Prophecies of Latter-day Saint Temple in Idaho

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The early Pioneers Settlers of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints had many uphill challenges. After the initial arrival into the Great Salt Lake Valley, many members were asked to move on to settle nearby areas. This was another great challenge for the early members, being far away from Church Headquarters brought new challenges and they longed to be close to a Temple of God. These faithful pioneers rose up and met the challenges face on, knowing that they were in this place for a greater purpose. This was the case for the members of the Idaho Falls area in the beginning days of settling near the Snake River. The faithful Saints of Idaho withstood the challenges of a difficult land to farm, starting a new community and stayed faithful through the challenges. Through the struggles the Saints held onto the prophecies given them that, one day the land would produce food needed and temples of the Lord will come to the Saints in Idaho.

The Idaho Pioneers faced many challenges in the first years, but one of the most pressing was lack of food. The land was different than other land the Saints had worked with and most produce struggled in the rough, cold winters, with heavy frost. With this climate many did not believe that the community would last. This added to the discouragement of the members, and hope was fading. The faithful Latter-day Saint Pioneers of Idaho did not abandon their assignment but rose to the challenges and built a beautiful community near the Snake River. The needs of the Idaho Saints was recognized by the Apostles and Prophets, with promises and prophecies that the food would grow, and all would be well.

During the first couple years of settling near the Snake River the members received multiple visits from Prophets and apostles to help encourage the Latter-day Saint settlers to not give up, and that the Lord would help them through their difficulties, that the blessing would come. With all the uplifting and inspiring messages from the Apostles and Prophets the messages that the Saints held to most were the messages that the Snake River has an important part to play in that gathering of the Lords people, that temples would come to this area, if the members did their part.

James E. Steele the first president of the Bingham Stake account of the first time seeing the land of Idaho Falls, Idaho:

"I have all confidence in the Snake River Valley. I saw it in a vision and I know it is coming into its own and it has come. I saw it when it was a most desolate place for people to live in, but the Lord has blessed this country. He has caused the frosts to quit during the summertime and the people who want to live right, and do life right, those people have the right to expect a blessing from the Lord in righteousness. In 1852 President Brigham Young sent a party of men up here to look around and see what the country was like, and how the climate was, and the situation generally. They came up here, I think about ten or twelve of them. This was told me by one of the party himself. He said they came up here and stayed all summer and it frosted every night that summer, and they went back and told President Young the conditions and he said "That's all right, perfectly all right. When we need that country it will be all right and we will settle it." In 1884 the country was blessed by the President of the Church and from that time on we have been raising crops of all kinds, melons, tomatoes, and even peaches."

The land, as President Steele first found it, was barren and unattractive. He continued saying:

"Everything had dried up, the water was all gone. Everything looked desolate and unproductive. A man named John F. Shelley(later the founder of Shelley, Idaho) was with me and it looked very discouraging. We looked way out in the safebrush and could see no trees, no houses, nothing but sagebrush was in sight. We sat around for several days. . . One day I went to sleep and during my sleep I saw this country in a most beautiful, flourishing condition. In my sleep the sagebrush had disappeared and in its stead I saw farms covered with waving grain, orchards, barns and good homes everywhere, and I woke up and said, 'Now I am ready to unload.' I hadn't unloaded up to that time, and never felt from then to the present time that I ever wanted to go back."(p. 7)

This prediction was given in 1884:

"Elders Wilford Woodruff and Heber J. Grant(his companion on the expedition) visited the discouraged Saints of Snake River Valley and admonished them to remain in their homesteads. They were promised that the day would come when the soil would yield forth its strength and that flowers, trees, fine homes, schools, and meetinghouses would beautify the land from one end to the other."

Elder Wilford Woodruff prophesied in 1884 to a small group of settlers saying:

"The Spirit of the Lord rests mightily upon me and I feel to bless you in the name of Jesus Christ. I promise you that the climate will be moderated for your good. I can see these great sagebrush prairies, as far as the eye can reach, turned into fertile fields. I bless the land that it shall yield forth in its strength. Flowers and trees and fine homes shall grace this great valley from one end to the other. Schools and colleges of higher learning shall be built to serve you that you may learn the mysteries of God's great universe. I see churches and meetinghouses dotting the landscape, where the God of Israel may be worshipped in Spirit and in truth. Yes, and as I look into the future of this great valley I can see temples -I can see beautiful temples erected to the name of the living God where holy labors may be carried on in his name through generations to come."

In 1936 the Idaho Falls Temple was announced by President Heber J. Grant. The location of the new temple would be on the banks of the Snake River. It was the first Latter-day Saint Temple in Idaho and the only temple dedicated by President George Albert Smith.

These Latter-day Saint Pioneers of Idaho truly struggled through very difficult circumstances, and prevailed leaving a legacy of hard work and dedication. Today, we see the outcome of these faithful Idaho pioneers with seven temples built in Idaho and four more Temples under construction. The Idaho settlers paved a way for a great work to be done, with their faithful response to the Lords servants, knowing their work and efforts was influencing generations.

References:

"The Idaho Falls Temple, The First LDS Temple in Idaho" by Delbert V. Groberg