Here’s Your First Look Inside the Ephraim Utah Temple

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has opened the doors to its newest temple in the state of Utah, according to a release by Church Newsroom. Starting Wednesday, September 2, the public is welcome to enter the Ephraim Utah Temple and view its interior through Saturday, September 19, when it will close in preparation for its dedication on Sunday, October 11, by Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

Once dedicated, this House of the Lord will bring the number of operating temples in Utah to 27. The total number of temples announced, under construction, or currently operating in the state stands at 32.

On Monday, August 31, several leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ invited members of the media to tour the newly completed structure and learn about the nature and purpose of temples in the Latter-day Saint faith. Elder K. Brett Nattress, Assistant Executive Director of the Temple Department, Elder John A. McCune of the Utah Area Presidency, and Elder Taylor G. Godoy of the Seventy led the event.

Sanpete County’s Second Temple

Though the Ephraim Utah Temple is far from the first in the state, it is only the second temple to be built in Sanpete County, a rural settlement with historic pioneer roots. The iconic Manti Utah Temple, completed in 1888 and rededicated in 2024 after extensive renovations, sits less than 10 miles to the south.

Some may recognize slight similarities between the architectural styles of the neighboring temples, including a creamy exterior, arched windows, and double spire design. However, the Ephraim temple takes special care to honor the unique history of the area and the Scandinavian pioneers who settled it.

Wheat and Wildflower Motifs Fill the Interior

Inside, the temple carries those themes into nearly every detail. Wheat motifs recall the historic Ephraim Relief Society Granary, once known as the “granary of Utah,” while oxeye daisy and forget-me-not blossoms — flowers long treasured in Scandinavia — echo the roots of the area’s early settlers. A palette of golden yellows and varied shades of blue carries these motifs from the carpets and rugs to the art glass and stonework throughout the building.

The temple’s primary stone comes in warm tones of beige, cream and gold, accented by touches of green, blue and gold quarried from Italy, Turkey, Bolivia and Brazil. Custom carpets patterned with floral and wheat designs run throughout the interior, and Scandinavian-style area rugs in blues, greens and golds appear in select rooms.

Decorative light fixtures combine crystal, brass, cast metal and faux alabaster, illuminating the temple’s sacred spaces. Quarter-cut sapele wood, carved with wheat and flower motifs, appears in the millwork and doors throughout the building, and art glass featuring the same wheat and floral patterns fills every exterior window.

The temple also houses four pieces of original artwork celebrating the landscape and heritage of the Sanpete Valley. “Peace and Plenty” by Brad Aldridge and “A Fair View” by Michael Workman, both painted by artists who live and work in the valley, capture its pastoral scenery, while “Buttermilk Falls” by Linda Curley Christensen depicts a waterfall the artist discovered in nearby Manti Canyon. “Adam and Eve” by Walter Rane completes the collection.

Ephraim’s Scandinavian Roots

According to historical records, Ephraim’s ties to its Scandinavian pioneers stretch back to its founding as a fort in 1854, when it served as Sanpete County’s most important defensive outpost until the end of the Black Hawk War in 1872. Danish immigrants made up a bare majority of the town’s population by 1860, and in 1867 a Norwegian bishop named Canute Peterson arrived to help stabilize the fledgling settlement following a peace parlay with Antonga Blackhawk.

Brigham Young later named Peterson president of the Sanpete Stake in 1877, and Ephraim went on to house the stake academy that eventually grew into Snow College. By 1880, roughly 90 percent of Ephraim’s residents traced their roots to Scandinavia.

Two buildings from that founding era still stand on Historic Ephraim Square today: the Ephraim Co-op and the Old Granary Art Center, both built of Oolite stone between 1871 and 1874. Snow College now operates the restored Co-op building as its Alumni House, while the Old Granary serves as home to the Central Utah Art Center. Ephraim residents launched a Scandinavian Festival in 1976 to revive that heritage, and the celebration still returns each year on the weekend before Memorial Day.

Temple Growth Continues Across Utah

Utah remains the Church’s global headquarters, home to more than 2.2 million Latter-day Saints who worship in nearly 5,400 congregations across the state. Beyond the temples already dedicated, four more — in Heber Valley, Provo (Rock Canyon), Smithfield and Salt Lake City — are currently under construction or renovation, and the Church has announced plans for additional temples in Lehi, Price, Spanish Fork and West Jordan.

The open house in Ephraim arrives as Latter-day Saints look ahead to the Salt Lake Temple Celebration, set to run from April 5 through October 1, 2027, offering members another opportunity to reflect on the purpose and history of temple worship in the faith.

Do you have special ties to the Ephraim Utah Temple? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Holly Wallace

Holly Wallace is a writer and storyteller drawn to meaningful questions and overlooked details. Her work explores Latter-day Saint life and culture through faithful inquiry, inviting readers to pause, consider, and engage more deeply with what matters most.