Idaho
Ground broken for second house of the Lord in Rexburg, Idaho
REXBURG, Idaho — With Rexburg to become Idaho’s first city with two temples, the Gem State isn’t losing its luster anytime soon.
Hundreds gathered for the groundbreaking of the Teton River Idaho Temple on Saturday, June 1, with clear skies and warm weather to contrast hail and rain in recent weeks. “The Lord is smiling down,” said one attendee.
Elder Ricardo P. Giménez, a General Authority Seventy and second counselor in the North America Central Area presidency, presided over the ceremony, joined by his wife, Sister Catherine Giménez.
Others in attendance included Elder Alvin F. Meredith III, a General Authority Seventy and president of nearby BYU–Idaho, and his wife, Sister Jennifer Meredith; Idaho Lt. Gov. Scott Bedke and his wife, Sarah Bedke; Rexburg Mayor Jerry Merrill and his wife, Marianne Merrill; and Sugar City Mayor Steven Adams and his wife, Michelle Adams.
In a prayer to dedicate the site for temple construction, Elder Giménez said: “Help us, O Father, to secure our foundation upon Jesus Christ, to be able to stand strong and secure because our spiritual foundation is solid and immovable. Because of this, we ask Thee, Father, for Thy help in our efforts to build ourselves and be prepared to partake of the eternal blessings available in Thy holy houses.”
Guidance back to a heavenly home
Noting the beauty of the groundbreaking event’s sunny climate, Elder Giménez shared that “we can see the hand of the Lord in the things that are important to Him.” He testified to those in attendance that the reason they were all there was because of the Savior, Jesus Christ.
“He’s behind everything in our lives,” said Elder Giménez. “He is the reason why we can receive strength, guidance, forgiveness, is because of His infinite love and His infinite sacrifice for us.”
In the temple, Saints can learn about the plan of salvation and make covenants that can strengthen them in their journey back to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.
Elder Giménez said, “Heavenly Father wants all of us to return home and to have joy and comfort in our lives. He will never, ever leave us alone. That’s why He has created the plan for us — so we can return home.”
The house of the Lord, he said, is a tool Saints have in these latter days to be guided in their mortal journey and receive strength to move forward.
“And yes, sometimes it’s going to be challenging,” he said, “but we trust, we love, and we keep moving forward. And one day, we will look back, and we will connect the dots, and we will understand — and every promise will be fulfilled.”
‘The cleanliness and beauty of this place’
Trixie Smith, a young woman from the Terreton Idaho Stake, shared with those at the groundbreaking that when she attends the temple to do baptisms for the dead, she seeks wisdom and guidance for hard decisions.
“I don’t always receive an answer,” she said, “but I never leave the temple feeling worse about the situation.” She continued, “You will never leave the temple and think, ‘Wow, I wish I didn’t do that today.’”
Although Rexburg will soon have two temples within 5 miles of each other, she said, “I can almost guarantee you that they will constantly be busy with faithful members of the Church coming to serve and participate in the gathering of Israel.”
Rebekah Russell of the Rexburg Idaho YSA 1st Stake shared that in 1855, Brigham Young sent a party of early Latter-day Saint pioneers to Idaho’s Upper Snake River Valley to see if it could be settled.
They returned and recounted the region’s harsh winters that seemed to take up most of the year. Yet Brigham Young told them: “That’s all right, perfectly all right. When we need that country it will be all right and we will settle it.”
Russell said, “And so pioneers continued to establish the city of Rexburg, bent on following the direction of a Prophet of God and bent on permanency.”
She invited listeners to draw closer to the Lord and make the temple a permanent addition to their lives, especially through frequent attendance and keeping temple covenants.
“I know that it is worth every ounce of our effort to be in the house of the Lord, even if it requires you to endure a bitter winter.”
Brent Kinghorn, patriarch of the Sugar City Idaho Stake, has called Sugar City home for over 80 years of his life. “To one who never thought there would be a temple in Rexburg, I’m overwhelmed to think we’re going to get one even closer to where we live.”
The collapse of the Teton Dam in 1976, he pointed out, sent a mighty wave of water from the Teton River Canyon and engulfed the region, including the temple site.
“I wonder … if perhaps that flood cleansed this location for a future temple,” said Kinghorn, “and that the work here that will be accomplished can do so because of the cleanliness and beauty of this place.”
How attendees were taught by the Spirit
Kassandra Mackley of the Rexburg Idaho YSA 4th Stake has been to the temple site several times before the groundbreaking, but she said it feels different now that the grounds have been dedicated.
“Knowing in just a few short years what this place is going to be is so beautiful,” she told the Church News. “Where are all of us going to be in a few years? If we can turn this place into a beautiful temple, what can the Savior do with us?”
Randy Lords, superintendent of the Madison School District in Rexburg, said he is excited that students will have more opportunities to serve in the house of the Lord.
“It’s fun to go to our schools and see students who have come from the temple before school to start their day,” he said. “So I think that we’re seeing a great push by the rising generation to be in the temple, to make covenants and to serve their ancestors.”
President Greg Venema, president of the Rexburg Idaho YSA 11th Stake, felt peace and comfort at the groundbreaking as he recognized the individual strength a temple will bring.
“This is the way the Lord is blessing us in this difficult time to be able to have temples close to remind us of the permanence of our covenants, to help us to get through whatever is coming.”
President Venema’s wife, Sister Bonnie Venema, felt the Spirit’s powerful witness that this was sacred ground preserved for a purpose.
“I love the idea of being still,” she said. “Attending the temple allows us probably one of the fewest places to just be still, and I think people can reverence this site by coming here and being still.”
History of the Teton River Idaho Temple
Church President Russell M. Nelson announced a temple for Rexburg North, Idaho, on Oct. 3, 2021. Rexburg had a population of approximately 39,500, making it the smallest city in the world to have a second temple announced.
The Teton River temple will be the sixth house of the Lord to be built in the same city as another operating temple. It will also be built on the same street as the Rexburg Idaho Temple.
Located on a 16.6-acre site northwest of Second East and 2000 North in Rexburg, Idaho, the Teton River temple will have approximately 100,000 square feet.
This will be the ninth temple built in Idaho, which is currently home to more than 470,000 members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Idaho
'This is a game-changer.' New indoor soccer facility set to open in east Idaho – East Idaho News
The following is a news release from Portneuf Valley Soccer Club.
POCATELLO — Portneuf Valley Soccer Club is proud to announce the finalization of a four-field indoor soccer facility in Pocatello.
At just over 120,000 square feet, this facility will be the largest of its kind in Idaho. Beyond housing four fields, the complex will serve as the new headquarters for PVSC, featuring administrative offices, a merchandise store, classrooms, and more.
“This facility is a game-changer for soccer in Eastern Idaho,” said Cristie Stone, President of PVSC. “It’s a testament to the vision and commitment of our club, our partners, and the community. We’re investing in our players and are determined to raise the bar of soccer in Idaho.”
PVSC is making a significant investment to enhance the facility’s infrastructure which includes installation of high-quality turf on all four fields, procurement of equipment and technology, upgrades to restrooms, office spaces, and other amenities.
“This facility is phase 1 of a 3-phase strategic development program that will see PVSC become the Number 1 club in the state,” said Paul Baker, who led the development efforts. “We are focused on building a community where our athletes can thrive, families can connect, and the sport we love can continue to grow in eastern Idaho.”
PVSC’s growth ambitions don’t stop here. In addition to the facility, the club will be investing in the professional development of 5 full-time professional coaching staff who will focus on enhancing Youth Development and Competitive programs.
The facility is set to open its doors for a soft opening in January with an official opening ceremony scheduled for early February, offering a transformative space for the soccer community to participate in events, tournaments and leagues.
As PVSC is a 501C3 Non Profit, the club is asking local businesses and families to support the clubs efforts through advertising and sponsorships. Information is available on their website: www.pvscunited.com.
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Idaho
Project Pinecone aims to recover Idaho’s forests after Wapiti Fire • Utah News Dispatch
One organization is aiming to help forest managers recover the trees lost in one of Idaho’s most devastating fires this summer.
On Nov. 3, the nonprofit Daughters of the American Revolution launched a fundraising campaign to raise money to help restore scorched south and central Idaho forests.
The Wapiti Fire, which began on July 24 by a lightning strike two miles southwest of Grandjean, spanned about 130,000 acres across the Boise National Forest, Sawtooth National Forest and the Salmon-Challis National Forest.
Coined Project Pinecone, the funds raised will be used to hire professional tree climbers for the Sawtooth National Forest who will pick pinecones off trees to harvest mature seeds that will be used to grow and eventually replant trees back into the Sawtooth National Forest.
As of Monday, the Project Pinecone had raised a total of $11,500, including cash and check donations outside of the PayPal fundraiser, lead organizer Janice Beller said.
Beller is the Idaho state leader of the nonprofit. Like others in the organization, she is a descendant of someone who participated in the American Revolution. Conservation is important to the organization and important to her as a fifth generation Idahoan, she told the Idaho Capital Sun.
“Stanley is one of my favorite places in the world, and it has been in my family for years — literally generations,” she said. “When Stanley burned this summer, it just broke my heart and really had a kind of a profound impact on many members within Daughters of the American Revolution.”
‘We have a lot of need for seed’: Sawtooth forester says
Beller said a member of her leadership team reached out to a Stanley forest ranger to ask how they could help restore the forest. That’s when she learned about the shortage in seeds at Lucky Peak Nursery, located off Highway 21 outside of Boise.
Nelson Mills, the timber and silviculture program manager for the Sawtooth National Forest, said his biggest challenge is that forest staff hasn’t collected enough its seeds to replenish its seed bank at Lucky Peak Nursery.
Forest service staff right now have enough seeds to cover 50 to 80 acres of trees suitable for the Stanley area at its nursery, Mills said. However, that is not nearly enough to recover the forest from the Wapiti Fire.
Mills said that wildfires are a natural part of the ecosystem, but catastrophic wildfires like the Wapiti Fire will require artificial tree restoration. Of the 130,000 acres that were burned in the Wapiti Fire, 485 acres have been identified as requiring immediate reforestation need because the seed bed was completely burnt, Mills said. When a more formal assessment is done this winter, forest staff will likely find more acres in need of seedling planting, he said.
In addition to the seed shortage, harvesting pinecones is a complicated, risky and expensive process, Mills said.
The main way to collect pinecone seeds is by hiring professional tree climbers for $2,500 a day. Equipped with harnesses and spurred boots, they climb trees between 75 and 120 feet tall to collect pinecones at the perfect ripeness.
Timing is crucial, as ripeness varies by species and elevation, typically occurring between mid-August to mid-September, Mills said. An unripe pinecone won’t have a viable embryo, an overripe pinecone opens and releases its seeds, and pinecones that have fallen on the ground have been exposed to mold — making the seeds unsuitable for use, he said.
The pinecones are then transferred to Lucky Peak Nursery where they are tested, processed, cleaned and sown to make baby lodgepole pines, ponderosa pines and Douglas firs.
Mills said Project Pinecone creates flexibility for foresters because it is not congressionally appropriated. If it’s not a good pinecone producing year, he said foresters can wait until the next year, or look at other species in a different area.
“Everybody is stepping up through all phases of this reforestation issue to make a solution and grow forests back specifically in the Stanley basin that was affected by the Wapiti Fire,” Mills said. “It is an amazing collaborative effort, and I am just so thankful that people want to get together and grow a forest ecosystem.”
Fundraiser to last until spring 2025
Beller said the fundraiser will last until May, when she plans to hold a ceremony to present the funds to the Stanley community and forest officials. She said she is encouraging individuals to donate, as it is tax deductible, and people who donate more than $10 will receive a wooden magnet with the project’s logo.
The total goal of the project is to raise $15,000, which would pay for six days of pinecone picking.
The fundraiser is partnering with Boise Cascade, which committed to a day’s worth of pinecone picking to the project.
“Boise Cascade’s roots run deep in the state of Idaho, and we are honored to contribute to this incredible project to help restore some of Idaho’s most cherished forest lands that were burned during the brutal fire season of summer 2024,” Boise Cascade Vice President of Human Resources and contributions committee chair Angella Broesch, told the Sun. “As one of the largest producers of wood products in North America and a leading wholesale distributor of building products in the U.S., our company is committed to contributing to responsible forestry practices and protecting our environment.”
Having surpassed the halfway point of its goal, Beller said the successful donations show how much people from Idaho and outside of Idaho care about the Stanley area.
“We’ve heard so many people say that it’s truly the heart of Idaho, and it means a great deal to them and their families,” Beller said. “So to see everybody come together and contribute even just a little to bring it back is very humbling.”
Idaho Capital Sun is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Idaho Capital Sun maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Christina Lords for questions: [email protected].
Idaho
A very wet holiday week lies ahead
After a short dry spell this past week, Idaho is gearing up for a wet holiday week ahead with plenty of precipitation to come.
It started off today with light snow falling in the mountains but not much making it to the valley floor in terms of rain. Tomorrow the Magic Valley will see some rain sweep through the region as a stray pattern will bring in early rain separate from the main systems later this week.
Monday night into Tuesday morning is wave #1, which will deliver precipitation to almost all of Idaho. Tuesday will see another wave pass through before things clear out just in time for Christmas Day.
Wednesday’s clear weather only lasts for a moment as more rain arrives on Thursday & Friday, with more to come next Saturday.
Happy Holidays everyone! Enjoy the season and stay dry this week!
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