1. **State the problem:** Find the surface area of a rectangular prism with dimensions 7 yd (height), 2 yd (width), and 1 yd (depth). 2. **Formula:** The surface area $SA$ of a rectangular prism is given by: $$SA = 2(lw + lh + wh)$$ where $l$, $w$, and $h$ are the length, width, and height respectively. 3. **Identify dimensions:** Here, $l = 7$, $w = 2$, and $h = 1$. 4. **Calculate each product:** $$lw = 7 \times 2 = 14$$ $$lh = 7 \times 1 = 7$$ $$wh = 2 \times 1 = 2$$ 5. **Sum the products:** $$14 + 7 + 2 = 23$$ 6. **Multiply by 2:** $$SA = 2 \times 23 = 46$$ 7. **Final answer:** The surface area of the rectangular prism is $46$ square yards.