The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is preparing to reopen its temple in Boise. The temple is used for special religious ceremonies and serves the 100,000 plus Mormons in the Boise area. It’s been closed for more than a year for a major renovation. William Walker, who oversees the church’s temple program, says most of the work was done by local contractors under the direction of a Salt Lake City company. Walker says everything from the electrical system to the stone exterior is new. It needed to be done he says, because the building is nearly 30 years old. He says it was a multimillion dollar project but adds church policy is not to release a total cost.
“If you did a major renovation on your house and invited me over I probably wouldn’t say 'how much did you spend on it,'" Walker says. "But that’s just a church policy. We’ve decided rather than focus on the dollar amount we’d rather focus on the beauty of the temple and what it’s used for and the purposes behind it.”
Beginning this Saturday the public is invited to tour the temple. Next month it will be rededicated. Then only members of the LDS church will be allowed inside.