The Manti Utah Temple Is Opening for Public Tours

The open house for the Manti Utah Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is underway in Manti, Utah, following renovation.

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Media attended a news conference and tour of the house of the Lord on Monday, March 11, 2024. Those participating in the event included Elder Hugo E. Martinez, General Authority Seventy and First Counselor, Utah Area Presidency; Elder Jonathan S. Schmitt, General Authority Seventy and assistant executive director, Priesthood and Family Department and the Temple Department; and Relief Society General President Camille N. Johnson.

“Our main message is to be sure that we share the message of the importance of the temple in growing in our discipleship of Jesus Christ,” said Elder Martinez.

“The temple will help us fulfill the purpose of our existence here on earth. We come here to acquire a body and to be tested and to grow and to become better persons. As we become disciples of Jesus Christ, we can fulfill that purpose,” said Nuria Martinez.

“There is a beautiful depiction of the Savior as the shepherd holding a lamb and, of course, He is the Lamb of God, a beautiful reminder of why we're here in the house of the Lord, to make covenants with God and through the ordinances that are performed here have the opportunity to return to our heavenly home because of our Savior,” shared President Johnson.

“What a wonderful opportunity as we come to this temple, which is so beautiful to see beyond the artwork and the furnishings and to see into the hearts of these pioneers,” added Elder Schmitt.

“We regard a temple as the most sacred structure in the Church,” said Church President and Prophet Russell M. Nelson at the April 2019 general conference after announcing the Manti Utah Temple renovation. “As we speak of our temples old and new, may each of us signify by our actions that we are true disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ. May we renovate our lives through our faith and trust in Him.”

The public open house for the historic temple in central Utah will run from Thursday, March 14, through Friday, April 5, 2024, excluding Sundays. The temple rededication will be held on Sunday, April 21, 2024.

Free reservations can be scheduled online.

“This is a wonderful opportunity to invite everyone. Certainly, we want to invite members of the Church, but also all of our friends, all of our neighbors, all of the members of the community,” said Elder Schmitt.

Most of the current renovations have been to upgrade building systems and support spaces in the annex and to preserve the sacred structure. A new entrance and gathering space were added on the north side of the annex along with a bride-and-groom exit. The landscape was upgraded with new plants and trees throughout the site.

Most interior improvements were completed in support areas of the temple, including a new marriage waiting room; additional lockers in dressing areas; and refreshed carpet, paint, and furniture in selected areas. Other interior changes included updated mechanical and plumbing systems and laundry equipment.

Highly skilled art conservators meticulously restored historical murals throughout the temple.

Manti Temple History

Church President Brigham Young sent a group of more than 220 Latter-day Saints to settle in the Sanpete Valley in 1849. They first camped where the Manti temple would eventually stand.

"One thing I love about the Manti temple is the way that it sits in this valley, that when you drive in, you have this beacon, this light on the hill," said Emily Utt, Church historic sites curator. 

The Manti Utah Temple has served the Latter-day Saints of the Sanpete Valley in central Utah for over 135 years. Architect William Folsom designed the pioneer-era temple. It was originally dedicated in 1888 after 11 years of construction.

The Manti Utah Temple is one of the Church’s 28 houses of the Lord dedicated or under construction or renovation in Utah. A new temple is being built in the nearby community of Ephraim.

Temples of the Church of Jesus Christ are different from meetinghouses or chapels where members gather for Sunday worship services. A temple is considered a house of the Lord, where the teachings of Jesus Christ are reaffirmed through marriage, baptism and other ceremonies that unite families for eternity.