"Our
Father in Heaven: As Thy grateful children we approach Thee in prayer on this
great occasion when, by the power of Thy holy priesthood, we will dedicate this
Burley Idaho Temple unto Thee and Thy Beloved Son, for Thy work and Thy glory.
We
thank Thee for the plan Thou hast established for the eternal life of Thy
children. We thank Thee for Thine Only Begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, for
His Atonement for our repented sins, for His Resurrection to assure our
immortality and for His experiencing our pains and infirmities that He can
strengthen and heal us to bear them. We thank Thee for the Holy Ghost, Thy Holy
Spirit, who testifies of Thee and Thy Son and who leads us into truth.
We
thank Thee for the Restoration of the gospel, beginning with Thine appearance
with Thine Only Begotten Son to the Prophet Joseph Smith, whom Thou hast called
to bring forth the Book of Mormon as another witness of Thy Son and of Thy plan
of happiness for Thy children. We thank Thee for the restoration of the
authority and keys of the holy priesthood by which we proclaim Thy word and
perform Thy prescribed ordinances of salvation.
We
thank Thee for Thy blessings to this nation and pray that Thou wilt inspire and
strengthen those who seek to preserve our constitutional form of government and
the rule of law.
We
pray for the youth of Zion — the rising generation — that they may manifest the
truths of Thy gospel in wise choices and activities. We pray for Thy blessings
on our missionaries, young and old, and for all Thy children who seek to serve
Thee.
The entrance of the Burley
Idaho Temple during its dedication in Burley, Idaho, on Sunday, Jan. 11,
2026. | Jeffrey D. Allred, for the Deseret News
We
thank Thee for the members of Thy Church whose faithful payment of tithes has
made possible the construction of this beautiful temple and whose obedience to
Thy commandments has caused so many of Thy children to prosper in the land.
We
pray for the fulfillment of Thy prophecies for the gathering of Israel, that
the way may be opened for Thy servants and Thy work to be established and
blessed in all the world.
Please
bless the presidents of Thy temples, who hold the keys for the sacred work in
these houses of the Lord. And please bless the counselors and matrons and
assistant matrons and all who work under their direction as they exercise the
authority of Thy holy priesthood in these sacred ordinances and covenants.
Please bless all who worthily serve in Thy holy temples that they may
participate with joy and understanding, that Thy work will go forward in power
to fulfill Thy purposes for all Thy children.
We
pray that Thy Spirit will always be present in these holy spaces to enlighten
and guide and bless all who are here and all that is said and done here. We
pray that Thou wilt protect this temple and all of its surrounding facilities
from every destructive influence of any kind.
The Burley Idaho Temple in
Burley, Idaho, on Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. | Jeffrey D. Allred, for the
Deseret News
Now,
our Father in Heaven, by the authority of the holy Melchizedek Priesthood, we
dedicate and consecrate unto Thee and Thy Beloved Son this Burley Idaho Temple
of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We dedicate every part of
this sacred structure and its surroundings, including the grounds and ancillary
facilities, for their holy purposes. We dedicate all of this temple’s
structural parts, from its foundations to its crowning steeple. We dedicate the
baptistry, the ordinance rooms, the sealing rooms, the celestial room and all
the other locations in this holy house to perform their sacred functions. We
invoke Thy power to assure that Thy Spirit and Thy glory will always be present
here and upon all Thy sacred work that will be done here.
And
now we renew our expressions of love and thanks for Thee and Thy Beloved Son,
Jesus Christ, as we dedicate this temple unto Thee and Thy Beloved Son for Thy
sacred work, and we pray for these blessings in the sacred name of Jesus
Christ, amen."
The Burley Idaho Temple in Burley,
Idaho, on Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. | Jeffrey D. Allred, for the Deseret News
"It was a special privilege for my wife Kristen and me to be in Burley, Idaho today as I officiated in the dedication of the Burley Idaho Temple.
We are living in a glorious season of temple building. This temple is our 212th dedicated temple worldwide. More than 150 other temples are in design or under construction.
Temples are essential to our Heavenly Father’s plan for His children. In these houses of the Lord, we are taught the most important things we can learn and do in mortality.
The scriptures speak of perilous times, when men’s hearts will fail them. They also speak of worthy disciples escaping these things, of their standing in holy places, and not being moved. Surely the times ahead will call for us to remember our temple covenants and to rely on the blessings promised to us.
I rejoice with you in the dedication of this Burley Temple.
The temple is the House of the Lord, a House built for the sacred work of the Lord God of Israel, our Savior and our Redeemer, to prepare us for exaltation in the celestial kingdom of God."
*** *** ***
David and Julie, his wife, picked me up
at 5:50 a.m. and we headed to Burley--a
3-hour drive. We passed the "barn" at
7:30, which is exactly 100 miles from
Burley.
We arrived at the Temple at 8:57 a.m.
The parking lot had just been opened at
8:45 a.m., but it was pretty full.
170 tickets had been given to members--
70 for the Celestial Room, and 50 each
for the two Instruction [Endowment]
Rooms.
I looked up the population of Burley:
Burley, Idaho's population is around 12,211 as of July 2024 estimates, a slight increase from its 2020 Census count of 11,704, with a growth rate suggesting continued expansion. The city, located in Cassia County, serves as a key regional hub, featuring significant economic activity in energy and food production.
Our
Father in Heaven: As Thy grateful children we approach Thee in prayer on this
great occasion when, by the power of Thy holy priesthood, we will dedicate this
Burley Idaho Temple unto Thee and Thy Beloved Son, for Thy work and Thy glory.
We
thank Thee for the plan Thou hast established for the eternal life of Thy
children. We thank Thee for Thine Only Begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, for
His Atonement for our repented sins, for His Resurrection to assure our
immortality and for His experiencing our pains and infirmities that He can
strengthen and heal us to bear them. We thank Thee for the Holy Ghost, Thy Holy
Spirit, who testifies of Thee and Thy Son and who leads us into truth.
We
thank Thee for the Restoration of the gospel, beginning with Thine appearance
with Thine Only Begotten Son to the Prophet Joseph Smith, whom Thou hast called
to bring forth the Book of Mormon as another witness of Thy Son and of Thy plan
of happiness for Thy children. We thank Thee for the restoration of the
authority and keys of the holy priesthood by which we proclaim Thy word and
perform Thy prescribed ordinances of salvation.
We
thank Thee for Thy blessings to this nation and pray that Thou wilt inspire and
strengthen those who seek to preserve our constitutional form of government and
the rule of law.
We
pray for the youth of Zion — the rising generation — that they may manifest the
truths of Thy gospel in wise choices and activities. We pray for Thy blessings
on our missionaries, young and old, and for all Thy children who seek to serve
Thee.
We
thank Thee for the members of Thy Church whose faithful payment of tithes has
made possible the construction of this beautiful temple and whose obedience to
Thy commandments has caused so many of Thy children to prosper in the land.
We
pray for the fulfillment of Thy prophecies for the gathering of Israel, that
the way may be opened for Thy servants and Thy work to be established and
blessed in all the world.
Please
bless the presidents of Thy temples, who hold the keys for the sacred work in
these houses of the Lord. And please bless the counselors and matrons and
assistant matrons and all who work under their direction as they exercise the
authority of Thy holy priesthood in these sacred ordinances and covenants.
Please bless all who worthily serve in Thy holy temples that they may
participate with joy and understanding, that Thy work will go forward in power
to fulfill Thy purposes for all Thy children.
We
pray that Thy Spirit will always be present in these holy spaces to enlighten
and guide and bless all who are here and all that is said and done here. We
pray that Thou wilt protect this temple and all of its surrounding facilities
from every destructive influence of any kind.
Now,
our Father in Heaven, by the authority of the holy Melchizedek Priesthood, we
dedicate and consecrate unto Thee and Thy Beloved Son this Burley Idaho Temple
of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We dedicate every part of
this sacred structure and its surroundings, including the grounds and ancillary
facilities, for their holy purposes. We dedicate all of this temple’s
structural parts, from its foundations to its crowning steeple. We dedicate the
baptistry, the ordinance rooms, the sealing rooms, the celestial room and all
the other locations in this holy house to perform their sacred functions. We
invoke Thy power to assure that Thy Spirit and Thy glory will always be present
here and upon all Thy sacred work that will be done here.
And
now we renew our expressions of love and thanks for Thee and Thy Beloved Son,
Jesus Christ, as we dedicate this temple unto Thee and Thy Beloved Son for Thy
sacred work, and we pray for these blessings in the sacred name of Jesus
Christ, amen.
President Dallin H. Oaks of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and his wife, Sister Kristen M. Oaks, arrive for the Burley Idaho Temple dedication in Burley, Idaho, on Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. Jeffrey D. Allred, for the Deseret News
BURLEY, Idaho — For the first time since becoming President of the Church in October 2025, President Dallin H. Oaks dedicated a house of the Lord.
Dedicated on Sunday, Jan. 11, the Burley Idaho Temple is the seventh Latter-day Saint temple in Idaho. It is also the 212th operating temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the first house of the Lord dedicated in 2026.
This house of the Lord is also close to President Oaks’ heart.
The Burley Idaho Temple in Burley, Idaho, on Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. | Jeffrey D. Allred, for the Deseret News
He said that before President Russell M. Nelson’s death, the former President of the Church had given his counselors the opportunity to choose a temple to dedicate.
“I looked over a long list and immediately asked that I be assigned to dedicate this Burley Idaho Temple,” he said.
As a boy, President Oaks lived in Twin Falls for about five years. It was there that his father was on the high council for over four years before he died and where President Oaks attended the first and second grades..
“So, I chose Burley to revisit my roots in this part of southern Idaho,” he said.
Accompanying President Oaks at the dedication was his wife, Sister Kristen M. Oaks, as well as three General Authority Seventies: Elder Steven R. Bangerter, executive director of the Temple Department, with his wife, Sister Susan Bangerter; Elder José A. Teixeira, president of the United States Central Area, and his wife, Sister Filomena Teixeira; and Elder K. Brett Nattress, with his wife, Sister Shawna Nattress.
Attendees arrive for the Burley Idaho Temple dedication in Burley, Idaho, on Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. | Jeffrey D. Allred, for the Deseret News
President Dallin H. Oaks of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and his wife, Sister Kristen M. Oaks, leave the Burley Idaho Temple dedication in Burley, Idaho on Sunday, Jan 11, 2026. | Jeffrey D. Allred, for the Deseret News
“This place has so much significance to him as a young boy,” Sister Oaks said of her husband. “He felt like he was drawn back here above all other places in the world.”
Said President Oaks, “I didn’t see any place that was more attractive to me than this community because I associate it with my youth.”
‘Centered on our Savior and Redeemer’
President Oaks said temples are essential to Heavenly Father’s plan for His children.
“In these houses of the Lord, we are taught the most important things we can learn and do in mortality,” he said. “The work of temples is centered on our Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ.”
Marilla Lewis, 7, look at the Burley Idaho Temple in Burley, Idaho, on Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. | Jeffrey D. Allred, for the Deseret News
All learned and done in temples relates to Jesus Christ, the Prophet said.
“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,” he said. “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.”
Sister Oaks said she feels a change in her life as she worships in the temple.
“I have felt how precious time is and that you have choices on how to use it,” she said. “I go there for comfort, instruction, revelation. And it makes me a better wife, a better mother.”
Eternal families
This temple dedication comes after the death of President Nelson in September 2025 and the more recent death of President Jeffrey R. Holland. President Oaks worked with both closely in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and with President Nelson in the First Presidency.
Attendees arrive for the Burley Idaho Temple dedication in Burley, Idaho, on Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. | Jeffrey D. Allred, for the Deseret News
The death of loved ones is nothing new to President Oaks. His father died when he was just 7 years old, and his first wife, June Dixon, died from cancer in 1998.
“One of the great blessings we have in the restored gospel of Jesus Christ is to look at mortality as a small slice of our identity and eternal progress,” he said. “We are pained when we lose the association … and there is an adjustment to be made in trying to go on with your life without their association. But basically death is a graduation to be celebrated as part of the purpose of life on earth.”
Walt was born in Wendell, Idaho,and lived in Idaho 64 of his 86 years. Eileen was born in the Twin Falls Idaho Hospital going home to Wendell from there, and lived in Idaho for 57 of my 85 years.
Married June 14, 1961 in Salt Lake Temple. We thank our children and grandchildren for the wonderful 50th Wedding Anniversary Celebration.they hosted for us in June 2011. For 50th we went on a Mediterranean cruise to be with D. Kelly Ogden as he lectured "In the Footsteps of Paul the Apostle." We have lived in St. Louis,MO, Minneapolis,MN; Talihina,OK; Burley,IDAHO 42 years, 3 years in Merida, Mexico;;2 years in Guatemala City, Guatemala; 18 mos in Argentina,Oct 2008 to Mar 2010; and 3 years as temple president and matron of the new (dedicated Aug 21, 2011) San Salvador El Salvador Temple for--July 2011 to Nov 1, 2014. As of Aug 2018 we moved to live with our daughter Julie, her husband John, and their 4 children in Saratoga Springs, Utah. Walt passed away of Lewy Body Dementia on Aug 21, 2020 at age 86.
We love and adore each other, our 7 children, their spouses, our 39 grandchildren and 6.ggc..
Walt was a physician, I was a medical secretary for PHT, then homemaker and mother.
The Burley Idaho Temple in Burley,
Idaho, on Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. Jeffrey D. Allred, for the Deseret News
The Burley Idaho Temple in Burley,
Idaho, on Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. | Jeffrey D. Allred, for the Deseret News
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