Latter-day Saint leaders select site for Montpelier temple
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SALT LAKE CITY – The location for a new temple in Montpelier has been identified.
The two-story, 27,000-square-foot temple will be built on a 2.6-acre site at the intersection of Washington and Sixth North, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced Friday.
A map showing the location was published on the church’s newsroom, which you can see above. An artistic rendering will be released at a later date.
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The news comes less than two months after Church President Russell M. Nelson announced 17 new temples throughout the world. Missoula, Montana was also listed among the locations for a new temple.
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 Christ’s teachings are reaffirmed through marriage, baptism, and other ordinances that unite families for eternity. Inside, members learn more about the purpose of life and make covenants to serve Jesus Christ and their fellowman.
Montpelier, which has less than 3,000 people, according to the latest U.S. Census data, is north of Bear Lake and the Utah-Idaho border. It was settled by Latter-day Saint pioneers in 1864 and was once a stop along the Oregon Trail, the Deseret News reports.
Before it was a temple site, Montpelier’s city hall stood on the property until it was torn down in March 2021. Other small homes in close proximity were recently relocated.
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The historic Montpelier Tabernacle, a 1,200-seat semi-circular meetinghouse built in 1917, is across 6th North to the west of the temple site.
The Montpelier Temple is one of eight other temples in operation, under construction or announced in Idaho. In October, the church announced a second temple on the north side of Rexburg. EastIdahoNews.com learned it will be built on a 100-acre parcel of land at North Second East and Moody Drive across the street from Walmart.
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The Pocatello temple was dedicated in November after two and a half years of construction.
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There are also temples in Boise, Burley, Idaho Falls, Meridian and Twin Falls.
Construction on the Montpelier temple is slated to begin following a groundbreaking ceremony, which has not been announced. It’s not clear how long construction will take, but it typically lasts between two to three years.
An open house will be held once the temple is built, where members of the community will be able to tour the inside prior to its dedication.
The Montpelier temple will serve more than 15,000 Latter-day Saints in both Idaho and Utah.