President Russell M. Nelson, President of the Church, kicked off the week by recognizing that all temples currently not under construction or undergoing renovations are “now reopened and resumed some level of operations!”
The Kyiv Ukraine Temple was the last of 168 temples to open following the closures brought on by COVID-19. The decision to close the temples was not easy, President Nelson said on social media.
"I will never forget the day near the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic when we had to make the excruciating decision to close the temples," he said. "The rapid spread of the virus made this decision inevitable, but it was a painful one."
President Nelson said he thought about what Joseph Smith and the 15 other previous presidents of the Church must have felt when the decision was made.
With the reopenings now underway for all available temples in the world, he said members should celebrate the opportunity to do redemptive work in the temples.
"Now, with the temples open, our work for those on both sides of the veil can be resumed. To have all our temples reopened, at least to some degree, is a cause for rejoicing," he said.
At the conclusion of April’s general conference, President Nelson encouraged members to do everything they could to slow the spread of COVID-19 in order to have temples opened again.
"Do all you can to bring COVID numbers down in your area so that your temple opportunities can increase," he said.
While not all temples are open at the same level of participation, President Nelson provided counsel in that same conference message that applies to all members who wish to worship in the temple.
"Keep your temple covenants and blessings foremost in your minds and hearts. Stay true to the covenants you have made."
President Nelson also thanked those who worked hard to alleviate the suffering and spread of the virus over the past 18 months.
"I am grateful for the many scientists, health care workers, and leaders who have stemmed the tide of this virus such that we can now safely gather in larger numbers," he said.
Learn which temples are open and in which phase with regular Church News updates each week.
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