SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Oct. 5, 2019 (Gephardt Daily) — The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints plans to build eight new temples around the world, President Russell M. Nelson announced Saturday evening.
Nelson made the announcement during the women’s session of general conference, in the Conference Center in Salt Lake City. This was the first time such an announcement has been made during the women’s session, a Church news release said.
The new temples will be built in:
- Freetown, Sierra Leone
- Orem, Utah
- Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea,
- Bentonville, Arkansas
- Bacolod, Philippines
- McAllen, Texas
- Cobán, Guatemala
- Taylorsville, Utah
This brings the total number of operating temples (166) and temples announced or under construction (51) to 217 worldwide, the news release said.
President Nelson, the final speaker of the session, was quoted in the news release:
“As the Church grows, more temples will be built so that more families can have access to that greatest of all blessings, that of eternal life. We regard a temple as the most sacred structure in the Church. Whenever plans are announced to construct a new temple, it becomes an important part of our history.”
Nelson has announced 35 new temples since he became Church president in January 2018.
“Last April, he announced eight new temples,” the news release said. “Aside from when former Church President Gordon B. Hinckley announced some 30 new smaller temples in 1998, no other Church president has announced more temples in such a short period of time.”
Other Temples Under Construction or Renovation
The Church currently has 14 temples under construction, and will break ground this fall on the Saratoga Springs Temple in Utah and the Puebla Mexico Temple.
Temples in Kinshasa Democratic Republic of the Congo, Fortaleza Brazil, Port-au-Prince Haiti and Lisbon Portugal were dedicated this year.
After renovations were completed, the Memphis Tennessee, Oklahoma City Oklahoma and Oakland California Temples were rededicated.
Nine temples are being renovated in:
- Raleigh North Carolina (rededication Oct. 13)
- Frankfurt Germany (rededication Oct. 20)
- Asunción Paraguay (rededication Nov. 3)
- Baton Rouge Louisiana (rededication Nov. 17)
- Hamilton New Zealand
- Hong Kong China
- Mesa Arizona
- Tokyo Japan
- Washington D.C.
The St. George and Salt Lake pioneer-era temples will close for renovation before the end of the year, the news release said. Temples undergoing renovation are included in the number of operating temples.
