[9] Church president Brigham Young announced the decision to build a temple in Manti on June 25, 1875, and dedicated the site on April 25, 1877.

On the day of the dedication, Young took Warren S. Snow to the southeast corner of the temple site and told him, "Here is the spot where the Prophet Moroni stood and dedicated this piece of land for a Temple site, and that is the reason why the location is made here, and we can't move it from this spot.

The site for the temple was the Manti Stone Quarry, a large hill immediately northeast of town.

[18] Minerva Teichert was commissioned to create the World Room mural by church president George Albert Smith.

At the time of creating the murals, Teichert was suffering from the effects of lead poisoning, which can cause difficulties including nausea, abdominal pain, and optic neuritis.

[20] She created a deadline of a month to finish the project, and would occasionally give a whole day just to a specific section.

[20] Frank Stevens provided assistance with moving scaffolding and creating sketches under Teichert's supervision.

Construction of a great stone stairway leading up the hill to the west temple doors began in 1907.

The renovation took four years, during which murals and original furniture were restored, offices were enlarged and remodeled, a separate door was made to the baptistry, water and weather damage were repaired, an elevator installed, and locker rooms were improved among many other projects.

[34] In March 2021, the First Presidency announced significant renovations for the Manti and Salt Lake temples, including ending the live endowment.

[8] A week following the initial announcement, the church issued an updated statement on the plans for the Manti Temple, stating it would consult with art preservationists about the best way to remove part or all of the Teichert murals, which are canvas affixed to plaster, and preserve them for public display.

The exterior is made of fine-textured, cream-colored oolite limestone from quarries in the hill on which the temple stands.

Notable temple presidents include: Daniel H. Wells (1888–91); Anthon H. Lund (1891–93); John D. T. McAllister (1893–1906); Robert D. Young (1933–43); Jack H. Goaslind Jr. (2000–03); and Ed J. Pinegar (2009–12).