A major milestone has been reached with the announcement by the First Presidency of the Church's 100th temple. The newest temple is planned for the Palmyra, N.Y., area. For members of the Church, it is an exciting milestone that clearly illustrates once again that the work of the Lord is rolling forth, as more and more temples are dotting the earth.
Nearly 15 years ago, President Gordon B. Hinckley, then a counselor to President Spencer W. Kimball, said in the October 1985 general conference, "We are living in the greatest era of temple building ever witnessed." At that time there were 36 temples in operation, with another 11 either under construction or in planning stages. Sixteen of those temples then in operation were dedicated within the previous three years.
Twenty-six temples in all were dedicated during the 1980s in many far-flung areas of the world, stretching from Johannesburg, South Africa, to Seoul, Korea, and from Stockholm, Sweden, to Sydney, Australia. Temples had reached every continent of the globe, except Antarctica, during that busy decade of temple building.
Little wonder President Hinckley said at that time that we were living in the greatest era of temple building.
But it was just the beginning of the proliferation of temples throughout the world.
"The sacred and important work that goes on in temples must be accelerated," President Hinckley further said in his October 1985 conference address. "For this to happen, it is necessary that temples be taken closer to the people rather than having the people travel so far to temples."
Twelve years later, in his October 1997 general conference address, President Hinckley announced the concept of building smaller temples closer to the people.
And think of what has happened since then.
Twenty-eight temples have been announced since last April conference, as many as all the temples dedicated up through 1983. And, by far, more temples will be dedicated this year than in any previous year in the history of the Church, including the years in the 1980s when the accelerated work of temple building really gained impetus.
Certainly the number of temples will not stop at 100. Undoubtedly, many, many more will yet be announced. The work will continue to roll forth toward fulfilling "the prediction of latter-day prophets that holy temples will dot this and other lands from end to
end, where the work of the Lord is being firmly established." (From President Kimball's general conference address, March 31, 1979.)
However, the importance of temples lies not just in numbers — although the increasing numbers mean that members will not have to travel so far to attend a temple — but the importance of temples centers on the sacred work that is performed therein. Ultimately, no one will receive exaltation in our Father in Heaven's kingdom who does not receive the fullness of the gospel as it is administered in the temple. No one who understands the gospel can question the need for temple work, both for the living and the dead.
"There is no labor in which the Latter-day Saints feel more deeply interested than in the building and completing of temples," the First Presidency said in April 1892, a year before the Salt Lake Temple was dedicated. (James R. Clark, Messages of the First Presidency 3:236.)
That is still true today, more than 100 years later.
And now a major milestone has been reached: 100 temples in operation or in some phase of planning or construction.
The newest temple has been announced for upstate New York, an area rich and significant in Church history; an area where the Father and Son appeared to the boy Joseph in answer to a simple, humble prayer; an area where the Angel Moroni appeared to young Joseph and revealed the location of sacred, ancient records; an area where the Church was restored and where 24 revelations were received; an area where the Prophet finished translating the Book of Mormon.
In the cradle of the restored gospel, where the latter-day work all began, will soon rise a temple, magnificent in architecture and workmanship — but more important, magnificent in the sacred vision of eternity that will be presented therein.
In the area where the events of the Restoration began to unfold nearly 180 years ago will be yet another temple, "symbolizing the truth that families, living and deceased, may be joined together in love and eternal family associations." (From President Ezra Taft Benson's general conference address, April 5, 1980.)
Who can doubt that the mighty work of carrying out the plan of redemption for the human family continues to roll forth?
