News
Laying Exterior Brick at the Winnipeg Manitoba Temple
Orange tarps are draped around the exterior of the Winnipeg Manitoba Temple to keep brick layers and their materials warm under Canada's frigid winter temperatures. In a staging area in front of the temple, the frame for the spire has been sheathed and is being painted gold. The exterior of the adjoining meetinghouse is nearly completed including functioning exterior light fixtures.
Backfilling the Abidjan Côte d'Ivoire Temple Foundation
The small mountain of red-colored excavation dirt that has sat next to the Abidjan Côte d'Ivoire Temple for the past several months is now shrinking in size, as earth-moving equipment backfills the completed foundation and brings the ground level with the stake center property. Interior structural support is visible for the raised portion of the building that runs directly behind the tower.
Festival of Lights at the Washington D.C. Temple
The 42nd annual Festival of Lights is in full swing at the Washington D.C. Temple. And although Christmas lights have been limited to the areas outside of the construction zone, the stunning backdrop of a glowing white temple still captivates the eyes and imaginations of happy guests. During the past few weeks, more trees and shrubs have been planted and benches installed in the garden areas around the temple and throughout the parking lot.
Interior Renderings of the Salt Lake Temple Renovation Released
Members of the media were briefed today about preparations underway for the pending renovation of the Salt Lake Temple, which closes on December 29, 2019. Four interior renderings of the project were released in conjunction with the event. During the initial phase of construction, crews will secure the construction area with a fence, and by mid-January, the South Visitors' Center and portions of the wall surrounding Temple Square will be demolished. In the spring, the temple's north addition will come down. Renovation of the Church Office Building plaza is anticipated to begin in late 2020. Temple Square will remain open during the renovation with the Conference Center becoming the primary venue for the guest experience including views of the construction from the balcony and roof levels. The annual Christmas lights will continue but on a smaller scale.
Dome Structure Erected Over the Belém Brazil Temple
When heavy rains at the Belém Brazil Temple site threatened the integrity of the newly poured concrete foundation, crews erected a massive dome structure over the construction area to protect the concrete walls and allow them to cure properly. The looming egg-like structure has inspired a wide variety of memes on social media, and Church members are receiving questions from their curious friends about the temple and—what many have termed—"Belém's dinosaur egg."
Watch Live: Pocatello Idaho Temple Construction
The Facebook page for the Pocatello Idaho Temple now features a live feed of the construction activity at the temple site. Light-gauge steel studs continue to be attached to the structural beams that form the steel skeleton of the building, and a gypsum-based sheathing is forming a solid surface for the walls along the north half of the ground floor. Inside the structure, a few concrete pours have taken place including the front staircase, which is still tented while the concrete cures.
Manila Philippines Temple
The annual lighting of the Manila Philippines Temple grounds was held on November 23, 2019 in celebration of Christmas and the #LIGHTtheWORLD initiative. More than 300 members and friends of the Church attended the lighting ceremony including academic, interfaith, government, and media representatives. Latter-day Saint artists were also on hand, namely Melanie Marquez, Jairus Aquino, Xia Vigor, Janella Renner, Lucas Carson, and Chantal Vidella. Watch a video presentation of the event.
Ground Broken for Mexico's 14th Temple
Elder Arnulfo Valenzuela, president of the Mexico Area, presided today at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Puebla Mexico Temple with his wife, Silvia Pilar Valenzuela; his counselors, Elder Rafael E. Pino and John C. Pingree Jr.; and their wives, Patricia Mónica Pino and Anne Pingree. The temple will be constructed in the Puebla neighborhood of Los Cipreses and serve more than 50,000 members. Elder Valenzuela explained the significance of the temple, saying it is a holy place where we can go and perform the ordinances and sacred covenants that allow us, if we are faithful to the end, to return to the presence of our Heavenly Father.
Celebration of Christmas Begins at Temple Square
The annual Christmas light display at Temple Square burst to life tonight at 5:30 p.m., marking the beginning of the celebration of the Christmas season. Celebratory activities include the First Presidency's Christmas devotional, Tabernacle Choir concerts and other musical performances, Nativity displays, and movie presentations in Legacy Theater. You can watch Temple Square live on YouTube.
Preparations Begin for Durban South Africa Temple Opening
The Durban South Africa Temple has been transferred to the Temple Department, and training has been conducted for the facilities manager, recorder, and assistants. The temple custodians are cleaning the temple while the groundskeepers are maintaining the new landscaping. They will assume responsibility for all of the grounds once the landscapers have finished their contracted work. All other tasks remaining to be completed and other preparations for next year's open house and dedication will continue over the next few weeks.
Elder Rasband Counsels Young Adults in New Zealand
With the Hamilton New Zealand Temple closed for renovation and construction not yet started on the Auckland New Zealand Temple, the saints of New Zealand are currently without an operating temple in their country. Acknowledging this situation, Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles spoke to a group of young adults during a recent visit to New Zealand where he counseled them to be a "recommend people." In a Facebook post, he spoke to all members who may be in a similar situation, saying: "I urge you—do not let your temple recommend go inactive. Strive to spiritually grow—both in your home and at church. Participate in the ordinance of the sacrament every week. Read your scriptures. Pray. Do everything you can to strengthen your relationship with Jesus Christ. One day, you will have the opportunity to attend the temple again."
Framing the Substructure for the Bangkok Thailand Temple
Structural steel beams have been tied into the concrete piles and footings poured for the substructure of the Bangkok Thailand Temple and annex building. The steel grid will form a sturdy platform to carry the weight of the multistory buildings and to provide an underground space for a parking facility. Below-grade work has been underway for the past several months. Watch a video update of the construction progress.
Grounds Renovation at the Las Vegas Nevada Temple
A recently completed renovation of the grounds of the Las Vegas Nevada Temple has reconfigured the east side with a new plaza and walkways featuring beautiful pavers laid in a herringbone pattern. The temple, which was dedicated on December 16, 1989, marks its 30th anniversary next month.
Road Closed at the St. George Utah Temple
As work at the St. George Utah Temple transitions from decommissioning to renovation, the road between the temple and the parking lot—400 South—has been closed to traffic. The road will be raised to provide a level crosswalk for patrons coming from the parking lot to the new annex and entrance plaza. The location of a second temple to be built in St. George, known as the Washington County Utah Temple, was recently announced for the corner of 3000 East and 1580 South.
Annex Rising Next to Tokyo Japan Temple
Stretching the entire block from southeast to northwest, the multi-level annex building under construction next to the Tokyo Japan Temple will be a massive upgrade to the former annex built in 1986. With the exception of the Chinese embassy, the Church now owns the entire block where the temple stands, having acquired properties and added supporting facilities over the past four decades. The temple was originally designed to be constructed on the narrow site of the former mission home. However, through a miraculous set of circumstances, property was acquired on either side, allowing for a more substantial and functional temple including small adjoining annexes for temple workers and patrons.
Cut-Away Model Put on Display in the Laie Hawaii Temple Visitors' Center
The Church's fifth cut-away model of a temple has been put on display in the visitors' center for the fifth dedicated temple in operation—the Laie Hawaii Temple. The exquisitely detailed model took eight months to build on the mainland of the United States. It was then disassembled and shipped to Hawaii where it was reassembled in a week. The beautiful gift arrived in the 100th anniversary year of the temple, which was dedicated by President Heber J. Grant on Thanksgiving Day, November 27, 1919. Other cut-away models of temples are located in the visitors' centers at the Salt Lake Temple, Washington D.C. Temple, Paris France Temple, and Rome Italy Temple.
Committee Prepares Members for the Rio de Janeiro Brazil Temple
Members of the dedication committee for the Rio de Janeiro Brazil Temple are holding regular meetings with the Church members in the stakes and districts of the future temple district to prepare them for next year's dedication. The First Presidency's announcement of the open house and dedication dates is still pending. Scaffolding has recently returned to the steeple of the temple for work to be carried out.
Rendering Revealed for Phnom Penh Cambodia Temple
"Isn’t it beautiful?" said President Russell M. Nelson to a gathering of Church members in Phnom Penh's Premier Centre Sen Sok on Tuesday night as he unveiled the official rendering of the Phnom Penh Cambodia Temple on a large screen in the auditorium. "I don’t know when the temple will be completed," he continued. "But I do know that, difficult as it is to construct a temple, it’s even more difficult to build a people ready for the temple. Preparation for the temple includes members of your family. Your preparation will bless them, too." The temple will be located on Russian Confederation Street, between the Cambodia Institute of Technology and the Institute of Foreign Languages near the Royal University of Phnom Penh.
Special Guests at the Durban South Africa Temple
Bishop Gérald Caussé, presiding bishop of the Church, and Elder Joseph W. Sitati of the Africa Southeast Area presidency, inspected the construction progress at the Durban South Africa Temple on Thursday, November 14. They expressed encouraging words to the construction team and gratitude for their work. The elevator installations have been completed, and electrical has wrapped up. Sealing room mirrors has been installed. Landscaping continues including capping the water feature, stone benches, and planter boxes. At a media briefing, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles encouraged members of the community to attend the open house in two months.
Baton Rouge Louisiana Temple Rededicated
Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles rededicated the beautifully renovated Baton Rouge Louisiana Temple today, following a weeklong public open house. "The temple is a place of refuge when we face challenges," he said. Patrons will be welcomed at the temple to performance ordinance work beginning Saturday, November 23, 2019. The nearly 20-year-old building was dedicated by President Gordon B. Hinckley on July 16, 2000.
Hong Kong China Temple Renovation Progressing
The decommissioned Hong Kong China Temple is wrapped in white debris netting as interior and exterior renovations are carried out. In front of the building, a covered sidewalk shields pedestrians from the construction activity. The exterior stone of the temple is to be removed, allowing for alterations to the exterior appearance of the building and giving contractors an opportunity to install superior moisture barriers that will protect against Hong Kong's humid subtropical climate.
Enclosing the Main Level of the Pocatello Idaho Temple
As winter weather settles into East Idaho's mountain valleys, contractors at the Pocatello Idaho Temple are enclosing the main level of the building with thick sheets of plastic to retain heat and to allow the pouring of the main floor slab. Framing of the building is transitioning from heavy gauge steel to light gauge steel—visible along the north and northwest sides of the main level. Structural framing is expected to be completed by December, taking the temple another 85 feet higher. No delays have been experienced since construction of the temple began in March.
Angel Moroni Replaced on Nauvoo Illinois Temple
A newly gilded statue of the angel Moroni was placed atop the tower of the Nauvoo Illinois Temple yesterday, replacing the former statue that had been charred by a lightning strike on June 28, 2019. It was a big event for the small town that is home to several Church historic sites. The temple was dedicated in 2002 as a reconstruction of the temple built by the early Saints of Nauvoo in 1846. It was tragically destroyed by arson fire in 1848.
Public Open House Begins Friday for Arequipa Peru Temple
The public is invited to see the newly completed Arequipa Peru Temple beginning this Friday, November 15, and continuing through Saturday, November 30, 2019. The free tours will be offered Monday through Saturday from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. (No reservations are needed.) The Flor de Texao, a symbol of Arequipa, is used in carved hardwood, art glass windows, metal fixtures, and stonework. The flooring features white and cream carpets, Perlantino marble tile, and woolen area rugs from China. Giclee prints depicting the life of Jesus Christ hang in the corridors. The main entrance plaza features a Spanish-style water fountain, and landscaping incorporates a mixture of grasses, flowers, shrubs, and trees native to the region including the cantuta, the national flower of Peru.
Fitting the Pageant Stage on the Mesa Arizona Temple Grounds
The multi-level stage for the annual Mesa Easter Pageant is rising on the north lawn of the Mesa Arizona Temple grounds to fit it to the new platform. The first production of the pageant was held over 90 years ago in 1928, and it is now considered the largest annual outdoor Easter pageant in the world. Renovations on the temple are progressing steadily including the replacement of the upper windows. Work is also proceeding on the Family Discovery Center and housing project being constructed across the street.
Rebar Going Up at the Urdaneta Philippines Temple
Contractors at the Urdaneta Philippines Temple construction site are setting rebar atop the concrete footings and foundation for the temple as work gets underway on the structural support and exterior walls for the building. The same work is progressing on the three-story accommodation center and maintenance building, located on the north end of the property.
Building Retaining Walls for the Praia Cabo Verde Temple
Work has begun on building retaining walls around the raised soil platforms for the Praia Cabo Verde Temple and its adjoining meetinghouse. Assembled grids of rebar and a concrete mixer sit in the staging area, ready to create the reinforced concrete structures.
Abidjan Côte d'Ivoire Temple Tower
Steel reinforcing bar and concrete forms have been installed in preparation for pouring the base walls of the Abidjan Côte d'Ivoire Temple tower. Following a year of construction, the majority of the concrete exterior is completed. The exposed foundation will be backfilled, creating a slope on the west side of the temple and leaving the ground level with the stake center on the east side.
Washington County Utah Temple to Be Built in St. George
The location of the Washington County Utah Temple has been officially announced as northeast of the intersection of 3000 East and 1580 South in the Washington Fields area of St. George. The temple will be a three-story building of approximately 88,000 square feet. Once detailed plans have been finalized, interior and exterior renderings will be released. Project leaders will soon begin work with government officials and will submit public documents in the coming months. No groundbreaking date has been announced. It will be the second temple to be constructed in St. George.
Exterior Walls Going Up for the Quito Ecuador Temple
Construction of the Quito Ecuador Temple has been underway for six months. Over that time, contractors have completed the building's substructure and are now pouring the walls for the temple's superstructure. The temple is rising in the Quito suburb of Cumbayá where new infrastructure is spurring construction throughout the community.
