Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles dedicated the Ephraim Utah Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Sunday, Oct. 11. During the dedication, Rasband described the site as sacred ground that would change the community of Ephraim and the surrounding temple district.
The Ephraim Utah Temple is the Church's 223rd dedicated temple. The Miraflores Guatemala City Guatemala Temple was also dedicated on Sunday, becoming the 224th temple for the organization. The temple is located at 200 N. 400 E., Ephraim, Utah, on a 9.2-acre property. The building stands 156.67 feet tall, including the spire, and covers 41,680 square feet.
Rasband noted that temple work focuses on the gathering of Israel on both sides of the veil. He suggested that the city's namesake, the tribe of Ephraim from the Old Testament, holds a primary responsibility for this gathering. He also mentioned that students at nearby Snow College will have opportunities to participate in the gathering through missions and temple service.
The dedication was attended by several Church leaders and their spouses, including Sister Melanie Rasband; Elder K. Brett Nattress, General Authority Seventy and assistant executive director of the Temple Department, and his wife, Sister Shawna Nattress; Elder Thierry K. Mutombo, General Authority Seventy, and his wife, Sister Nathalie Mutombo; Elder Thabo Lebethoa, General Authority Seventy and member of the Utah Area presidency, and his wife, Sister Andronica Lebethoa; and Bishop L. Todd Budge, first counselor in the Presiding Bishopric, and his wife, Sister Lori Budge.
Sister Wendy Nelson, wife of the late President Russell M. Nelson, also attended the ceremony. The temple was originally announced by President Nelson on May 1, 2021, via a prerecorded video. He had reportedly received instruction from the Lord to build a new temple in Ephraim.
The Ephraim temple is located approximately 120 miles south of Salt Lake City. For residents of the Sanpete Valley, the new temple provides a second location near the existing Manti Utah Temple.
Currently, Utah has 32 temples operating, under construction, announced, or undergoing renovation. This includes 25 dedicated temples, two undergoing extensive renovations—the Salt Lake Temple and the Provo Utah Rock Canyon Temple—two in the construction phase (Smithfield and Heber Valley), and four in the planning and design stages for West Jordan, Lehi, Price, and Spanish Fork.
The temple held a public open house from Sept. 2 through Sept. 19, 2026, excluding Sundays, prior to its official dedication.
