Temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Ephraim Utah Temple

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Photo:  Pam Langton Wright

Ephraim Utah Temple Welcome Center Hours Extended

The missionary couple overseeing the Ephraim Utah Temple have extended the regular operating hours of the Welcome Center during the open house of the Manti Utah Temple, located just 7 miles south of Ephraim on Highway 89. Visitors can hear about the construction progress and receive activity books for their children. Stone cladding is making progress on the north and east sides of the temple.
Photo:  Linda Hill

Exterior Cladding Progress at the Ephraim Utah Temple

On the south side of the Ephraim Utah Temple, cream-colored sandstone panels are being hung on the waterproofed exterior walls. Each side of the temple features a series of upper arched windows and lower rectangular windows separated by pilasters. Visitors to the construction site are encouraged to stop by the Welcome Center where the missionary couple will answer questions and present photographs of the construction process.
Photo:  Robert Henningson

Stone Cladding of the Ephraim Utah Temple Begins

At the southeast corner of the Ephraim Utah Temple, work has begun on securing granite and sandstone panels to the exterior surfaces of the building. Along the southern edge of the property, a solid precast concrete fence is being installed, providing privacy for the adjoining neighbors. The two matching parking lots at the front of the temple will also serve as patron drop-off zones. The strip between the two lots will be landscaped.
Photo:  Robert Henningson

Enclosing the Ephraim Utah Temple

With winter fast approaching, glass is being installed in the window openings of the Ephraim Utah Temple to enclose the structure and allow work to progress on the interior. Sheathing boards continue to be attached to the exterior studs, and a dark sealant is being applied. Materials are being staged on the roof where they are more accessible to the crews. Work has begun on manufacturing the domes that will top the steeples.
Photo:  Robert Henningson

Paving the Parking Lots at the Ephraim Utah Temple Site

A recent aerial photograph of the Ephraim Utah Temple site shows the asphalt being paved for the driveways and parking lots. A connecting lane has been paved between these new parking lots and the meetinghouse parking lot, which will serve as overflow parking for temple patrons. Framing and sheathing continues for the temple including a rear portico with three arches that bookends the front portico.
Photo:  Robert Henningson

Ephraim Utah Temple Steeple Frame Rising

Framing for the steeple of the Ephraim Utah Temple has been assembled over the west end of the building. The octagonal structure will feature a stained-glass window in each of the eight walls and support a faceted dome with a lantern and finial. A dome will also sit over east end where the celestial room is located. Curbing has been poured, defining the parking areas on the east and west sides of the property.
Photo:  Robert Henningson

Curbing Poured at the Ephraim Utah Temple Site

With heavy steel framing in place for the Ephraim Utah Temple, light-gauge steel is going up to frame the exterior walls and window openings for the building. Sheathing of the exterior walls has also begun. Behind the temple, concrete curbing has been poured for the future driveways and parking lots. Construction of a concrete block maintenance building is well underway, alongside two smaller enclosures.
Photo:  Robert Henningson

Concrete Slab Poured for the Second Floor of the Ephraim Utah Temple

Heavy framing for the Ephraim Utah Temple has reached the mechanical level that sits on top of the second story. The floor slab for the second level has been poured in sections, and corrugated decking for the roof has been installed. The main support columns for the base of the steeple are in place, and light framing for the exterior walls and windows has begun on the north and south sides.
Photo:  Robert Henningson

Structural Framing Progress for the Ephraim Utah Temple

Heavy framing for the Ephraim Utah Temple is well underway. Corrugated metal decking panels are being installed on the second floor, which will support the weight of the concrete floor slab. A black and white crane with a long telescoping boom is used to carry heavy materials and to position the steel. The meetinghouse adjacent to the temple site houses five young single adult wards.
Photo:  Robert Henningson

Structural Framing for the Ephraim Utah Temple Underway

Structural framing for the Ephraim Utah Temple began at the end of last month and is making steady progress. Steel columns rise through diamond-shaped openings in the concrete floor slab. The temple will be the second constructed in the Sanpete Valley, joining the historic Manti Utah Temple in serving the faithful membership. The town was named after the Tribe of Ephraim—one of the tribes of Israel from the Old Testament.
Photo:  Robert Henningson

Pouring the Ground Floor Slab for the Ephraim Utah Temple

Cement, water, and aggregate are churned in a concrete mixer north of the Ephraim Utah Temple. The resulting liquid is extracted by a pump truck and carried to the awaiting concrete crew. Most of the ground floor slab for the temple has cured with just the northwest portion remaining. The excavation west of the temple has been covered in tarps.
Photo:  Robert Henningson

Installing Foundation Footings for the Ephraim Utah Temple

Under-slab plumbing is being roughed for the Ephraim Utah Temple while concrete footings are poured for the foundation. A floor deck is being installed around the baptismal font, and the first steel columns have been erected. Dozens of catch basins are staged on site, ready to become part of the property's drainage system. In front of the temple, a large area has been excavated.
Photo:  Robert Henningson

Forming the Baptismal Font Enclosure in the Ephraim Utah Temple

The basement walls for the Ephraim Utah Temple have been installed, and forming is underway for the baptismal font enclosure walls. Catch basins and other components of the drainage system are being placed at designated locations around the site. The community of Ephraim is home to several thousand residents, many of whom are students at Snow College.
Photo:  Robert Henningson

Building the Basement for the Ephraim Utah Temple

Footings and floor slabs have been poured for the basement of the Ephraim Utah Temple including an octagonal-shaped footing for the baptismal font. The partial basement sits at the rear of the building below the main floor baptistry. Crews are forming the walls for the basement while rough plumbing progresses. Construction trailers sit behind the excavation area where the parking lot will be located.
Photo:  Robert Henningson

Backfilling and Compacting Soil for the Ephraim Utah Temple

Dump trucks are backfilling the excavation pit for the Ephraim Utah Temple with rows of fill dirt that are packed down by compacting equipment. Compression of the soil increases its bearing capacity so that it can better support the weight of the structure built on it. Ground was broken for the temple last summer, but work has been limited to site preparation until the contractor can begin construction in the spring.
Photo:  Robert Henningson

Excavation Pit Completed for the Ephraim Utah Temple

A tidy, tarp-lined excavation pit has been created for the foundation of the Ephraim Utah Temple. A sloping dirt ramp connects the dirt mound to the east with the excavation area, providing access for heavy machinery. The temple site is seen here from 400 East, looking east toward the mountains. The temple will stand near the campus of Snow College, which was named after Lorenzo Snow—the fifth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Photo:  Robert Henningson

Excavation for the Ephraim Utah Temple Foundation

Excavators have created a large depression for the foundation of the Ephraim Utah Temple as seen from the street that runs in front of the site. The temple will be set back from the street, closer to the meetinghouse that sits on 100 North. The main parking area will be behind the temple, next to the meetinghouse parking. The front portion of the property will be landscaped as formal grounds, providing wonderful picture-taking opportunities.
Photo:  Tim Lafferty

Earthworks Underway for the Ephraim Utah Temple

Earth-moving equipment is excavating and grading the site for the future Ephraim Utah Temple. The sloped property will be terraced to create flat platforms for the temple, parking, and formal grounds. The groundbreaking ceremony was held five weeks ago on Saturday, August 27. Church President Russell M. Nelson surprised the gathered crowd by presiding and speaking at the services, which had not been announced beforehand.
Photo:  Intellectual Reserve, Inc.

President Nelson Presides at the Ephraim Utah Temple Groundbreaking

President Russell M. Nelson, whose family helped settle the Sanpete Valley in 1849, presided at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Ephraim Utah Temple on Saturday, August 27, 2022. Explaining his connection to the area, he said: "My dear mother was born in Ephraim, not far from this very temple site. My father was born in Manti. Three of my four grandparents were born here in Ephraim. All eight of my great-grandparents lived in Ephraim." In his site dedicatory prayer, he prayed, "We are deeply grateful for our ancestors. They have laid a foundation of faith that undergirds our spiritual strength. May we learn who they are, find their qualifying information, and bless their lives with sacred rites offered vicariously in this holy house."
Photo:  Intellectual Reserve, Inc.

Date Set for the Ephraim Utah Temple Groundbreaking

Elder Walter F. Gonzalez of the Quorum of the Seventy will preside at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Ephraim Utah Temple on Saturday, August 27, 2022. The 39,000-square-foot temple will be constructed on a 9.16-acre site at the corner of 200 North and 400 East in Ephraim. Plans for the temple were announced by President Russell M. Nelson (via video) at a press conference held inside the Manti Tabernacle on May 1, 2021.
Photo:  Intellectual Reserve, Inc.

Exterior Rendering Released for the Ephraim Utah Temple

The public received its first look at the design for the Ephraim Utah Temple on Friday, March 4, 2022. The official exterior rendering was released for the two-story temple of approximately 39,000 square feet that will be constructed at the intersection of 200 North and 400 East. The classically proportioned temple features two historic-looking domes, ornate stained glass, arched windows, and a beautiful arched portico.
Photo:  Google

Ephraim Utah Temple Location Announced

The location of the Ephraim Utah Temple, announced by President Russell M. Nelson in May 2021, has been announced. The temple will be constructed on a 9.16-acre site at the intersection of 200 North and 400 East. The two-story temple will be approximately 39,000 square feet. As more detailed plans for the temple are developed, project leaders will work with city officials on preliminary approvals and renderings will be released. No groundbreaking date has been set.
Photo:  Intellectual Reserve, Inc.

President Nelson Announces Plans for the Ephraim Utah Temple

President Russell M. Nelson announced the construction of the Ephraim Utah Temple in a prerecorded message played at a press conference held inside the Manti Tabernacle on Saturday, May 1. Elder Kevin R. Duncan, Executive Director of the Temple Department, provided additional details. He said the temple will be similar in size to the Brigham City Utah Temple, which is approximately 36,000 square feet. The temple in Ephraim will serve some 30,000 Latter-day Saints and have four 30-seat endowment rooms, three sealing rooms, and one baptismal font. Endowment sessions will be offered every half hour. Bishop W. Christopher Waddell of the Presiding Bishopric said the site and design of the temple will be released later and that construction will take two years once the design and permitting process has concluded. "Every new temple built upon the earth brings with it an increase of Christlike service, goodness and love of God and of neighbor," said Elder Duncan. "We are especially thrilled that, similar to students who attend other colleges and universities, students who attend Snow College will now have an easily accessible temple in which to serve and worship."