Twin Falls Idaho Temple Wiki

Church president Gordon B. Hinckley announced the construction of a temple for the Magic Valley region of Idaho in his opening remarks of general conference held 2 October 2004, to serve the thousands of members who live in southern Idaho between the Boise and Idaho Falls temples. The temple was announced in conjunction with a new temple for Salt Lake County, loater to be identified as the Draper Utah Temple

Rumors of the temple started several weeks before general conference when the church’s negotiations to purchase the Candleridge Golf Course came to light. The financially unprofitable course had already announced its intention to close on December 31, 2004, yet over 300 residents near the golf course produced a petition protesting the loss of the golf course to the temple, upset that their investments into homes next to a golf course would become investments into homes bordering a busy church. In response, the church distributed printed materials, stating its intentions to work with neighbors with regard to traffic and parking when the time came to present plans to the city.

Boise Temples at Time of Announcement

Announced

• Rexburg Idaho

Under Construction

• –

Dedicated

• Idaho Falls [1945]
• Boise Idaho [1984]

Stake presidents and their families comprised most of the audience at the invitation-only event. The temple serves approximately 50,000 area church members.[3]

Ground was broken for the temple on Saturday, April 15, 2006—the day before Easter Sunday. Presiding at the ceremony was Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Presidency of the Seventy, who himself was reared in Southeast Idaho. He honored the late apostle Elder David B. Haight, a native of Oakley, and shared the story of Elder Haight’s parents’ trip by buggy to wed in the Logan Utah Temple. “Our children and our children’s children will not travel to the Twin Falls temple by buggy,” said Elder Andersen, “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.”^[1]Ruth Day, “Idaho’s fourth temple,” Church News 22 Apr. 2006: 5.

  Stake presidents and their families comprised most of the audience at the invitation-only event. The temple serves approximately 50,000 area church members.^[2] “News Story”, Newsroom, LDS Church, April 8, 2006, retrieved October 16, 2012

The Twin Falls Temple held an open house and conducted tours from July 11, 2008 until August 15, 2008, excluding Sundays. The church reported that visitors during the open house totaled 159,863, approximately 60 percent of whom were members of the church.^[3]“Temple tours exceed expectations”, Deseret News, August 18, 2008, retrieved October 16, 2012

Though 136,000 tickets had been reserved for tours, an additional 23,000 toured  the temple.^[4]Sarah Jane Weaver, “159,863 tour new temple in Twin Falls, Idaho,” Church News 23 Aug. 2008: 5.

Four dedicatory sessions took place on Sunday August 24, 2008.^[7]Hildebrandt, Jay. Twin Falls Temple Preview. Localnews8.com, July 10, 2008. Last accessed 2008-07-12

Church president Thomas S. Monson (President Hinckley had passed away suddenly the month prior) presided at the dedication and was assisted by other church general authorities, including Henry B. Eyring, Quentin L. Cook and Claudio R. M. Costa. Due to overwhelming interest and limited seating in the temple, the final session was broadcast to various church buildings throughout Idaho.Ordinance work began the Monday following the dedication. Retired Burley dairy farmer and former member of the Second Quorum of the Seventy, D. Rex Gerratt, served as the first president. Thomas S. Monson, president of the Church, dedicated the temple on August 24, 2008. In his dedicatory prayer, he emphasized the peace that can come as we partake of the living water: “May this House provide a spirit of peace to all who observe its majesty. … O, Holy Father, bless Thy children everywhere with the peace promised by Thy Son—even the peace which passeth understanding.”

Throughout the weekend of the dedication, members felt the very personal love of a prophet, who often paused to shake hands and converse in his warm and cheerful tones. “Let them feel of Thy divine love and mercy,” he asked in his dedicatory prayer. And indeed they did. Following the final dedicatory session, President Monson spent many minutes greeting the smiling Saints who lined the sidewalk from the temple entrance to his awaiting car. When he came upon Maria Eugenia Hernandez, he spoke to her in Spanish, even singing lines from a popular Spanish song with her. Maria was so deeply touched by the experience that for several minutes she could not speak because of her weeping and could not write because of her shaking hands. Pres. Monson’s love was returned during his drive to the airport where families lined the roads holding signs that expressed such sentiments as these: “We love the scriptures.” “We love the prophet.” “We love the temple.”^[8]Gerry Avant, “New temple is dedicated in Idaho,” Church News 30 Aug. 2008: 3.

Dedicatory Prayer

The Twin Falls Idaho Temple stands less than a half-mile from the precipice of Snake River Canyon, a 500-foot-deep chasm stretching more than 50 miles. Not far from the temple, the impressive 1,500-foot Perrine Bridge spans Snake River Canyon, giving observers a view of the scenic landscape below. The central section of Idaho’s Snake River Plain is known as the Magic Valley, thus named because irrigation turned an arid region into surprisingly productive farmland. For Latter-day Saints living in this rural area of south central Idaho, the Twin Falls Idaho Temple stands as a beacon of hope.

A few miles from the temple, tourists flock to Shoshone Falls, a waterfall exceeding the height of Niagara Falls by 45 feet. The temple incorporates this breathtaking local attraction in its design, featuring a waterfall theme in its stained glass windows and exterior walls.  Portions of the Temple design were influenced by a small generator house located at the base of the falls.

The 31,245-square-foot Twin Falls Idaho Temple is constructed in a contemporary style, With waterfalls painted and etched on its surface, the Twin Falls Idaho Temple stands as a reminder of waters that quench both physical and spiritual thirst.

Cladding

The exterior is made of 282  precast concrete panels and a quartz rock finish.

Windows

A Syringa flower motif, created by Utah 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.

There is one inscription on the Twin Falls Idaho Temple. It is on the east face, on the spire, above the entrance. The text of the inscription is engraved in the concrete and unadorned.

The Cornerstone for the Twin Falls Idaho temple is on the south east corner of the temple facing east. Like the inscription the text is engraved into the precast panel, and is unadorned.

Standing at approximately 159 feet (48 m) tall,^[9]Coltrain, Nick (May 31, 2007), “Moving Moroni: Twin Falls LDS temple gets famous statue; outside nearly complete”, Times-News (Lee Enterprises), retrieved October 16, 2012

as of 2009 the temple is the tallest building in Twin Falls.^[10] New Twin Falls LDS temple set for opening

On Wednesday, May 30, 2007, a 13½-foot gold-leafed statue of the angel Moroni was set in place atop the single spire of the temple. Though efforts were made to keep news of the Moroni raising quiet, hundreds of spectators and cameras crowded the temple the day of the event eager to catch a glimpse of Moroni’s ascent. Once the statue was in place and the crane pulled away, a spontaneous eruption of cheers and whistles filled the air. Seventeen-year-old Kelsee Nebeker said the installation of Moroni marked a milestone for the temple and for Twin Falls: “It just represents everything we have been hoping and waiting for.”^[11]Coltrain, Nick (May 31, 2007), “Moving Moroni: Twin Falls LDS temple gets famous statue; outside nearly complete”, Times-News (Lee Enterprises), retrieved October 16, 2012

The statue is a fiberglass casting of a statue carved in 1985 by Karl Quilter. The statue is gilded and was placed on the spire facing east.

The interior of the temple features 2 instruction rooms in a 2 stage progressive style endowment. There are 3 sealing rooms in the temple.

Although African wood, Indian granite and other international building materials beautify the interior of the temple, the temple also reflects the native landscape.

Shoshone Falls also graces a mural within the temple, painted by Idaho artist Leon Parson. In a nod to Idaho’s state flower, the temple’s windows include images of the delicate white syringa. Outside, cascading fountains add to the serenity and beauty of the temple grounds.

Entry

text

text

text

text

Creation Room

text-images

Garden Room

text-images

World Room

text-images

Terrestrial Room

text-images

text-images

text-images

Big-D Cponstruction was the general contractor

Holdman Studios did the Art Glass for this temple