The groundbreaking ceremony for the new Coeur d’Alene Idaho Temple was held today, August 29, 2026. Elder Hutch U. Fale of the United States West Area Presidency presided at the event and offered the dedicatory prayer.

In his prayer, Elder Fale  said, “Please bless this community, even the surrounding areas, that all may see and witness that Thy Son and His holy house are a symbol and source of peace, the true peace that is only available through Him,” Elder Fale prayed. “May the very commencement of this work, even the softening of this soil this day, lead to the softening of many hearts in anticipation of qualifying for and receiving priesthood ordinances and associated celestial blessings.”

Sulet Hiatt of the Bonners Ferry Idaho Stake talked about shouting for joy at the announcement of the Coeur d’Alene Idaho Temple “because as our prophet, President Dallin H. Oaks, taught, ‘The doctrine of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints centers on family. Essential to that doctrine is the temple. The ordinances we receive there enable us to return as eternal families to the presence of our Heavenly Father.’”

The Coeur d’Alene Temple was one of 17 new temples announced nearly two years ago by President Nelson during the October 2024 General Conference. It will be a single-story temple around 30,000 square feet in size, and you can see in the rendering below. The new temple will be one of 11 temples in Idaho that have been announced, are under construction, or are in operation. The most recent temple to be dedicated was the Burley Temple, which was dedicated in January. Today the state is home to over 480,000 Latter-day Saints in around 1,300 congregations.

We’re excited to watch the progress that will now be made on the construction of this beautiful temple! It will be a blessed time for the Church members in the area of the new temple!