News
Photo: Dorothy T Manao
A Temple to Serve the Church Members of American Samoa
Church members in American Samoa look forward to the completion of the first temple to be constructed in the territory—the Pago Pago American Samoa Temple. The edifice is rising on the main island of Tutuila where the majority of the approximately 47,400 residents live. Beautiful rainforests cover 90 percent of the land, and the vast majority of inhabitants are indigenous ethnic Samoans who are fluent in both English and Samoan.
Photo: Rebecca Paul McAllister
Building the Front Walls of the Bengaluru India Temple
The front concrete walls of the Bengaluru India Temple are being installed, forming the openings for the seven columns of windows that will beautify the facade of this multistory house of the Lord. The front portico has been framed, which sits below the protruding center section. Construction of the temple complex has been underway for approximately three-and-a-half years.
Photo: Robert Stancliffe
Installing the Frames for the Fort Worth Texas Temple Parapets
Steel framing for the scalloped parapets that rise over each side of the Fort Worth Texas Temple are being installed. The beautiful Mission-style building is being erected in the Fort Worth suburb of Burleson where construction began nine months ago. The temple will be the second constructed in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, bringing the blessings of temple worship closer to members living southwest of Dallas.
Photo: Kael Wilcox
Thriving Crops Surround the Smithfield Utah Temple Site
A field of healthy green crops stretches southwest of the Smithfield Utah Temple in Northern Utah's fertile Cache Valley. The gorgeous cupola for the main steeple was installed a month ago, featuring inconspicuous light fixtures that protrude from the base of the lantern. Highly ornamented stonework continues to be hung on the exterior walls while work progresses on the interior.
Photo: Aaron Arnold
Days of '47 Parade Passes by the Salt Lake Temple
Thousands of people gathered along the streets of downtown Salt Lake City today for the Days of '47 parade that celebrates Pioneer Day. It is an official state holiday in Utah that commemorates the arrival of Brigham Young and the first group of pioneers to the Salt Lake Valley on July 24, 1847. Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles was the parade's grand marshal, riding in a Jeep Gladiator with his wife, Susan. The parade route passed by the Salt Lake Temple, which has five of its six spires restored.
Photo: Sandrajeanne Bushell
Forming the Parapet Walls of the Modesto California Temple
Concrete wall forms are being installed for the curvilinear parapets that will be featured on each side of the Modesto California Temple. Parapets will adorn both the outer walls and the raised center section, which will support the beautiful windowed steeple. The city of Modesto (meaning "modest" in English) was named for the modesty of banker William C. Ralston, who turned down the suggestion that the city be named after him.
Photo: Michael Lewis
The House of the Lord in Farmington, New Mexico
The Farmington New Mexico Temple rises above the residential skyline as a holy monument to the Lord, Jesus Christ, in the Four Corners region of New Mexico. Next to the temple is a meetinghouse with an institute wing to serve Latter-day Saint young single adults, including students who attend San Juan College across the street. It is the second temple to be built in the state, following the Albuquerque New Mexico Temple (2000).
Photo: Bryan Nielsen
View of Grand Junction Colorado Temple from Horizon Drive
A recent photograph of the Grand Junction Colorado Temple taken from Horizon Drive captures the sublime beauty of this house of the Lord that sits above the roundabout at Horizon Drive and North 12th Street. A series of stairs lead from the street to the temple entrance where the front doors were recently installed. The majority of work has been completed on the interior and exterior, and the landscaping is making progress.
Photo: Intellectual Reserve, Inc.
Groundbreaking Date Announced for the Wichita Kansas Temple
Groundbreaking services for the Wichita Kansas Temple will take place on Saturday, September 7, 2024. Elder Steven R. Bangerter, First Counselor in the North America Central Area Presidency, will preside at the event. The temple will be built on a 6.42-acre lot in The Moorings Plaza Fourth Addition subdivision. Plans call for a single-story temple of approximately 9,950 square feet.
Photo: Hariata Tukiri
Exterior of the Auckland New Zealand Temple Nearing Completion
The long process of cladding the exterior of the Auckland New Zealand Temple has nearly been completed. Work began over two years ago, and the cladding of the steeple was recently finished. Scaffolding has been removed, fully revealing the splendid stonework that distinguishes this house of the Lord. Exterior floodlighting accentuates the tiered spire and bathes the building in brilliant beams.
Photo: Addy Hart
Estabishing Trees on the Elko Nevada Temple Grounds
A variety of deciduous and evergreen trees are appearing on the grounds of the Elko Nevada Temple. Most of the saplings are supported by two stakes on each side while they put down roots and begin to be established. Lamp posts have also been installed along the walkways that encircle the building. The temple is the third to be constructed in Nevada. A fourth was recently approved for construction on the west side of Las Vegas.
Photo: Santiago Garcia
Preparing the Santiago West Chile Temple Site for Groundbreaking
In preparation for next month's groundbreaking for the Santiago West Chile Temple, demolition of the structures on site is underway, including a meetinghouse. The temple will rise in the Maipú district of Santiago, located in the southwest sector of the city. It will be the fourth temple built in Chile and the second built in Santiago. The Concepción Chile Temple was dedicated in 2018, and construction is wrapping up on the Antofagasta Chile Temple. A fifth Chilean temple has been announced for Viña del Mar.
Photo: Intellectual Reserve, Inc.
City Council Approves Lone Mountain Nevada Temple Project
In a 7-0 vote, the Las Vegas City Council unanimously approved the proposal for the Lone Mountain Nevada Temple yesterday, following months of community debate. Church representatives agreed to lower the height of the originally proposed 216-foot steeple to 196 feet to avoid a Federal Aviation Administration mandate for a blinking red light at the top of buildings that are over 200 feet tall. The 70,194-square-foot temple will be built on a 20-acre site along with a 15,982-square-foot meetinghouse, a 1,807-square-foot grounds building, and a 1,800-square-foot pavilion.
Photo: Brent R.
Landscaping the Grounds of the Lindon Utah Temple
Around the perimeter of the Lindon Utah Temple site, fence panels are being installed and landscaping efforts are moving forward with the planting of trees and the spreading of mulch. Landscaping is also progressing in the west parking lot where a masonry fence was recently installed, and trees and shrubs are being established. Hardscaping continues on the north and south plazas, which feature beautiful stone-clad planters and pavers.
Photo: Israel Duran
Lighting the Exterior of the Antofagasta Chile Temple
As construction of the Antofagasta Chile Temple nears completion, floodlighting of the exterior is being fined tuned. The lighting accentuates the beautiful architectural details of this house of the Lord and denotes its holy purpose. Before healing the blind man described in the Gospel of John, Jesus said, "I must work the works of him that sent me.…As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world" (John 9:4–5).
Photo: Brent R.
New Hardscape Around the Assembly Hall on Temple Square
Beautiful new hardscape is being installed around the Assembly Hall on Temple Square, which stands southwest of the Salt Lake Temple. The ceiling of the Assembly Hall originally featured a number of murals that depicted the temples of the Church, Church leaders, ancient prophets, and Church history sites, but the ceiling was later painted white. A trumpeted pipe organ was installed in the 1980s, and the wooden turret finials, which originally functioned as chimneys, were replaced with fiberglass replicas.
Photo: Jessy Pesidas
An Early Convert to the Church in Davao City
The Davao Philippines Temple is the first temple to be constructed on the island of Mindanao where members of the Church are organized into 16 stakes and 12 districts. An early convert to the Church in Davao City was an evangelical minister named Cipriano Mumar. A friend shared a copy of the Book of Mormon with him in the early 1960s, and he became convinced that this was the Stick of Ephraim he had studied about in Ezekiel 37:15-19. Missionary work opened in Davao City in May 1968, and the missionaries soon began to teach Cipriano. After five weeks, he, his wife, and his eldest son were baptized members of the Church.
Photo: Kondro Yao Théodore
First Temple Constructed in the Former French West Africa
The Abidjan Ivory Coast Temple will be the first temple constructed in the former French West Africa, a federation of eight French colonial territories that included Mauritania, Senegal, Mali (formerly French Sudan), Guinea (formerly French Guinea), Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso (formerly Upper Volta), Benin (formerly Dahomey), and Niger. Ivory Coast (or Côte d'Ivoire in French) regained its independence from France in 1960. The temple's primary language will be French.
Photo: Freddy A. Molina
Construction Progressing on the Managua Nicaragua Temple
Cladding of the exterior walls of the Managua Nicaragua Temple is progressing. Plans to construct the temple were announced in April 2018, and groundbreaking services were held in November 2022. The country's first branch was created in the capital city of Managua on November 21, 1954—nearly 70 years ago. Today, there are over 100,000 members organized into 12 stakes and 4 districts.
Photo: Scott Meek
East Cupola Installed on the Ephraim Utah Temple
The east cupola has been installed on the roof of the Ephraim Utah Temple on top of the platform that sits at the rear of the building. The west cupola was added to the steeple tower yesterday, followed by the lantern and finial that went up this morning. Ephraim is the largest city in picturesque Sanpete County and is home to Snow College, which provides two- and four-year degree programs.
Photo: Templo de Ribeirão Preto Instagram page
Excavating for the Ribeirão Preto Brazil Temple Foundation
An excavator works inside of a fenced area at the Ribeirão Preto Brazil Temple site, scooping out red soil where the foundation for the temple will be installed. Groundbreaking services were held almost three weeks ago to mark the commencement of construction on Brazil's thirteenth temple. The temple will be surrounded by parking on three sides and stand near an accommodation center.
Photo: Lincoln Johnson
Road Widened Next to the Teton River Idaho Temple Site
The road that runs along the east side of the Teton River Idaho Temple site has been widened, and a turnout lane has been added. Among the heavy machinery on site is a pile driver that is forming the piles that will support the temple foundation from underneath. Excavation for another building at the complex is also underway. The temple is located on the north end of Rexburg, home to Brigham Young University–Idaho.
Photo: Robert Henningson
West Cuopla Installed on the Ephraim Utah Temple Steeple
The gold cupola that was assembled on the grounds of the Ephraim Utah Temple has been lifted into place atop the tower on the west end of the building. On the east end, a coordinating dome will be placed over the raised ceiling of the Celestial Room. Work continues on cladding the exterior, installing the interior finishes, and landscaping the grounds. Crews are working hard to increase the pace of construction.
Photo: Julie C Markham
Preparing for the Foundation of the Provo Utah Rock Canyon Temple
While the final remnants of the Provo Utah Temple basement are removed or buried, crews are beginning preparations for the foundation of the new Provo Utah Rock Canyon Temple. The foundation will sit slightly west of the old foundation, allowing for parking on all sides of the temple. Large mounds of aggregate (gravel) have been staged on site, which will be used in building a strong foundation.
Photo: Wichita Kansas Temple Facebook page
Installing Utility Stubs at the Wichita Kansas Temple Site
Utility stubs are being installed at new Moorings Plaza development in Wichita where the Wichita Kansas Temple site is located. Contractors connect to these stubs to provide public utility services to their building projects, such as water, sewer, natural gas, and electricity. Establishing these services will bring the temple project closer to a groundbreaking announcement, but no announcement has been made yet.
Photo: Intellectual Reserve, Inc.
Artistic Rendering Released for the João Pessoa Brazil Temple
The official artistic rendering for the João Pessoa Brazil Temple was released on Monday, July 8, 2024. The temple will rise on a 3.9-acre site located at the intersection of Rua Paulino Pinto and Avenida Ministro José Américo de Almeida in the Cabo Branco neighborhood of João Pessoa. Plans call for a temple of approximately 18,850 square feet. A groundbreaking date will be announced when the time for construction draws near.
Photo: Intellectual Reserve, Inc.
Groundbreaking Announced for the Cagayan de Oro Philippines Temple
On Saturday, August 31, the groundbreaking ceremony for the Cagayan de Oro Philippines Temple will be held. Elder Carlos G. Revillo Jr., Philippines Area President, will preside at the event. The temple will be constructed on a 4.9-acre site located at Lot 2163-c and Lot 2163-d on Rosario Limketkai Avenue in Cagayan de Oro City. The two-story structure will be approximately 18,449 square feet. An ancillary building will also be constructed, housing an arrival center, patron housing, and distribution center.
Photo: Steven Boaz Mc Owuor
Scaffolding Removed from the Nairobi Kenya Temple Steeple
Scaffolding has been removed from the Nairobi Kenya Temple steeple, as construction at the temple complex advances closer to completion. The soft elements of the landscaping are being established on the grounds and in the park strips outside of the ornamental fencing. There are three stakes in the city of Nairobi and six districts in other locations in the country.
Photo: Jonathan Hughes
Pouring the Foundation for the Anchorage Alaska Temple
Concrete crews are pouring the footings and foundations for the new Anchorage Alaska Temple. The footings for the partial basement and baptismal font have been in place for a few weeks, and forming for the basement walls has begun. Progress is also being made on the foundation for the main floor. Construction began in April, following the demolition of the former stake center.
Photo: Random Life Observer
Exterior Cladding Progress at the Bacolod Philippines Temple
Scaffolding has been removed from portions of the Bacolod Philippines Temple, exposing the beautiful stone cladding that has been secured to the exterior walls. A guardhouse stands near the street entrance to the property, and storm drains have been installed on site, but work has not yet begun on landscaping. The roof of the adjoining ancillary building is finished, and work continues on the building's exterior.
