Adjacent to the Brigham Young University—Idaho campus, the five-story Rexburg Idaho Temple soars high above its hillside location—creating a striking landmark visible for miles along the Highway 20 corridor. It is the finest, most notable building in this rural community. West of the temple lies a beautiful garden area open to the public for quiet strolls or moments of reflection.
The announcement of the Rexburg Idaho Temple came three and a half years after the announcement that two-year Ricks College would become four-year Brigham Young University—Idaho. While most temple groundbreakings are limited to invited guests, the groundbreaking ceremony for the Rexburg Idaho Temple was open to any and all who desired to attend. Over 8, people crowded on the field where the temple now stands. Parson was the recipient of the Eliza R. Snow Award. A wheat motif, created by Utah artist Tom Holdman, is used throughout the Rexburg Idaho Temple including most of the art-glass windowpanes.
The wheat stalk symbolizes the widespread agricultural industry in the area. The finest materials were used for this House of the Lord including wood imported from Africa and stone and tile from Israel. The exterior walls of the Rexburg Idaho Temple are made of precast panels from 45 different molds, including the retaining wall. The material is called China White—a white quartz finish mined in Washington state on concrete panels. A water-proofing compound allows dust to wash off in the rain, keeping the temple a radiant white.
Interest in the open house of the Rexburg Idaho Temple was so high that additional early-morning and evening tours were added to each day. Over , visitors toured the temple.
Hinckley on Sunday evening, January 27, President Thomas S. He dedicated the temple one week later. By , under the direction of Thomas E. Ricks, the city of Rexburg was established, and just a year after that, Idaho's second stake—the Bannock Stake—was organized with headquarters in Rexburg. As was tradition at the time, a stake academy was also founded in the Bannock Stake Academy.
