By AMBER COE
amber@du2.byu.edu
The first of the 'mini' temples and the 53rd temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will be dedicated July 26 in Monticello, Utah.
In a news release from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the First Presidency announced the Monticello Utah Temple will be open to the public July 16-18 from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Rebecca Wallentine, a BYU alumna originally from Blanding, said the new temple will be very convenient.
'It will be nice for everyone down there. When I was a teenager we'd always go to (the) Mesa (Temple) -- it was an eight- to nine-hour drive,' Wallentine said.
She said after the Manti Temple was renovated and rededicated, driving to a temple was only five hours.
Wallentine said her grandmother always attended the endowment of each of her grandchildren, which often required a long drive.
'I always felt bad (for her),' Wallentine said.
Attending the temple for family purposes was really the only opportunity Wallentine's grandmother had to attend the temple. Because of the long drive, her grandmother is unable to attend the temple regularly, Wallentine said.
The opening of the Monticello Temple will give almost 13,000 church members, who are unable to travel long distances or do not have the time to attend the temple on a regular basis, a closer and more convenient option.
The news release stated 'the Monticello Utah Temple district includes nearly 13,000 Latter-day Saints in five stakes: Monticello Utah, Moab Utah, Blanding Utah, Blanding West Utah and Durango, Colorado.'
Jed Lyman, president of the Blanding Utah Stake, said the members in his area are looking forward to the completion of the Monticello Temple.
'We're pretty excited,' Lyman said. 'We've always known that we would have a temple here someday.'
Lyman said some primary children have donated pennies at church.
'Individuals have had the opportunity to contribute financially (to the building of the temple),' Lyman said.
Lyman added that many firesides and sacrament meetings have been geared toward getting people to attend the temple.
Temple attendance was a topic addressed in the Blanding Stake conference as well.
There are 51 operating LDS temples around the world according to the news release. Next month, the 52nd temple will be dedicated in Preston, England. An additional 46 announced temples are in various stages of planning or construction.