Announced: Oct. 2, 2004.
Location: 1405 Eastland Drive north, Twin Falls, ID 83301.
Site: 5.10 acres.
Exterior finish: Concrete panels with quartz rock finish.
Temple design: Classic modern.
Architects: MHTN Architects, Inc.
Project manager: Greg Rasmussen.
Contractor: Big D Construction.
Rooms: Baptistry, celestial room, four ordinance rooms, five sealing rooms.
Total floor area: 31,245 square feet.
Dimensions: 152-feet 10-inches high by 178-feet 10-inches long by 87-feet 10-inches wide.
District: Southern Idaho communities of Twin Falls, Jerome, Burley, Rupert, Ketchum and Hailey.
Groundbreaking, site dedication: April 15, 2006; by Elder Neil L. Andersen of the President of the Seventy.
Dedication: August 24, 2008, by President Thomas S. Monson; 4 sessions.
Dedicatory Prayer
Done by President Thomas S. Monson
O God, our Eternal Father, Thou great Elohim, Creator of the heavens, the earth and all things thereon, we come before Thee this sacred and blessed day with bowed heads, full hearts and subdued spirits.
We pray to Thee, our Father, in the name of Thy Beloved Son, Thine Only Begotten, even our Redeemer and our Savior, Jesus Christ, the Lord.
We are grateful for this long-awaited day of dedication, when this, Thy Holy House, has been completed. Bless, we pray Thee, those faithful members here and throughout the world who have contributed their tithes which have made possible this magnificent edifice for Thy name’s honor and glory and for the blessing of all who enter herein. Let peace prevail as we lift our voices in songs of praise and words of prayer unto Thee, our God.
We are thankful that Thou sent Thine Only Begotten Son to this earth to be its Savior, and the Prophet Joseph Smith to bring about the restoration, and that Thou did appear to the prophet in person to open the heavens and to restore to the world the knowledge of Thee and Thy Son and Thy holy purposes.
The atonement wrought by Thy Son gives purpose to our being and turns our thoughts heavenward. We thank Thee for the sacred sealing power, so that in this temple and all Thy other holy houses, Thy faithful Saints may be endowed with power from on high and may enter into those everlasting covenants which open the door to the receipt of all of the blessings of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the holy prophets.
The Plan of Salvation, taught in the temple with simplicity, yet with power, will be as a never-failing beacon of divine light to guide our footsteps and keep them constantly on the pathway of eternal life.
As we do the work in this temple for those who have gone beyond, we are reminded of the inspired counsel of President Joseph F. Smith who declared: “Through our efforts in their behalf, their chains of bondage will fall from them, and the darkness surrounding them will clear away, that light may shine upon them; and they shall hear in the spirit world of the work that has been done for them by their children here, and will rejoice.” (Joseph F. Smith, Gospel Doctrine, Chapter 24.)
We seek to be like Thee, O Father; we seek to pattern our lives after the life of Thy Beloved Son; we desire righteousness for ourselves and for our children and for our children’s children.
Our Father, we plead with Thee to make us worthy of those blessings found only in Thy holy temples—those blessings which come to us as the family unit continues forever.
Bless Thy messengers of glory—even the missionaries of Thy Church—that they may proclaim Thy truths with persuasion and power. Protect them, watch over them, and lead them to those whom Thou hast prepared to hear, to believe, and to embrace the Gospel of Thy Beloved Son.
Father in Heaven bless, we pray Thee, the President of the Church and his counselors who comprise the First Presidency, the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, the Quorums of the Seventy and the Presiding Bishopric with Thy guiding influence and inspiration.
Bless the temple president and his counselors, together with their wives, and all who will assist in the operation of this temple.
Bless Thy children throughout the world who know hunger, who have no shelter and who face daily suffering. May we reach out in a spirit of love and true charity to those who yearn for our help.
In a time of departure from safe moorings, may youth of the noble birthright carry on in the traditions of their parents and grandparents. They are subjected to the sophistries of Satan. Help such youth to stand firm for truth. Open wide to their view the gates of learning, of understanding, of service in Thy kingdom. Bless them with a lengthened view of their eternal possibilities.
Today when the family unit is under attack and things long held sacred are often ridiculed by the world, we seek Thy help to make us equal to our tasks, that our homes may be havens of peace and happiness. In our families, may we pause to pray and think to thank.
We express our gratitude for all those who have participated in the preparations for this day of dedication. We are grateful for those who made possible the open house which preceded this dedication. We ask Thy blessings to attend all those who walked within these sacred walls and felt the spirit of this Holy House. May that spirit continue with them.
In the authority of the Holy Priesthood and in the sacred name of Jesus Christ, we now dedicate unto Thee and unto Thy Son this, the Twin Falls Idaho Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We dedicate it as a house of baptism, a house of endowment, a house of sealing, a house of righteousness, for the living and for he dead.
We pray humbly that Thou wilt accept this edifice. Let Thy blessings be upon it. May Thy spirit attend and guide all who officiate herein, that holiness will prevail in every room. May all who enter have clean hands and pure hearts. May they be built up in their faith and depart with a feeling of peace, praising Thy holy name.
We dedicate this beautiful structure from the unseen footings to the majestic figure of Moroni crowning its highest point. We dedicate the baptistry, all of the facilities for administering the sacred ordinances, the endowment rooms, the sealing rooms with their sacred altars, and the beautiful celestial room. We dedicate the ground on which this temple stands. We dedicate all ancillary facilities and the beautiful grounds with their lawns, flowers, trees and shrubs. We pray that
Thou wilt protect all from any devastating influence, destruction or defacement.
May this House provide a spirit of peace to all who observe its majesty, and especially to those who enter for their own sacred ordinances and to perform the work for their loved ones beyond the veil. Let them feel of Thy divine love and mercy.
We pray that Thou wilt look upon this temple which we have fashioned and will say of us, as of Solomon of old: “I have hallowed this house, which thou hast built, to put my name there for ever; and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually.” (1 Kings 9:3.)
As we dedicate this sacred edifice, we rededicate our very lives to Thee and to Thy work.
O, Holy Father, bless Thy children everywhere with the peace promised by Thy Son—even the peace which passeth understanding. Shield us, we pray, from selfishness or sin and provide the power that we might rise above all that is sordid or below the dignity of Thy children.
And now we dedicate this temple as an abode for Thee and Thy Son. Let Thy glorious light ever shine upon it. Wilt Thou place Thy ratifying seal of approval upon this dedicatory service and upon all we have done and shall do in this, Thy
Holy House, which we now present to Thee.
May we, Thy children, merit Thy bounteous blessings and Thy watchful care, we pray, in the name of Thy Beloved Son, even the name of Jesus Christ, the Lord, Amen.
159,863 tour new temple in Twin Falls, Idaho
‘It was really a busy time, but it was an amazing experience’
By Sarah Jane Weaver
Church News staff writer
Almost 160,000 people — including government, community and religious leaders from across Idaho — toured the new Twin Falls Idaho Temple during a public open house July 11 through Aug. 16.
“It was really a busy time, but it was an amazing experience,” said Elder Brent H. Nielson, an Area Seventy from Twin Falls.
Elder Nielson said the temple committee had 136,000 tickets available for the open house, expecting 30 people to walk through the sacred building every five minutes. However, 159,863 people participated in the open house.
“We had 23,000 more than we had tickets for,” he said.
The Twin Falls temple will be the fourth temple in Idaho; other temples in the state are located in Idaho Falls, Boise and Rexburg.
President Thomas S. Monson is scheduled to dedicate the Church’s 128th temple Sunday, Aug. 24, in four sessions. The temple will serve 42,000 members living in 14 stakes in communities across southern Idaho, including Twin Falls, Jerome, Burley, Rupert, Ketchum and Hailey.
Speaking of the open house, Elder Nielson said the real miracle occurred as different stakes took responsibility for staffing 650 volunteers at the open house every day.
Each stake in the district was assigned responsibility for the open house two or three days. And because most stakes had more than 650 people who wanted to volunteer, a new group of volunteers came almost every day, he explained.
“The neatest part of the open house was watching the members come and take ownership of the temple each day,” said Elder Nielson. “Our biggest problem was that more wanted to come to help than we could handle.”
He said members have followed the temple’s construction and were eager to participate in the open house and dedication.
Church members in the district have been attending the temple in Boise and Idaho Falls, Idaho, or Logan, Utah.
Elder Nielson said there was also a huge interest in the temple by those of different faiths. In fact, he estimated, nearly 40 percent of those who visited the temple during the open house were members of other faiths.
He said there are numerous stories about many people who were touched by the temple and the spirit there.
On one occasion, a visitor to the temple, who did not think Church members believed in Jesus Christ, asked why there were so many pictures of the Savior in the temple. “It gave us an opportunity to share that this is His house and He is the central focus,” said Elder Nielson.
Another family was visiting the Church sites in Nauvoo, Ill., when they asked if they could see the inside of a temple. When missionaries in Nauvoo explained that temples are open to the public only before they are dedicated, the family asked if there were any open houses going on.
“They drove from Nauvoo to Twin Falls and went through three tours,” said Terry McCurdy, who is over public affairs for the temple committee.
E-mail to: sarah@desnews.com
Idaho’s fourth temple: Groundbroken for edifice in Twin Falls; 1,000 attend
By Ruth Day
Church News contributor
TWIN FALLS, Idaho — Some 1,000 local members of the Church gathered April 15 for the groundbreaking of the Twin Falls Idaho Temple. Presiding and offering the dedicatory prayer was Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Presidency of the Seventy.
“This is a sacred and holy day, a day we will long remember. With the help of many we will build a House of the Lord, a place where He and His Spirit will surely dwell,” Elder Andersen told the crowd, including many from the Magic and Wood River Valleys of Idaho.
Other leaders present included Elder Paul E. Koelliker of the Seventy, and Area Seventies: Elder Gary W. Walker, Elder Gerald A. Mead, Elder G. Steven Laney and Elder Brent H. Nielson. Presidents from the 14 stakes in the temple district also attended.
The Twin Falls Idaho Temple was announced by President Gordon B. Hinckley during the October 2004 general conference.
In his address, Elder Andersen made reference to the history of southern Idaho, recalling his opportunity to attend the Idaho Falls Idaho Temple as a young man. He referred to the late Elder David B. Haight of the Quorum of the Twelve who grew up in Oakley, Idaho, and who had such treasured memories of the area. Elder Andersen shared excerpts from a talk Elder Haight had given at general conference, including, “My parents went to the Logan Temple in 1890 to be married, a distance of 180 miles and taking about four days by buggy to make the journey.”
Elder Andersen continued: “Our children and our children’s children will not travel to the Twin Falls temple by buggy, but they, too, will remember their days in the Twin Falls temple. The temple is our solemn testimony to the immortality of the soul. We walk into the house of the Lord to be endowed there as the scripture says to be endowed from on high with power. This work that we commence today is a holy work. It will bless the city. We honor our neighbors, our kind neighbors, who have allowed us to worship as we believe.”
In brief remarks, Elder Koelliker thanked the community of Twin Falls and especially the mayor and the city council. “Our hearts are very grateful, and we do express sincere appreciation to the city. The building of temples is almost always a singular event to the community. The temples are visible symbols of our respect and love and reverence for our Heavenly Father. We, therefore, build temples with the finest materials. From this moment on we believe there will be a unique and spiritual feeling on this property.”
Elder Koelliker referred to King Benjamin in the Book of Mosiah when he instructed the people to pitch their tents so the doors faced the temple. He advised those attending the groundbreaking ceremony to do likewise “and prepare for the great day of dedication.”
“Today, we stand on the shoulders of giants,” Elder Nielson said in a brief address, during which he shared some of the history of the Church in South Central Idaho. He related the account of Horton David Haight and his wife Louisa Leavitt Haight. They were children in Nauvoo and knew the Prophet Joseph Smith. They moved with the saints to Winter Quarters and then to Salt Lake City where Horton David and Louisa married as young adults. Horton David was a wagon master and made 14 trips from Salt Lake to Winter Quarters to assist the saints as they traveled west.
When Horton David was 50 and Louisa 47 they were called by President Brigham Young to move permanently to Oakley, Idaho, and establish the Church there. Elder Nielson related that Louisa, who is his great-grandmother, although willing to go, “cried all the way to Oakley.”
Horton David served as the bishop in Oakley and in 1887 was called by Elder John Taylor as the first stake president in south central Idaho. This new stake comprised most of south central Idaho and even included a branch in Boise. Elder Nielson concluded his remarks by saying, “Perhaps the Lord in His tender mercies will allow them (the early saints) to linger near as we dedicate this ground to the building of a temple.”
After Elder Andersen offered the dedicatory prayer, all present, including children, joined in breaking ground for the temple.
