Boise Idaho Mormon Temple

“Each [Mormon] Temple stands as a witness to the faith of the Latter-day Saints (Mormons) that life is eternal, that death is not the end, that the soul of man lives on, and that we shall continue to live and function as individuals when we pass through the veil of death. Each of these buildings bears witness to our conviction that Jesus is the Christ, the living Son of the living God, and that all are beneficiaries of his redeeming sacrifice, that his resurrection was a reality, and that all may partake of the resurrection made possible through him,” spoke President Gordon B. Hinckley prior to the dedication of the Boise Idaho Mormon Temple.1

Mormon leaders discussed building a Mormon Temple in the western section of Idaho as early as 1939. But with the majority of the membership in the eastern part of Idaho, the leaders decided against it and concentrated on building a Mormon Temple in Idaho Falls, Idaho. Members were told that a temple would be built when the membership of the Church increased substantially.

Forty-five years later, Church leaders announced that a Temple would be built in the Boise area. Church leaders wanted a site that would be easily accessible to travelers. After considering numerous locations, they decided on a property that was near an exit from Interstate 84. This location was ideal for those traveling along the highway, as well as a visible landmark for pilots at the nearby airport.

The Boise Idaho Temple was the first Mormon Temple to have six-spires and would serve as a pattern for fourteen other Temples which would be built between the years of 1984 and 1989. The six-spired Temple was designed to maximize efficiency and space and would be built at a much lower cost and in a shorter amount of time.

Seventy thousand visitors were expected to tour the Temple during the nineteen-day open house. Instead, over 128,000 attended. Because of the open house, interest in the Mormon Church increased; thirty people joined the Church in response to the feelings that they felt when touring. “We’ve had people call us here at the office and ask how they could get their families baptized,” said Elder Adam Titus, a spokesman for the Idaho Boise Mission. “They were very impressed with the Temple.”1

After the dedication of the Boise Idaho Temple in 1984, attendance at the Temple was much higher than expected. So in October 1986, the Temple was closed for renovation.1 After opening in 1987, the Temple was able to serve more than 100,000 members in southwestern Idaho and part of eastern Oregon.

Updates

In May 2011, leaders of the LDS Church announced that the Boise Temple would soon close for renovations.

The Boise Idaho Mormon Temple  was renovated and an open house was scheduled prior to the rededication of the temple.  The public was invited to visit the temple during an open house from Saturday, 13 October through 10 November 2012, excluding Sundays. Free reservations for the open house could be made through the www.boisemormontemple.org website before the open house.

The rededication ceremony was scheduled for Sunday 18 November 2012 in three sessions. In conjunction with the rededication of the temple,  a cultural celebration featuring music and dance was scheduled for Saturday, 17 November 2012.  Traditionally, thousands of Latter-day Saints, especially local Mormon youth participate in such cultural events.

On November 18, 2012, a Sunday morning, the Boise Temple was rededicated as a House of the Lord by LDS Church President and Prophet Thomas S. Monson.  The Cultural celebration, held the day before, featured  4,000 dancers, 99 fiddlers and a choir of more than 1,000 singers. The theme of the celebration, “Treasure the Light,” was the inspiration of a representative group of youth leaders who believe that they are who they are today because of the rich heritage of faith, hope and love given to them by their parents, grandparents and all who have gone before them (Meridian Magazine).

The temple’s darker exterior has been replaced with white granite. A new gold-leafed statue of the angel Moroni sits atop the temple’s tallest spire. The temple’s interior now features a syringa flower and trees motif, which can be seen in the art glass and decorative painting. Beautiful grained hardwoods from Africa and the United States add warmth and ambiance.

Mailing address:
1211 South Cole Road
Boise, Idaho 83709-1871
United States
Phone:   208-322-4422

For more information on the Mormon Church or temples please see the following:

Mormon belief
Mormon Temples

Please read an article about a youth cultural celebration that will include some 7,000 youth volunteers  from the Boise Temple District from 31 Church Stakes (or groups of congregations) who will be performing cultural dance and song for the Prophet, President Thomas S. Monson, at the Taco Bell Arena, on Saturday, 17 November 2012. The Boise Idaho Mormon Temple, the LDS Church’s 27th operating temple, is scheduled to be rededicated the following day, on Sunday, 18 November 2012. An open house of the temple is currently underway and the public is welcomed to “come and see” inside the temple until 10 November 2012. After that date, only those with valid temple recommends will be allowed to enter the doors of this sacred House of the Lord. The Boise Idaho Temple reopens for ordinance work on Monday, November 19, by invitation, and Tuesday, November 20, for all patrons.

1 “Ensign”, LDS magazine; Cazier; Aug 1984; p76