the ''Idaho Falls Temple'' to the ''Idaho Falls Idaho Temple'' in 1999 when the church introduced standardized naming conventions for temples worldwide.
In March 2015, the temple closed for renovations that were expected to last 18 months. The renovations took nearly two years and following their completion, a public open house was held from April 22 through May 20, 2017. The temple was rededicated by
Henry B. Eyring
Henry Bennion Eyring (born May 31, 1933) is an American educational administrator, author, and religious leader. Eyring has been the Second Counselor to Russell M. Nelson in the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ...
on June 4, 2017. The evening prior to the rededication, a youth cultural celebration, outlining the church and temple's history in the region and titled "Temple by the River Reflections" was held June 3, 2017 at
Holt Arena
Holt Arena is an indoor multi-purpose athletic stadium in the western United States, located on the campus of Idaho State University (ISU) in Pocatello, Idaho. It is the home field of the Idaho State Bengals of the Big Sky Conference and sits at a ...
. Approximately 11,000 youth participated in the event, which took a year of planning. The 70-minute program included costumes made with 27 miles of cloth.
Temple president
A notable
president
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
*President (education), a leader of a college or university
*President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Automobiles
* Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...
of the temple is
John H. Groberg
John Holbrook Groberg (born June 17, 1934) has been a general authority of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) since 1976. He is the author of ''The Eye of the Storm'', and was the protagonist in the movie made from the ...
(2005–08). Groberg's parents, Delbert V. and Jennie Groberg, also served as president and matron of the temple from 1975-1980.
[Toone, Trent]
"'Temple by the river': Idaho Falls Temple turns 70 years old"
''Deseret News
The ''Deseret News'' () is the oldest continuously operating publication in the American west. Its multi-platform products feature journalism and commentary across the fields of politics, culture, family life, faith, sports, and entertainment. Th ...
'', 24 September 2015. Retrieved on 17 March 2020.
See also
*
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)
On December 27, 1832, two years after the organization of the Church of Christ, the movement's founder, Joseph Smith, stated he received a revelation that called upon church members to restore the practice of temple worship. The Latter Day Saints ...
*
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Idaho
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Idaho refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) and its members in Idaho. Rexburg, Idaho is home to Brigham Young University–Idaho. Idaho has the third most church m ...
References
External links
*
Idaho Falls Idaho Temple Official siteIdaho Falls Idaho Templeat ChurchofJesusChristTemples.org
{{LDS-Temple-USA
20th-century Latter Day Saint temples
Buildings and structures in Idaho Falls, Idaho
Temples (LDS Church) in Idaho
1945 establishments in Idaho
Religious buildings and structures completed in 1945