MONTPELIER — There's no shortage of excitement among members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as anticipation builds for the 2026 completion of the Montpelier Idaho Temple.

Bishop Brennon Miles of the Montpelier 4th Ward said he and his wife were overwhelmed with emotion when the announcement was made in 2022 that Montpelier would become home to a temple.

“Since the day of the temple announcement, there has been excitement in the air,” Miles said. “My wife and I cried as we heard the announcement during the April 2022 General Conference. We had barely been living in the area for a year and yet. The realization of having a temple so close to our home was very humbling and yet very joyful.”

Bishop Mat Hirschi of the Montpelier 1st Ward said it's “amazing” that Montpelier will be home to a temple.

“It will be the tallest building in Montpelier and as it’s been in construction, it has been visible from every direction as you drive into town,” Hirschi said. “From the passerby’s view, the outside is pretty much done so that has added to the anticipation of it being dedicated and open for temple work.”

Currently, members of the church living in Montpelier are part of the Star Valley Wyoming Temple District, putting them anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour away from the Star Valley temple in Afton, Wyoming.

The 45-mile drive to Afton puts Miles closer to a temple than when he lived in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where his drive was twice as long. But having a temple in Montpelier will make it incredibly convenient for him and other local church members and he expects attendance at the Montpelier Idaho Temple will be very high once it opens.

“With the Montpelier temple being located right in the heart of town, we have heard everyone’s excitement that they will be able to take a 5 to 10 minute walk and attend the temple,” Miles said.

Miles added that many older members of the church have expressed struggles with the travel involved with visiting the Star Valley temple.

“With the construction of the Montpelier Idaho Temple, these elderly members will now be able to attend the temple and I feel that they will do so frequently,” Miles said.

Hirschi said the excitement about the temple from youth members is growing as well.

“I have heard many youths express the excitement of possibly being able to attend the temple early in the morning before they head off to school,” Hirschi said. “It’s an amazing opportunity they have coming for them. And for those that couldn’t make the drive before, they now will be able to attend the temple again.”

With a temple in Montpelier, Hirschi and Miles spoke to the value they and other local church members will receive from the ability to do temple work more often.

“The importance of temple work cannot be understated,” Miles said. “Members that attend the temple are able to participate in sacred ordinances and make covenants with their Heavenly Father that are eternal in nature — not only for themselves, but also for their ancestors.”

With Miles having a particular love for the sealing of husbands, wives and families, he said, “Knowing that I can be with my wife and kids if I will but follow my Savior is the exact hope that I need to make it through the daily stresses that life throws at you.”

Hirschi credited temple work with being “central to our faith and testimonies."

He continued, “Without the temples, we would not be able to help ourselves and those that have moved on before us. Attending the temple has been and continues to be an opportunity to find peace and quiet in the craziness that surrounds us in today’s world.”

Miles also proposed the possibility of additional benefits of having a temple for Montpelier, citing potential business that may be drawn to the area and the potential influx of visitors.

“New places to eat and shop would be an amazing addition to the community,” Miles said. “We have already started to see this with a new restaurant opening up at the end of 2024.”

As members of the church eagerly await the completion of the Montpelier Idaho Temple at 125 N. Fifth St., Miles concluded, “We will all need to practice patience as we wait for the day that we can make the enjoyable walk to the temple.”