Twin Falls Idaho Temple
The Twin Falls Idaho Temple is the 128th announced temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the fourth Latter-day Saint temple in Idaho.
In 1996, the 14 stake presidents serving in the Magic Valley co-authored a letter to President Gordon B. Hinckley expressing their desire for a temple to be built in Twin Falls. President Gordon B. Hinckley came to Twin Falls in June 2004 to select a site for the Twin Falls Idaho Temple among eight properties under consideration. On October 2, 2004 the First Presidency of the Church announced plans to build a temple in Twin Falls, Idaho. The 9.1-acre site for the temple is at Eastland Dr. North. The area was formerly the Candleridge Golf Course, but the course had announced its intentions to close, and the Church purchased the land.
On November 8, 2005, the Twin Falls Planning and Zoning Commission approved the permits needed to go forward with the building of the temple. A special permit was given which allows the temple to exceed the city's 35-foot maximum height limit.
With the permits secured, the design for the temple was unveiled on October 6, 2005, at a press conference. The temple design is inspired by the nearby Shoshone Falls and the temple comprises 31,245 square feet and is 159 feet tall. On the 9.1 acre site, the Church planned to also build a new stake center, gardens, and a parking lot able to hold 300 cars.
Ordinance room murals in the temple would be created by Idaho artist Leon Parson, showcasing local landscapes including the majestic Shoshone Falls. A Syringa flower motif, created by Utah stained-glass artist Tom Holdman, is used throughout the Twin Falls Idaho Temple including most of the 200 art-glass windowpanes with 12,000 pieces of glass. The Syringa is Idaho's state flower.
Contents
Groundbreaking
A groundbreaking ceremony and site dedication were held on April 15, 2006, and were presided over by Elder Neil L. Andersen, then of the Presidency of the Seventy. The event was by invitation only, because of limited space at the temple site, but the entire event was taped and played at meetinghouses throughout the area that same evening so that others could also participate.
Cultural Celebration, Open House, and Dedication
A cultural celebration featuring music and dance was held at the Twin Falls County Fairgrounds in Filer and took place the evening before the dedication of the Twin Falls Idaho Temple. The temple was open for open house tours starting Friday, July 11th and ending August 16th except for Sundays. It is estimated that close to 160,000 people toured the temple.
The Twin Falls Temple was dedicated on Sunday, August 24, 2008, by President Thomas S. Monson in four dedicatory sessions. It opened for ordinance work immediately following the dedication.
Retired Burley Dairy Farmer and former member of the Second Quorum of the Seventy D. Rex Gerratt served as the temple's first president.
External Links
- Official Twin Falls Idaho Temple page
- Twin Falls Idaho Temple page
- Twin Falls Idaho Temple dedicatory prayer
- What is the Purpose of the Temple
- What Are Temples?
Temples in Idaho
- Boise Idaho Temple
- Burley Idaho Temple
- Idaho Falls Idaho Temple
- Meridian Idaho Temple
- Montpelier Idaho Temple
- Pocatello Idaho Temple
- Rexburg Idaho Temple
- Teton River Idaho Temple
- Twin Falls Idaho Temple
