Hundreds attend groundbreaking of second Latter-day Saint temple in Rexburg

Elder Ricardo P. Gimenez, center, on pinch his woman and different religion members statement up for nan ceremonial turning of nan ungraded during nan Teton River Temple groundbreaking. Watch highlights of nan arena successful nan video above. | Rett Nelson, EastIdahoNews.com

REXBURG – The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints officially collapsed crushed connected its 2nd temple successful Rexburg Saturday morning.

The three-story, 100,000-square-foot Teton River Temple will beryllium built connected a 16.6 acre parcel astatine North Second East and Moody Drive crossed nan thoroughfare from Walmart, conscionable complete 3 miles from nan Rexburg Temple that was dedicated successful 2008.

RELATED | Latter-day Saint leaders will break crushed connected 2nd Rexburg temple this weekend

Elder Ricardo P. Giménez, a General Authority Seventy and 2nd counsellor successful nan North America Central Area presidency, presided complete nan ceremonial pinch hundreds of religion members successful attendance.

“Our hearts are filled pinch joyousness and reverence arsenic we stitchery to commemorate nan monumental juncture of a 2nd temple being erected successful this typical onshore of Rexburg, Idaho,” Gimenez said during a dedicatory prayer.

The 52-year-old from Chile, South America blessed nan tract during nan temple’s building that it would beryllium “protected and hallowed” and that each personification who plays a domiciled successful its completion would consciousness inspired and guided successful their responsibilities.

LDS General Authority Ricardo P. Gimenez during an question and reply pinch section media pursuing Saturday’s groundbreaking. | Rett Nelson, EastIdahoNews.com

Latter-day Saint temples disagree from nan meetinghouses aliases chapels wherever members meet for Sunday believe services. A temple, according to a news merchandise from nan church, is considered a “house of nan Lord,” wherever Christ’s teachings are reaffirmed done marriage, baptism, and different ordinances that merge families for eternity. Inside, members study much astir nan intent of life and make covenants to service Jesus Christ and their fellowman.

During nan groundbreaking, Gimenez explained nan temple “is a beatified place” wherever religion members believe Jesus Christ and “remember what he has done for them.”

“If location is thing that I dream … you will retrieve astir this time is nan emotion our Heavenly Father and Savior has for you,” Gimenez told nan crowd. “Their utmost desire for each 1 of america is to return location and beryllium pinch them forever.”

“Our connection is that Jesus Christ lives,” Gimenez added.

Others who said astatine nan arena see Brent Kinghorn, a religion personnel from Sugar City and a erstwhile personnel of nan presidency for nan Rexburg Temple.

During his remarks, Kinghorn took statement of nan temple’s sanction and said it’s fitting because it “will beryllium successful nan halfway of an land betwixt nan 2 forks of nan Teton River.”

It’s not clear why this circumstantial location was selected, but Kinghorn suggested nan activity of h2o that engulfed nan area during nan illness of nan Teton Dam successful 1976 “cleansed this location for a early temple.”

RELATED | Museum of Rexburg invites organization to 4th yearly Teton Dam flood commemoration

Temple building will statesman Monday. It’s expected to return up to 3 years to complete. A nationalist unfastened location and circuit of nan temple will beryllium announced arsenic nan completion day gets closer.

Once it’s dedicated, only members pinch an ecclesiastical endorsement are allowed to enter.

Rendering of nan Teton River Temple connected show astatine nan groundbreaking. | Rett Nelson, EastIdahoNews.com

The Teton River Temple was announced successful Oct. 2021 by religion President Russell M. Nelson and will guidelines adjacent successful size to immoderate of nan largest temples successful nan world, according to a truth expanse provided to section media. The Salk Lake City Temple, which is presently being renovated, is nan largest temple astatine 382,207 quadrate feet.

This will beryllium nan 5th temple successful eastbound Idaho and nan ninth successful nan Gem State. The Idaho Falls Temple is nan state’s oldest temple.

RELATED | LDS Church holds ceremonial temple groundbreaking

Church leaders collapsed crushed connected a 27,000-square ft temple successful Montpelier past year. The Pocatello temple was dedicated successful 2021.

RELATED | Pocatello LDS temple dedicated pinch cornerstone ceremony

Idaho is location to much than 470,000 Latter-day Saints successful complete 1,200 congregations. The Teton River Temple is expected to service religion members from Rexburg to Island Park.

Though much than 90% of Rexburg’s full organization are Latter-day Saints, Mayor Jerry Merrill, who is simply a personnel of nan church, tells EastIdahoNews.com nan temple will use each personnel of nan community.

“It conscionable makes group effort to beryllium amended people, astatine slightest I dream it does,” Merrill says. “It’s a spot of bid and I deliberation (that’s why) group who aren’t members for illustration surviving here.”

Worldwide religion rank is 17,225,394, according to the latest data. As of April 1, nan LDS Church has 335 temples successful various stages of construction. Of those, 189 person been dedicated.

WATCH HIGHLIGHTS OF THE GROUNDBREAKING IN THE VIDEO ABOVE.