MANTI, Utah – President Russell M. Nelson announced that a new temple will be built in Ephraim, Utah to allow the Church to preserve the pioneer craftsmanship of the Manti Utah Temple.

The announcement was made at a special Manti Area Special Broadcast from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Saturday morning for members of all the stakes in the area.

President Nelson made the announcement by video from Salt Lake City.

Renderings and the location of the temple were not yet determined, but Bishop W. Christopher Waddell from the Presiding Bishopric said it was expected to be built within walking distance for students.

Elder Kevin R. Duncan said the building would be comparable to the size of the Brigham City Utah Temple. It would include four endowment rooms with 30 seats each, three sealing rooms and one baptismal font.

Endowment sessions were expected to start every 30 minutes once the temple is in operation, compared to one session every hour in the Manti Utah Temple.

Elder Duncan said the endowment session would be available in over 90 languages.

The Ephraim Utah Temple was the 252^nd temple announced, in operation or under construction and 27^th in Utah. The Ephraim and Manti temples will be about 7 miles apart.

Church officials said the temple will take around two years to build. An estimated date for the start of construction was not available.

The announcement makes it possible to preserve much of the pioneer handiwork in the Manti Utah Temple. Plans will be modified to allow the craftsmanship and murals to remain in place.

— KSL 5 TV (@KSL5TV) May 1, 2021

Changes To Manti Renovation Project

They further announced that the Manti Temple will close for renovation on Oct. 1.

Bishop Waddell said it was the fifth temple announced in June 1875, and completed over a decade later in May 1888 – 133 years ago.

It was the only temple dedicated by then-President Lorenzo Snow.

He cited the dedication of pioneers from the surrounding area who helped with construction – particularly several workers who walked from Ephraim, seven miles away.

The scope of the original plans for the 18 to 24 months long renovation project have been scaled back to allow for the preservation of the temple, they said, though mechanical and electrical upgrades were needed to keep the structure operating for years to come.

Officials said changes made to the initial project would honor pioneer forebearers.

While both structures were undergoing construction, officials said Church members within the temple district were free to attend a temple of their choosing. Manti Temple volunteers were given the option to assist at the Payson or Cedar City temples, depending on the needs of each and their availability to travel.

Upon completion, there was expected to be an open house and dedication for both temples.

21 New Temples Now Announced In 2021

The addition of the Ephraim Utah Temple news brought the total number of new structures announced to 21. Earlier in the month, President Nelson announced the construction of 20 new temples. Those temples include the following locations:

• Oslo, Norway
• Brussels, Belgium
• Vienna, Austria
• Kumasi, Ghana
• Beira, Mozambique
• Cape Town, South Africa
• Singapore, Republic of Singapore
• Belo Horizonte, Brazil
• Cali, Colombia
• Querétaro, México
• Torreón, México
• Helena, Montana
• Casper, Wyoming
• Grand Junction, Colorado
• Farmington, New Mexico
• Burley, Idaho
• Eugene, Oregon
• Elko, Nevada
• Yorba Linda, California
• Smithfield, Utah

Temple Growth & Proximity 

The Church has 160 temples in operation, with another 8 closed for renovation, 35 under construction and now an additional 49 buildings announced.

The Manti and Ephraim Temples would join a handful of other temples within 10 miles of one another.

The Jordan River and Oquirrh Mountain Temples in South Jordan were built just over 4 miles apart – and were the first two temples built in the same city. The Taylorsville Utah Temple was around 10 miles away from both, and just over 10 miles from the Salt Lake Utah Temple.

The Provo and Provo City Center were located just over three miles apart. With the addition of the Orem Temple under construction near Utah Valley University and announced Lindon Utah Temple, all four temples would be within 10 miles of one another.

Additionally, the Lindon Temple was under construction just over 7 miles from the Mount Timpanogos Utah Temple.

The Red Cliffs Utah Temple was under construction just 4.5 miles from the St. George Utah Temple, which was also undergoing renovations.

The Smithfield Temple would be the second in Cache Valley, just around 8 miles north of the Logan Utah Temple.

Also under construction in the Beehive State were temples in Layton, Saratoga Springs, Syracuse and the Deseret Peak Utah Temple in Tooele.

Groundbreaking for a temple in Syracuse was announced for June.