‘It’s just such a blessing’: Locals looking forward to Latter-day Saint temple in Montpelier
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MONTPELIER — It has been a week since The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced 17 new temples will be built worldwide, with one of those planned for Montpelier.
The people of the small southeastern Idaho town and neighboring communities have had a chance to fully embrace the pending structure.
Kristy Clawson said she was in tears after hearing the announcement.
“I just thought, ‘Let the work go forth,'” she told EastIdahoNews.com. “Look how many temples we’re going to have in Idaho and Utah now. It’s just such a blessing.”
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Clawson, a Clifton resident, lives near the mid-way point between the Pocatello and Logan, Utah temples. Because of her location, the new temple in Montpelier will not necessarily be closer than the existing temples but what it will be is a place where she and her family can meet her aunt Kit Cassidy, who lives in Afton, Wyoming.
EastIdahoNews.com spoke with Cassidy and Clawson in the parking lot of the Montpelier Broulim’s where they often meet for lunch and to spend time together. Soon, they’ll be able to add a temple visit to those meetings.
Like her niece, Cassidy broke into tears upon hearing the announcement.
“Everybody was just so excited,” she said. “It’s just such a blessing all the way around.”
There is also the belief that the construction of the temple will rejuvenate a local economy much in need of a boost.
According to April Matthews, co-owner of Papa’s Fine Chocolates in Montpelier, economic conditions have been stunted since the railroad stopped doing business in town some time in the early 1970s.
As Matthews explained, nearby Bear Lake draws tourists during the summer months. But the town’s population, which is 2,597, according to welcome signs, limits year-round business.
Not only will a new temple bring more visitors on a more regular basis, but it is also likely to bring new permanent residents. Cassidy expects people to buy land and build in the area now that there will be a temple in town.
“It’s really going to be a boost for (Montpelier) to grow again,” Matthews said. “I cried when I found out.”
There is something to that thought, according to Bear Lake County Commissioner Bradley Jensen.
“I think it’s a very big deal, for the city of Montpelier especially, and of course county-wide and area-wide,” Jensen said. “(Temples) seem to be a good deal for the church itself, and a good deal for the economics of the area.”
As Jensen has noticed in the past, the construction of Temples has had an almost immediate fiscal impact on the communities surrounding them.
Montpelier’s property value assessments are lower than many surrounding communities, Jensen added. That will likely improve following the dedication and opening of the new temple.
“Just a great injection of business that will really help,” he said.
There is no timetable set for construction, but the Pocatello Temple construction lasted around two and a half years.
