Announcement of the Singapore Temple
Church President Russell M. Nelson announced a temple for the Republic of Singapore on April 4, 2021. This will be the first house of the Lord in the city-state, which comprises more than 60 islands and has the smallest area of any country in Southeast Asia.
Singapore became an independent republic in 1965. Four years later, in 1969, Elder Ezra Taft Benson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles dedicated Singapore for the preaching of the gospel. When the Singapore Temple was announced, 3,000 Latter-day Saints in seven congregations resided on the islands.
President Nelson visited Singapore in November 2019, a year and a half before this temple announcement, to celebrate the anniversary of 50 years since Elder Benson’s visit. In a conference there, President Nelson told Saints: “Now, you may wonder if the President of the Church is going to say anything about a temple in Singapore. That is all I am going to say, but I will tell you this: We yearn for the day that we will have a temple in Singapore.”
Timeline of the Singapore Temple
The Singapore Temple was announced April 4, 2021, by President Russell M. Nelson. Details about the temple’s groundbreaking have not yet been released.
Architecture and Design of the Singapore Temple
Plans for the Singapore Temple call for a two-story building of approximately 18,000 square feet. Exterior renderings show that the temple will have a white exterior with intricate designs on long, rectangular areas across the facade. Rectangular window frames will be brown, and the entry doors, under an arch, will also have a brown color.
A short, wide tower with a pyramid roof will sit above the center of the temple, with three rectangular windows on each side. The temple will be built on a one-acre lot, with several trees and flower gardens adorning the grounds and a black fence surrounding the site. A meetinghouse with an arrival center will also be built adjacent to the temple.