BURLEY — The Burley Temple is now open to all members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who hold temple recommends.

On Sunday President Dallin H. Oaks dedicated the Burley Temple, marking it as his first temple dedication since becoming the 18th president of the church in October.

Announced in April of 2021, the Burley Temple broke ground in June of 2022 and held its open house in November of this year, during which the public was invited to view the interior and learn about what ordinances take place within its walls when it’s fully operational.

“The work of temples is centered on our Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ. All that is learned and done here relates to him,” said Oaks in a news release. “Here in his house, we make sacred covenants with and in the name of Jesus Christ, which among other meanings signify His authority and His work.”

Oaks continued, “All who worship here receive the blessings of His power and participate in His saving work. These blessings and this saving work, which we call ‘temple work,’ are supremely important for all of God’s children, those still living in mortality and those in the spirit world.”

Latter-day Saints consider temples to be “the most sacred place of worship on Earth”, the news release said, and that they are places where “church members participate in sacred ceremonies such as marriages, which unite families forever, and proxy baptisms on behalf of deceased ancestors who did not have the opportunity to be baptized while living.”

During Sunday’s remarks Oaks said that the Church is “in a glorious season of temple building,” with 212 temples currently operating and 150 in various stages of design or construction in about 80 countries worldwide.

The Burley temple is the seventh operating temple in Idaho, which is home to almost half a million members of the church and 1,300 congregations. Other Idaho temples in operation are located in Boise, Meridian, Rexburg, Idaho Falls, Pocatello and Twin Falls, with four others announced or in development.

Oaks explained the Burley Temple holds a special place in his heart and he chose to dedicate it personally because he lived nearby in Twins Falls for about five years during his childhood.

In an interview this past Saturday Oaks also spoke with media about how those who attend the temple will become more in tune with the Spirit of God.

“I think (spending more time in the temple) will support choices that are more harmonious with qualifying for and listening to the promptings of the Spirit in all our temporal decisions and also lifting our eyes to the end of the covenant path,” said Oaks.

He further shared an analogy that previous Church President Russell M. Nelson said about how followers of Christ sometimes consider the commandments and life experiences as a checklist rather than viewing it as a mortal journey—or a covenant path—where we learn, grow and become like Christ and return to our God in Heaven.

“I think it’s much more wholesome to think of our mortal journey as a journey from birth to a return to where our Heavenly Father wants us to be and where it’s possible we attain because of His Son, Jesus Christ,” Oaks said.