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 plummeted; 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.
For more information on the Mormon Church of Temples please see the following: