| Twin Falls Idaho Temple | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Twin Falls Temple during public Open House event, 15 August 2007. |
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| Number | 128 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Dedication | 24 August 2008 by Thomas S. Monson |
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| Site | 9.1 acres (3.7 hectares) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Floor area | 29,679 sq ft (2,757 m2) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 159 ft (48 m) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Panamá City Panamá Temple | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Followed by | Draper Utah Temple | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Official website • News & Images | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Twin Falls Idaho Temple is a temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints located in Twin Falls, Idaho, just south of the Snake River Canyon. It became the fourth LDS temple in the state when it was dedicated in August 2008, and the second temple dedicated in Idaho that year. Standing at approximately 159 feet (48 m)[4] tall, as of 2009 the temple is the tallest building in Twin Falls.[5]
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LDS 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 October 2, 2004, to serve the thousands of members who live in southern Idaho between the Boise and Idaho Falls Temples.
Rumors of the temple started several weeks before 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 in regard to traffic and parking when the time came to present plans to the city. Many other residents, both members and nonmembers alike, heartily welcomed the news, excited at the prospect of a fourth temple for Idaho.
The Twin Falls Planning and Zoning Commission approved the necessary permits for the building of the temple on November 8, 2005. The commission approved a special-use permit for a temple and meetinghouse and also approved a variance for the temple to exceed the city's 35-foot (11 m) maximum height limit. The commission's approval allowed the Church to move to the next stages of planning and to address parking concerns expressed by Commission members, who worried that the 300-space parking lot may be insufficient.
Plans for the temple, inspired by nearby Shoshone Falls, were unveiled on Thursday, October 6, 2005, at a press conference held in the former Candleridge Golf Course clubhouse. The stunning model on display showcased the white two-story temple, which was capped with a gold-leafed angel Moroni atop a spire rising 159 feet (48 m) in the air on May 30, 2007 — making it the highest point in the area. Also sharing the 9.1-acre (37,000 m2) complex will be a new one-story stake center, over 300 parking spaces, and charming tree-lined boulevards and gardens. The Church, which went to great lengths to minimize the worries of neighbors, contracted with developer Ken Edmunds to subdivide the balance of the 36-acre (150,000 m2) plot to complement the existing neighborhood.
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. Stake presidents and their families comprised most of the audience at the invitation-only event. When completed, the temple will serve approximately 50,000 area Church members.
The Twin Falls Temple held an open house and conducted tours from July 11, 2008 until August 15, 2008, excluding Sundays.[6] The church reported that visitors during the open house totaled nearly 160,000 approximately 60% of whom were members of the church.[7] The temple was dedicated on August 24, 2008 in 4 sessions.[6] A cultural Celebration took place at the Twin Falls County Fairgrounds the evening preceding the dedication. 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, is the first President.
A cornerstone session and four dedicatory sessions took place on Sunday August 24, 2008. LDS Church President Thomas S. Monson presided at the dedication and was assisted by other General Authorities of the Church, including President Henry B. Eyring, and Elders Quentin L. Cook and Claudio R. M. Costa, of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and Presidency of the Seventy respectively. Due to overwhelming interest and limited seating in the temple, the final session was broadcast to various church buildings throughout Idaho.
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