Provo Utah Temple

 

The Provo Utah Temple was my 3rd temple in 1995

2018 my son James and I at the Provo Temple

2018

View from the Provo Temple in 2023

March 2023, a frosty morning at the Provo Temple

James and I in 2016 at the Provo Temple

2017, my son Ethan and I at the Provo Temple

The Provo Temple was my third temple.  When James and I were attending BYU, we attended the Provo Temple on a regular basis.  This was in the days before the Provo City Center Temple had been built, and the Provo Temple was incredibly busy.  Sometimes we waited in the chapel through three cycles of people leaving for their sessions before we finally got into an endowment session.  Luckily the sessions were just twenty minutes apart at that time.  After the Provo City Center and Mount Timpanogos Temples opened, it was much easier to get into an endowment session at the Provo Temple, even without an appointment.  

It was a little bit entertaining to attend the Provo Temple because I felt so much older than everyone there!  Missionaries and BYU students attend the Provo Temple in huge numbers and it is pretty fun to sit in the midst of them in an endowment session.  The Provo Temple closed for major renovations in February 2024, right after the Orem Temple was dedicated.  It will be hard on the missionaries and BYU students who are used to walking a short distance to attend the Provo temple.  I was very blessed to be able to attend the Provo Temple one more time before it closed for renovations.  I'll always remember it as the "Birthday Cake Temple," and I'm sure it will look much different when it opens again.  

My favorite thing about the Provo Temple is the beautiful mural in the chapel where we wait to go into the endowment room.  I especially love the way the little boys are looking at the Savior.  I hope this mural will still exist in the newly renovated Provo Temple somewhere.

I have stayed at a few different hotels in Provo.  The Residence Inn by Marriott is the closest to campus, and very nice, but a bit pricey.  I've also stayed at Hyatt Place at 180 W 100 N, which was also very nice but didn't have parking when I stayed there.  I stayed at the Ramada Inn by Wyndham on University Avenue, which was clean and affordable, and ideal for someone on a budget.  But I also stayed at the Hampton Inn on University Avenue recently, and that is where I would stay again.  It is only about ten minutes from BYU campus.  I've stayed in a couple different Airbnb's in Provo.  One is listed below, and we loved this one.  It was very clean, modern, and had lots of beds for everyone:

Home in Provo

The other was at the link below.  It is the upstairs of a house and has 2 bedrooms with king beds.  It was nice, although the neighborhood did make me a little bit nervous.  It was affordable, though, and clean:

Upstairs Home in Provo

Provo has just about every place to eat that you can think of.  My favorites are the Olive Garden, Cafe Rio, Zupa's, and Leatherby's.  If you come to Provo for the first time, must-see destinations include Bridal Veil Falls, the walking path along the Provo River, and BYU campus.  Since it's a college town, there's always plenty of things to do.  Hiking, biking, walking the river trail, dancing, events on campus, etc.

2023, our son Teancum

2023, our sons James and Teancum, and our daughter in law Ellie

2023

2023, Teancum and Rebecca at the temple

February 2024, the weekend before the Provo Temple closed for renovations

My last view of the Provo Temple before it closed for renovations in February 2024