News
Layton Utah Temple Groundbreaking Video Released
Elder Craig C. Christensen, president of the Utah Area, presided at last week's groundbreaking ceremony for the Layton Utah Temple. The video of that service has now been released. "We are very grateful to join you from this impressive and beautiful site," said Elder Christensen during his remarks. "Like every temple, it is the product of the faith of Latter-day Saints who live in this area, and around the world. It reflects our faith in Heavenly Father’s great plan of happiness, and in His Son Jesus Christ, including His Atonement and Resurrection."
Saratoga Springs Utah Temple Structural Walls
More structural walls are being poured for the three-story Saratoga Springs Utah Temple with two sections rising on each side of the foundation. The 87,000-square-foot building features a full basement that will be treated and waterproofed before it is backfilled. The temple will serve the rapidly growing population on the west side of Utah Lake.
Cactus Gardens at the Mesa Arizona Temple Grounds
Landscape rocks have been placed in one of the new cactus gardens at the Mesa Arizona Temple grounds, carrying on the fond tradition of incorporating cactus into the landscaping. Handsome lamp posts have been installed along Hobson, and the footing for the monument sign has been poured. At the north end of the project along Main Street, the construction barrier has been moved back, revealing beautiful planter boxes along the sidewalk that will be filled with colorful flowers. Long sections of ornamental fencing are being connected with beautiful gates.
Winnipeg Manitoba Temple Art Glass Windows
The art glass windows installed over the past few weeks in the Winnipeg Manitoba Temple reflect brilliantly under the blue skies featured in the latest photographs of the temple complex. Window installation continues on the front and rear sides of the temple and will soon begin in the lantern, just beneath the spire. Brick layers are also making steady progress up the front side of the building.
Installing the Hamilton New Zealand Temple Carpark
Concrete crews are pouring the garden spaces, walkways, and stairs for the parking area behind the Hamilton New Zealand Temple. The work is being carried out with care and precision to meet the exacting standards of the project. The historic temple has been under extensive interior and exterior renovation for almost two years.
Take a Look at the Okinawa Japan Temple
The Okinawa Japan Temple will be a two-story building of approximately 10,000 square feet, as revealed today in an exterior rendering released to the public. Plans also call for a temple patron arrival center to be added to the adjacent Okinawa Ward meetinghouse. The temple's location near the Kadena Air Base and just off the Okinawa Expressway will make it easily accessible from locations throughout the island.
Exterior Rendering Released for the Cobán Guatemala Temple
The official rendering for the Cobán Guatemala Temple was released today, showing a single-level building of approximately 8,800 square feet to be built on the site of the meetinghouse for the Cobán 2nd Ward in Zone 8, located in the southeastern section of the city. Plans also call for a replacement meetinghouse and a temple patron housing facility to be constructed on site.
Fourteen More Phase 1 Reopenings Announced
Eighteen temples reopen today, and fourteen more will reopen next Monday in locations across Australia, Canada, Japan, the Netherlands, and the United States, bringing the total of reopened temples to 66. All temples that have reopened are operating under phase 1, which permits husband-and-wife sealings by appointment only—always following government regulations on group size and social distancing.
Groundbreaking Ceremony for the Layton Utah Temple Held Early
The groundbreaking ceremony for the Layton Utah Temple, which had originally been scheduled for Saturday, May 30, was held a week early and recorded so that a video of the proceedings could be released online. Church spokesperson Irene Caso said: "Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the need to limit public gatherings, leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints determined a traditional groundbreaking for the Layton Utah Temple, with invited guests, was not prudent. The First Presidency assigned the Utah Area Presidency to conduct a small-scale groundbreaking, held Saturday, May 23, so that construction could proceed."
Deliveries to the Pocatello Idaho Temple
Hundreds of crates fill the staging areas around the Pocatello Idaho Temple as deliveries of materials continue to arrive at the construction site like stacks of steel framing studs, window frames, and ductwork; crates full of granite cladding; and dozens of trees awaiting planting. Granite has been installed on most of the main level including all of the north and east sides and much of the south and west. On the second and third floors, interior framing is well underway, ducts are being installed for the HVAC system, and window frames are going in. At the rear corners of the property, concrete footings have been poured and rebar set for landscape structures. Irrigation lines are also being installed.
Construction of Urdaneta Philippines Temple Paused
Construction activity at the Urdaneta Philippines Temple has been stalled for over two months since the Philippine government imposed an enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) on the island of Luzon on March 16, 2020, in response to COVID-19. On May 16, Urdaneta City was downgraded to a general community quarantine (GCQ), which allows only essential public and private construction projects to operate. The upper walls of the temple can be seen over the construction barrier that surrounds the site.
Richmond Virginia Temple Retention Pond
At the Richmond Virginia Temple site, earthmoving equipment has excavated a large retention pond in the area behind the existing residence. Grading continues across the property as various areas of the complex are defined including driveways, parking lots, buildings, and garden spaces. Numerous trees have been retained to provide a buffer between surrounding residences and a beautiful backdrop for the temple.
Conditional Use Permit Approved for the Bentonville Arkansas Temple
Members of the City of Bentonville Planning Commission voted 7-0 last night to approve a conditional use permit for construction of the Bentonville Arkansas Temple. It will stand next to the stake center for the Bentonville Arkansas Stake, located at 1101 McCollum Drive near I-49. The temple will serve members living in or near the region of Northwest Arkansas including parts of Missouri, Oklahoma, and Kansas.
Vernal Utah Temple Parking Lot Taking Shape
More curbing and sidewalks have been poured for the Vernal Utah Temple parking lot expansion project. Electrical wiring has been run and bases installed for the lamp posts that will light the parking area. Outlines have been drawn for the various landscaping features including a circular gathering area at the center of the parking lot median.
Dismantling of Stake Center Underway in Yuba City, California
The interior of the stake center in Yuba City, California, is currently being dismantled with everything in the building being freely donated to other churches, schools, and organizations across the community. The decades-old meetinghouse will be demolished to make way for the Feather River California Temple and a new stake center to be constructed on the grassy area behind the temple. A formal groundbreaking ceremony will be held in two months on Saturday, July 18.
Eighteen More Temples to Reopen for Living Sealings
On Monday, May 25, a total of 52 temples will have reopened for the performance of living sealings by appointment. An all-temple closure had been announced on March 25, as a precaution against the spread of COVID-19. The first 17 temples reopened on Monday, May 11, and 17 more temples reopened today. An additional 18 temples will reopen next Monday in Canada, Finland, and the United States, as various regions of the world begin to lift stay-at-home orders and allow houses of worship to reopen.
Removing Moroni from the Salt Lake Temple
The angel Moroni statue and capstone are being removed from the Salt Lake Temple by construction crews this morning. The schedule for this planned removal was moved up following the earthquake in March. The statue and capstone will be refurbished and preserved until they are reinstalled at a future date. Work continues on removing stones from the upper spires of the temple, which will also be preserved until they are reinstalled later in the project.
More Rebar at the Bangkok Thailand Temple Complex
Tightly woven rebar is creating a ceiling level above the previously poured floor of the underground parking structure for the Bangkok Thailand Temple. Due to the high water table in this flood-prone city, above-ground parking is a common sight. But an underground facility will place appropriate focus on the sacred six-story temple.
Quito Ecuador Temple Tower Walls in Place
The final sections of the Quito Ecuador Temple tower walls have been poured and topped with brackets that will support the building's slender spire and angel Moroni statue. The temple and accompanying housing facility have been enclosed, allowing interior work to progress. Construction has moved forward steadily at the temple complex, much to the delight of area members who have watched the structures rise.
Request to Build in Moses Lake, Washington
Church representatives recently submitted a request to the City of Moses Lake to authorize construction of the Moses Lake Washington Temple and a new stake center on unplatted land. The resolution was placed on the City Council's consent agenda for routine approval at its regular meeting last night. The recommendation from City staff was that the resolution be approved with the requirement that the property be platted within one year. The resolution will allow building permits to be pulled before the platting process is finalized.
Cladding of Tokyo Japan Temple Annex Building Completed
The removal of scaffolding and debris netting from the annex building next to the Tokyo Japan Temple has revealed the recently clad exterior of the structure. The multipurpose facility bears some architectural similarities to the temple including the columns that flank the main windows. Trees are also being planted atop the roof, similar to the Conference Center in Salt Lake City. Construction at the temple complex is expected to be completed later this year with a public open house held next year. President Hideki Aoki and his wife, Setsuko, have been re-called to serve as temple president and matron.
More Temples to Reopen Under Phase 1
Seventeen temples reopened today, and seventeen more will reopen next Monday across Asia, Europe, and the United States under phase 1 of the reopening plan for temples as announced by the First Presidency. Phase 1 allows for living husband-and-wife sealings to be performed with a limited number of participants under the restrictions defined by local government. Appointments are required.
Driveway Entrance to Richmond Virginia Temple Site
With the majority of trees felled and cleared needed to make way for the Richmond Virginia Temple, crews have begun to rough in the driveway entrance to the temple property off Mountain Road. Construction at the wooded site for Virginia's first temple has been underway for just about a month.
Landscaping Added to St. George Utah Temple Grounds
Landscaping elements are being added to the St. George Utah Temple grounds along the west and south sides of the property. Desert boulders are being strategically set in place. Trees are being planted including Deseret Willow and Olive. And beautiful shrubs are adding color like the Butterfly Bush. Work continues on building the new annex. The substructure has been established, and superstructure walls are just beginning.
Abatement Activity at Taylorsville Meetinghouse
Abatement workers dressed in hooded coveralls and half-face respirator masks have arrived at the Taylorsville meetinghouse where the Taylorsville Utah Temple will be constructed. Eagle Environmental has been contracted to carry out the removal of hazardous materials from the decades-old building so that harmful particles are not discharged into the air when the building is demolished and removed.
Phased Reopening of Temples Announced
In a letter written to Church members, the First Presidency has announced: "With profound gratitude to our Heavenly Father that He has heard our prayers, we rejoice in announcing a carefully coordinated, cautious, and phased reopening of temples. With this letter, we are authorizing the reopening of 17 temples." Those temples—located in Utah, Idaho, Germany, and Sweden—will reopen on May 11, 2020 under phase 1, which allows living sealings only under strict guidelines and safety precautions.
Finials Removed from Salt Lake Temple Spires
The careful work of removing the granite finials from the spires of the Salt Lake Temple has made excellent progress. Refurbishment of the stones was anticipated to occur later in the renovation, but following seismic activity in the Salt Lake Valley that started in March, the spires were addressed immediately. Scaffolding has been installed around the base of the tower that supports the angel Moroni. Demolition of the annex roof, bridal party exit, and additional portions of the Temple Square wall has also begun.
Renderings Released for Planned Residential Community in Tooele Valley
Renderings have been released ahead of a public hearing by the Tooele County Planning Commission where an application to rezone the 167 acres surrounding the Tooele Valley Utah Temple will be considered. Residential development is proposed for the area including single-family homes, 55+ active adult communities, and large open spaces. "We are committed to developing a vibrant neighborhood where people of different ages and income levels will enjoy living within walking distance of the temple. The temple’s timeless architecture and manicured grounds will be a beautiful, enduring central feature of the community for all who will live there, regardless of religious affiliation," said Ashley Powell, managing director of Investment Properties.
Alabang Philippines Temple Groundbreaking Postponed
The groundbreaking ceremony for the Alabang Philippines Temple has been postponed due to restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. It was originally scheduled for Saturday, May 2, with Elder D. Todd Christofferson presiding. The groundbreaking is now anticipated to occur the first week of June. The site was cleared late last year in preparation for construction.
A House of the Lord in Papua New Guinea
A newly released video from the Pacific Area documents the reactions of the Saints to the announcement of the Port Moresby Papua New Guinea Temple. Beautiful stories and testimonies are shared by faithful members who are filled with deep gratitude for a temple to be constructed in their island nation—Papua New Guinea's first. It will allow members to worship in the temple without sacrificing the time and expense required to fly to Australia.
