The history of the temple site began back in 1897, when John Haven Barlow Sr. purchased 40 acres (160,000 m2) of land from the United States government.

In the spring of 1983, flash flooding caused a great deal of damage in Bountiful, resulting in the decision to build a dam across the canyon to limit the flow of water during heavy rainstorms.

Four years later, on May 2, 1992, the groundbreaking took place and on January 8, 1995, church president Howard W. Hunter dedicated the Bountiful Utah Temple.

The strike damaged the angel Moroni statue atop the temple, causing it to lose part of its head and back.

[5] Notable presidents of the Bountiful Utah Temple include James O. Mason (2000–03) and Robert H. Garff (2012–15).