By Emma Wilden
Photo Courtesy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
Recently, the towns of Ephriam and Manti have been experiencing a significant increase in traffic, especially on weekends. This is due in part to the open house of the Manti Utah Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The building of the Manti Temple was completed in May 1888. The members of the church in the area at the time sacrificed much to build the temple. Much of the original craftsmanship in the temple has been preserved, including a mural painted in the 1880s, giving the temple historical significance.
Besides being a historic building, the temple is also considered a sacred place for members of the church.
Only members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are allowed to enter dedicated temples. Temples are dedicated through a ceremony, called a dedication, to set them apart as sacred places. However, anyone is invited to enter temples during temple open houses to learn more about them before a temple is dedicated or rededicated.
Currently, the Manti Utah Temple Open House is underway. The public tours began March 14 and will go through April 5, excluding Sundays. Tours are free, and all are invited and encouraged to come.
Elder Johnathan S. Schmitt, a leader in the church, extended an invitation for all to come to the open house: “We invite everyone to come, in the Sanpete Valley and beyond, to come and to feel the Lord’s love here in this holy temple. I stand in awe as I think about the pioneers of the late 1800s building this Holy temple, the House of the Lord. It stood majestic then, and it remains so today.”
He also extended a personal invitation to students of Snow: “For every student…come to the temple…. Come and experience why this means so much to us. You will feel of God’s love; you’ll feel [a sense of] peace; you’ll feel…a sense of holiness that is sacred and beautiful. It will inspire you. You’ll be able to imagine pioneers in the 1870s and 1880s constructing this. Their sacrifice, their consecration, and their dedication inspire all of us to come closer to God. So come!”
Elder Hugo E. Martinez, also a leader in the church, says to Snow students: “We would congratulate [you] on pursuing an education, which is a wonderful way to learn skills that will help you serve…everybody that will come in contact with you…. We would invite [you] to come to the temple open house…. Feel free to ask questions inside of the temple, because that is one thing that we like, questions.”
Reservations to attend the open house are recommended, but not required. Go to churchofjesuschrist.org/featured/manti-utah-open-house to make a reservation.