Latter-day Saint leaders say Pocatello Temple will be dedicated this fall
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POCATELLO – More than two years since The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints broke ground on the Pocatello Temple, church officials are preparing for its completion.
In a news release Thursday morning, the church says the 67,000-square-foot temple at 2140 Satterfield Drive will be dedicated on Sunday, November 7, 2021. It will be dedicated by M. Russell Ballard, acting president of the Church’s Quorum of Twelve Apostles. The dedication ceremony will occur in three different sessions at 9 a.m., noon and 3 p.m. and will be broadcast to Latter-day Saint congregations throughout eastern Idaho.
Prior to the dedication, members of the community will be able to tour the temple during an open house. The open house will begin on Saturday, Sep. 18, and run through Saturday, Oct. 23, excluding Sundays.
The temple’s construction got underway in March 2019, nearly two years after it was announced by then-Church President Thomas S. Monson. The temple is being built on a 13-acre parcel in a neighborhood overlooking the city.
During the Pocatello temple’s groundbreaking ceremony, Elder S. Gifford Nielsen, an area authority for the church, said it will be made of the finest materials and reflect themes native to the area.
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Latter-day Saint temples differ from the meetinghouses or chapels where members meet for Sunday worship services. A temple, according to a news release from the church, is considered a “house of the Lord,” where Jesus Christ’s teachings are reaffirmed through marriage, baptism, and other ordinances that unite families. Inside, members learn more about the purpose of life and make covenants to serve Jesus Christ and their fellowmen.
The Pocatello Temple is one of 37 temples under construction across the globe and when dedicated, will be one of more than 200 temples in operation. It is expected to serve more than 64,000 church members in eastern Idaho from Blackfoot to Malad.
This will be the Gem State’s sixth operating temple. Other temples are in Boise, Idaho Falls, Meridian, Rexburg, and Twin Falls. A seventh temple has been announced in Burley.
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A youth devotional will be held on Saturday, November 6, just prior to the dedication. The Pocatello Idaho Temple will open to patrons for ordinances on Tuesday, November 16.