Eighth Latter-day Saint Temple in Idaho is dedicated in Montpelier
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MONTPELIER — President Henry B. Eyring dedicated the Montpelier Idaho Temple on Sunday, marking the opening of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ eighth temple in Idaho.
During the ceremony, Eyring, First Counselor in the church’s First Presidency, spoke about the role temples play in bringing families together across generations and helping people grow closer to God and Jesus Christ.
“Temples are evidence that God is a God of covenants and that His plan reaches beyond mortality into eternity,” Eyring said. “The temple provides purpose for our lives. It brings peace to our souls.”
Eyring also shared a personal story about his late wife, Kathleen. As her illness progressed and she could no longer participate in temple worship, she would often drive to the nearby Bountiful Utah Temple and sit outside for hours.
“She no longer felt able to go inside, but she must have felt the comfort of being at the door of the Lord’s house,” he said.
The new temple is expected to make regular worship more convenient for local members.
“Having a temple here in Montpelier so close to home will bless my family’s life and bless my personal life,” said Treygen Nelson, a Montpelier resident. “It’ll be a lot easier to go to the temple a little more regularly and also better keep our family focused on the temple and raising our kids in the way that Heavenly Father wants us to.”
The church announced the temple in April 2022 under then-President Russell M. Nelson. Construction began with a groundbreaking ceremony in June 2023.
Eyring was joined at the dedication by Elder Steven R. Bangerter, executive director of the church’s Temple Department, and Elder Ricardo P. Giménez of the United States Central Area Presidency, along with their wives.
The temple is the church’s 225th operating temple worldwide and will serve more than 15,000 church members across Idaho, Utah and Wyoming.