For the past two years, work has steadily continued on the Pocatello temple, despite global pandemic restrictions and a struggling economy. For members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, temples are a sacred space where special religious ceremonies are performed and members of the church go to feel at peace.
Access to these spaces is usually limited to members of the church who have ecclesiastical approval (also known as a recommend) to go inside. The ecclesiastical approval is given after an interview with members’ bishops or other local church leaders. However, for the next month, anyone and everyone is able to go inside and tour the temple.
At a special media event hosted by the church on Sept. 13, Elder Gary E. Stevenson opened the temple to the media for a tour of the building. Stevenson is a member of the church’s Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, a governing body within the church. As a member of that organization, Stevenson was chosen to open the media meeting as an assignment from the prophet of the church.
According to Stevenson, there are currently 170 temples operating around the world. The Pocatello Temple is the sixth temple in Idaho. Others are located in Boise, Meridian, Twin Falls, Idaho Falls and Rexburg. A temple to be built in Burley, Idaho was recently announced.
As with other temples in Idaho, the Pocatello temple has many accents that pay homage both to its location in Pocatello and the greater Idaho era. “Both the interior and exterior and other art glass and other design elements of the temple include botanical elements and environmental elements from the temple district,” said Stevenson. Idaho’s state flower, the syringa can be seen throughout the temple both in small design details and in flowers. Also present in the temple are original and commissioned works of art by local artists, including one painting of the local Haystack Mountain.
Following his opening remarks, Stevenson escorted members of the media through the temple, stopping in each room to allow for questions and greater examination of the details found inside.
The tour began in the bride’s room. As the name suggests the bride’s room is reserved for a bride and usually a few people close to her to get ready for the marriage ceremony. According to Stevenson’s wife, Lesa Stevenson, “It really is a treat to be in the bride’s room.” The bride’s room shared a similar color pallet with other rooms in the temple. It was decorated in corals and greens with gold accents.
Also on the same floor as the bride’s room was the chapel. According to Stevenson, this is where temple patrons gather before their different ceremonies, also called “temple sessions”. One point that Stevenson made clear in this area of the temple was that before their ceremonies, temple patrons change into white clothes, both for white’s symbolic color of purity but also to indicate that within the temple there are no distinctions based on class, race or gender.
Throughout the temple, there are many symbolic paintings and works of art. For example, in the baptistry, there are 12 oxen surrounding the baptismal font, symbolizing the 12 tribes of Israel. The baptistery, a place in the church usually used by youths 11 and older, is where those who have passed on have the opportunity to accept baptisms on their behalf. This ceremony is commonly referred to as “baptisms for the dead”. As the LDS church is so focused on missionary and family history work, members of the church participate in this ordinance to be baptized for those who have passed on. Stevenson emphasized that in the next life, people will have a choice whether or not to accept this gift from current members.
Other rooms included in the temple tour were an instruction room, where members who have the aforementioned recommend go to learn answers to life’s big questions and to be kinder, gentler people. The sealings rooms (where members are married) were also included.
The highlight of the temple, however, is the Celestial Room. There are no ceremonies performed in this room. Rather, it is supposed to be a peaceful space that mimics the peace felt in heaven. While in this room, Stevenson urged members of the media to take a moment of silence and to reflect on their own spirituality. This room shared the same color pallet as other rooms and was also home to an impressive chandelier.
The last room on the tour was what Stevenson referred to as the marriage waiting room, where invited guests wait for the marriage ceremony, what members will call the sealing, to start. This room also included many paintings of Idaho.
According to the current prophet/president of the church, Russell M. Nelson, as quoted on the Church’s website, “Each temple is a beacon of light and hope. The temple, the House of the Lord, stands as a symbol of our faith in life after death and as a stepping stone to eternal life for us and our families. The temple is a sacred and essential part of God’s plan for our happiness, now and forever.”
As temples are a focal point of the community for both members of the church and those who are not, Stevenson encouraged everyone who has the opportunity to attend the open house. “In whatever community in which you live there’s always a great benefit to understanding your neighbors. Any community is enriched in faith traditions.”
Stevenson lived in Japan for nearly a decade and described his own deeper appreciation for his neighbors after visiting Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples. “As we understand each other better it seems to drop barriers. If you can drop those barriers and better understand each other then it usually builds bonds and creates unity.”
The temple opens to the general public on Sept. 18. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the temple is requiring masks during the tours. To schedule a tour visit the following website: pocatellotemple.org/open-house/. Tours are also available in Spanish. There is no photography allowed in the temple and people are encouraged to silence or turn off their phones. “It is an open invitation,” said Stevenson.
