EPHRAIM, Utah — The doors of the Ephraim Utah Temple opened to the public on Monday, Aug. 31, as the public open house officially began with guided tours for media and invited guests.
Elder K. Brett Nattress, a General Authority Seventy and assistant executive director of the Temple Department, told members of the media that this temple — located just seven miles from the Manti Utah Temple — is a testament to the faith of those in the area, because even though it’s close to another temple, this house of the Lord is needed.
“They’re so faithful and so deserving of this house of the Lord,” he said. “The Saints that live here, they understand that happiness comes through serving others.”
Elder Nattress was accompanied by his wife, Sister Shawna Nattress; Elder John A. McCune, General Authority Seventy and a member of the Utah Area presidency, and his wife, Sister Debbra Kingsbury McCune; and Elder Taylor G. Godoy, General Authority Seventy and assistant executive director of the Temple Department, and his wife, Sister Carol Godoy.
Elder Godoy also praised the members in the area who, he said, “are full of faith.”
“They want to be more like Christ. And that’s why I think there are a lot of members around here that say they want to just come back over and over again to remember and keep the covenants they made,” said Elder Godoy.
Sister Nattress said the temple fills her with joy.
“I don’t even have words to describe it,” she said, standing outside the temple after she and Elder Nattress led the media through each room inside. “As you walk into that temple, you can feel such a beautiful spirit.”
The media day came just a few days after Elder and Sister Nattress celebrated their daughter’s wedding at the Payson Utah Temple.
“It was just heaven for me,” said Sister Nattress of being in the temple with her family.
Utah’s 26th temple
After it is dedicated, the Ephraim Utah Temple will become the 26th dedicated house of the Lord in Utah.
Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles will dedicate the temple on Oct. 11 in a single 10 a.m. session, which will be broadcast to all units in the temple district and rebroadcast at 2 p.m.
The dedication will be the same day as the Miraflores Guatemala City Guatemala Temple’s dedication.
Elder McCune said the more temples are built, the busier they become. “We need temples in Utah, because the temples in Utah are busy.”
He also said having temples so accessible in more places makes “such a difference for an area.”
“People can come and worship on a regular basis,” he said. “They can become closer to our Heavenly Father. They can draw closer to their families. They can work through the issues that they have and the challenges they have in life. And we just feel so blessed and privileged that we have temples so available to so many of our members.”
The Ephraim temple’s design motifs honor the heritage of the valley, which was settled in the mid-1800s largely by Scandinavian pioneers. The forget-me-not and oxeye daisy, for example, are flowers long cherished in Scandinavia and integrated into the design of the Ephraim temple. Wheat motifs are also prevalent through the building, a nod to the historic Ephraim Relief Society Granary.
Another recurring motif is that of water. Elder Nattress said this is symbolic of how Jesus Christ is the “living water,” as He taught to the woman of Samaria in John 4. Elder Nattress said one local stake president recently told him how important water is for their survival in the area, where many still farm to support their families.
“Living water means everything to us,” the stake president told Elder Nattress.
A place of higher and holier learning
The temple grounds are just a few short blocks from Snow College, where thousands of students are receiving an education. But Elder Nattress said as these students attend the temple, they’ll receive an even higher education in “a higher and holier place.”
“And they’ll learn about the Savior,” he said. “They’ll learn about the great plan of happiness, that they’re sons and daughters of God, and it will establish a foundation for their lives.”
Elder McCune said they’ll need around 1,000 regular temple workers, and he expects several hundred of those regular temple shifts will be filled by Snow College students.
“And when they’re out and about with friends, they’ll see the lights of the temple, and it will be a beacon to them, reminding them of what their potential is as a son or daughter of God.”
Kaystan Larsen, who attends Snow College and grew up on a ranch just a few miles from the temple, said he and his friends already have plans to attend the temple every Tuesday once its dedicated.
“I think the temple is just the perfect place to go and refocus,” he said. “Just refocus on what’s most important and focus on the Savior.”
The Ephraim Utah Temple
Interior and exterior photos of the temple were released Aug. 31 on ChurchofJesusChrist.org as the media day began.
The late President Russell M. Nelson announced the Ephraim temple May 1, 2021, in a prerecorded video that was played at a press conference inside the Manti Tabernacle. This was the only temple that President Nelson announced outside of general conference.
He later recounted that shortly after the April 2021 general conference, he “received very clear instruction” from the Lord that a new temple should be built in Ephraim.
President Nelson — whose mother was born in Ephraim — dedicated the site at the temple’s groundbreaking on Aug. 27, 2022. When he concluded his prayer, rain began to fall. One attendee called out to President Nelson, “These are the tears of joy of our ancestors.”
The Church in Utah
The Beehive State currently has 32 temples operating, under construction, announced or undergoing renovation.
The following 25 temples have been dedicated in Utah: Bountiful, Brigham City, Cedar City, Deseret Peak, Draper, Jordan River, Layton, Lindon, Logan, Manti, Monticello, Mount Timpanogos, Ogden, Oquirrh Mountain, Orem, Payson, Provo City Center, Provo Rock Canyon, Red Cliffs, Salt Lake, Saratoga Springs, St. George, Syracuse, Taylorsville and Vernal.
Of note, two of those temples are undergoing extensive renovations and reconstruction: the Salt Lake Temple, closed Dec. 29, 2019, and the Provo Utah Rock Canyon Temple, closed Feb. 24, 2024.
With the Ephraim temple now built, two temples are still in their construction phase in Utah: the Smithfield temple, since June 2022, and Heber Valley temple, since October 2022.
That leaves four temples in planning and design stages — in West Jordan (announced 2024), Lehi (2024), Price (2024) and Spanish Fork (2025).
Ephraim Utah Temple
Address: 200 N. 400 E., Ephraim, Utah 84627
Announced: May 1, 2021, by President Russell M. Nelson
Groundbreaking: Aug. 27, 2022, presided over by President Nelson, Church President
Public open house: Sept. 2-19, 2026, excluding Sundays
To be dedicated: Oct. 11, 2026, by Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
Property size: 9.2 acres
Building size: 41,680 square feet
Building height: 156.67 feet (including the spire)
