Latter-day Saints church plans temple for Coeur d’Alene; faith membership has been on the rise across Inland Northwest

Mike Strock remembers driving from Sandpoint to Spokane Valley last winter to go to a wedding at the region’s only Latter-day Saints temple when a fluke storm blew in, bringing with it hail so strong it split his windshield.

That’s just one reason why he and other members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints celebrated this week when the church announced plans for 17 new temples worldwide, including one for Coeur d’Alene.

North Idaho is home to seven stakes, each made up of about 10 congregations with around 400 members each, stretching from Lewiston to Sandpoint. Latter-day Saints in the region must travel up to three hours to reach the nearest temple.

After Spokane, the nearest temple for Strock is in Cardston, Alberta.

Strock is president of the Sandpoint Stake, which includes members across three states and two time zones.

He said the new temple in Coeur d’Alene will significantly reduce travel time, making access easier for many members. But for his family and others, the excitement goes beyond convenience, as a temple is considered by church members a sacred place for spiritual growth.

“The reason we go is because it represents for us, as members of Church and Jesus Christ, the pinnacle of our belief,” he said.

A temple is considered one of the most holy places to Latter-day Saints. They are open only to members in good standing, and used for worship, education and sacred ordinances such as marriages and baptisms. They are closed on Sundays, when members attend regular services with their congregation.

Tyler S. Morton, president of the Coeur d’Alene Stake, said he and his wife cried when they heard the news.

“We have been preparing and praying for this moment for years,” he said. “This will be a huge blessing to our area.”

Strock explained that temples have a positive impact on their surrounding communities.

“Wherever any temple has been built, is has enhanced the community,” he said. “The work we’re doing inside is saving work.”

Frederick Sharp, president of the Hayden Lake Stake, agreed.

“The reality is that we’d drive further to be able to attend temple,” he said. “… A temple is a beacon in our community. Temples are beautiful things, but what happens inside is where people can go to find peace, quiet, solace and be closer to Christ; that’s really what a temple is about.”

Elder Hal C. Hunsaker, ecclesiastical leader for Eastern Washington and North Idaho, said the Spokane Valley temple was a significant milestone when it was built in 1999, but it is now at capacity.

“We anticipated we’d get another one eventually, but we weren’t sure when or where,” he said. “President Russell M. Nelson, our prophet, wants to reduce the distance that members must travel to a temple, so they can attend more frequently … the Latter-day Saints of the Inland Northwest rejoiced with the opening of the Spokane Temple. And soon, those in North Idaho and western Montana will be blessed that their access to a temple will be increased.”

Sharp, a 59-year-old Coeur d’Alene native, has witnessed the church’s dramatic growth firsthand. During his childhood, the Coeur d’Alene area was home to just two congregations. Today, that number has swelled to 24 spread across Coeur d’Alene, Post Falls and Hayden Lake.

Although the church has grown significantly since COVID, Sharp, a real estate agent, noted that the region’s recent population boom is also a contributing factor.

He said the Spokane-Coeur d’Alene area is a beautiful, safe place of refuge for people moving from bigger cities.

From 2000 to 2023, Coeur d’Alene’s population increased by 21,362, according to a report from Neilsberg Research. The U.S. Census Bureau showed that three North Idaho counties were among the top five with the highest growth rates in Idaho from 2021 to 2022: Boundary, Benewah and Bonner.

Idaho has about 474,000 Latter-day Saints, making up nearly 3% of the world’s membership.

In Washington, the number of Latter-day Saints is about 280,000 in 521 congregations.

The exact location of the new temple hasn’t been announced, nor has a rendering been shared. Hunsaker explained it will likely pull in elements that represent the area. For example, the Moses Lake temple, which opened last year, was designed with agricultural themes in mind.

It towers along Interstate 90 and represents the church’s growth in central Washington, where it serves about 18,000 members in 40 congregations across Adams, Chelan, Douglas, Grant and Kittitas counties.

According to information disclosed by the church, the Moses Lake temple is about twice the size of the Spokane Temple, which serves about 50,000 church members in Eastern Washington, North Idaho and western Montana.

The Coeur d’Alene temple will be the 10th one in Idaho and will likely take a couple of years to complete. When construction is finished, there will be an open house for the wider community to take a tour.

There are more temples planned in the Northwest, including in Federal Way and Vancouver in Washington; one in Oregon’s Willamette Valley and one in Missoula. A temple in Helena was dedicated last year.

There are temples in Richland and Seattle.