The groundbreaking for the Auckland New Zealand Temple is scheduled to take place on Saturday, June 13, the First Presidency announced today on Newsroom.
Although further details about the temple are expected to be released later, the president of the Pacific Area of the Church, Elder Ian S. Ardern, will preside at the groundbreaking ceremony and attendance at the event will be by invitation only. The general public is invited to view the ceremony live from local Church meetinghouses throughout New Zealand.
The site of the Auckland temple is located 14 miles southeast of Auckland City on Redoubt Road in Manukau, New Zealand. The New Zealand Missionary Training Center is located just to the south of the site with the Auckland New Zealand Redoubt Stake Center just to the North.
President Russell M. Nelson announced the location for the temple site during a visit to New Zealand in May 2019. During this visit, President Nelson also announced a $100,000 donation to two mosques in Christchurch damaged in a deadly attack.
Dates for the Auckland temple's open house and dedication will be announced after construction of the new building is completed.
Announced by President Nelson in October 2018 at general conference, the new temple is expected to serve a portion of the more than 114,000 Latter-day Saints in the country. It is the second temple for the country, the first being the Hamilton New Zealand Temple, which was originally dedicated in 1958 by President David O. McKay.
The Hamilton temple is currently under construction for renovation with an expected completion date sometime in 2021.
