President Nelson Rededicates Manti Utah Temple

President Russell M. Nelson of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints rededicated the Manti Utah Temple in an evening session on Sunday, April 21, 2024. The prophet of the worldwide Church arrived earlier in the day in Sanpete County in central Utah, the home of his pioneer ancestors who helped settle the valley.

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“We build temples to honor the Lord,” said President Nelson during the rededication. “They are built for worship and not for show. We make sacred covenants of eternal significance inside these sacred walls.”

He continued, “We rejoice in this renewed temple. … And we cherish the blessings that come from obedience to the solemn promises made here.”

In the prayer, the prophet said, “We thank Thee for Thy beloved Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and our Redeemer. We are grateful that, because of His Atonement, we have the possibility of eternal life with Thee and with our families.”

“We rededicate this magnificent temple to Thee from its foundation to its towers. We rededicate each room for its intended and sacred purpose,” President Nelson said.

President Nelson was joined at the rededication ceremony by his wife, Wendy; Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and his wife, Melanie; Elder Kevin W. Pearson, Utah Area President, and his wife, June; and Elder Kevin R. Duncan, executive director of the Church’s Temple Department, and his wife, Nancy.

President Nelson’s father was from Manti and his mother was from nearby Ephraim, where he presided over the groundbreaking of the Ephraim Utah Temple in August 2022. His grandparents and great-grandparents also have ties to the Sanpete Valley.

"This sacred temple is particularly special to me because my family history is so closely connected to it," said Elder Rasband. "By divine design, the Manti Utah Temple is built on sacred land and has been consecrated by those who for more than a century have faithfully made and kept sacred covenants."

An open house for the renovated Manti temple was held from mid-March through early April to allow the public to come and see the house of the Lord.

Manti Utah Temple History

Refurbishment of the Manti Utah Temple began in 2021 after President Nelson announced the renovation of the historic structure in April 2019. The renovation included mechanical updates and other changes, in preparation for future generations. Work was also done to preserve the original murals inside the temple.

Original plans to construct the temple in Manti were announced by then-President Brigham Young on June 25, 1875. Ground was broken on April 25, 1877, and Wilford Woodruff, then president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, dedicated the temple in a private service on May 21, 1888. A public dedication was held a few days later under the direction of Elder Lorenzo Snow.

This is the second renovation of the Manti Utah Temple. In June 1985, President Gordon B. Hinckley of the First Presidency rededicated the Manti Temple after its initial renovation.

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Temples in Utah

Temples currently in operation in Utah are found in American Fork (Mount Timpanogos), Bountiful, Brigham City, Cedar City, Draper, Logan, Manti, Monticello, Ogden, Orem, Payson, Provo (Provo City Center), Saratoga Springs, South Jordan (Jordan River and Oquirrh Mountain), St. George (Red Cliffs and St. George) and Vernal.

New temples under construction in Utah are those in Ephraim, Heber Valley, Lindon, Smithfield, Syracuse and Tooele (Deseret Peak). The Provo Utah Rock Canyon Temple and Salt Lake Temple are currently under renovation.

The Taylorsville Utah Temple will be dedicated on June 2, 2024, by Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. On June 16, 2024, the Layton Utah Temple will be dedicated by Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

President Russell M. Nelson announced the construction of the Lehi Utah Temple and the West Jordan Utah Temple on April 7, 2024.

There are 350 temples in operation, under construction or announced around the world.

Utah, the Church’s world headquarters, is home to nearly 2.2 million Latter-day Saints, or nearly two-thirds of the state’s population, in more than 5,400 congregations.

Latter-day Saints consider temples to be houses of the Lord and the most sacred places of worship on the earth. The primary purpose of temples is for faithful members of the Church to receive peace, inspiration, and spiritual power as they enter into sacred agreements with God in His holy house.

Church News Read President Nelson’s blessing upon the Manti Utah Temple during rededication