All 185 new temple locations President Russell M. Nelson has announced since becoming President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints seven years ago have come in a general conference — except for one.
While speaking at the groundbreaking of the Ephraim Utah Temple on Aug. 27, 2022, President Nelson recalled how the announcement of this second house of the Lord in central Utah came to be — a temple less than 10 miles from the Manti Utah Temple.
President Nelson said shortly after April 2021 general conference, he “received very clear instruction” from the Lord that the pioneer craftsmanship of the Manti temple — then set to be renovated by the Church — should be preserved and a new temple should be built in nearby Ephraim.
“That news was shared quickly here and throughout the world,” he said, referring to the announcement released from Church headquarters May 1, 2021.
In that announcement, President Nelson said Church leaders had given “much prayerful thought to the hardy pioneers” and countless craftsmen who made temple blessings in Manti possible. The leaders had also looked forward with “prayerful foresight” to the growing number of Latter-day Saints in central Utah, including Snow College students.
The decision to build a second temple in central Utah came “after much study and prayer, and with our deep gratitude for the Lord’s responding to our pleadings,” said President Nelson.
Learning from and preserving Church history — this has become a hallmark of President Nelson’s ministry.
7 years as Church President
President Nelson was set apart as the 17th President of the Church on Jan. 14, 2018, at age 93.
In his seven years as President of the Church, President Nelson has ministered in 35 nations, led the Church through a pandemic, accelerated temple building, issued invitations, changed Church organization, increased the Church’s missionary force, built bridges of understanding, and utilized technology and social media to share messages with the world.
The leader of 17 million Latter-day Saints worldwide, President Nelson has repeatedly underscored the importance of revelation in the ongoing Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
“One of the things the Spirit has repeatedly impressed upon my mind since my new calling as President of the Church is how willing the Lord is to reveal His mind and will,” President Nelson said in his first general conference as President of the Church. “The privilege of receiving revelation is one of the greatest gifts of God to His children.”
Restoring pioneer-era temples
In a central Utah valley settled by his pioneer ancestors, President Nelson rededicated the Manti Utah Temple on April 21, 2024. It became the Church’s second pioneer-era temple to recently finish major restorations.
“We build temples to honor the Lord,” said President Nelson during the rededication. “They are built for worship and not for show. We make sacred covenants of eternal significance inside these sacred walls.”
The historic Manti temple — originally dedicated 136 years earlier in May 1888 — was the Church’s third house of the Lord built in Utah, following temples in St. George and Logan and preceding the Salt Lake Temple.
These early Latter-day Saint temples “stand as monuments to the faith and vision of our beloved pioneers,” President Nelson said in April 2019 general conference.
“Each temple constructed by them resulted from their great personal sacrifice and effort. Each one stands as a stunning jewel in the crown of pioneer achievement. Ours is a sacred responsibility to care for them.”
President Nelson announced that these pioneer-era temples would undergo a period of “renewal and refreshing and, for some, a major restoration” to preserve the historicity, beauty and craftsmanship of generations past.
Renovations for the Manti temple included mechanical upgrades and technology to allow the ordinances and covenants to be administered in multiple languages. Work was also done to preserve the temple’s pioneer craftsmanship, character and artwork, including its original murals.
President Jeffrey R. Holland, acting president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, rededicated the renovated St. George temple on Dec. 10, 2023. In addition to updating the temple’s modern amenities — such as plumbing, air conditioning, and electrical and mechanical systems — care was also given to preserve the temple’s original pioneer designs.
The Salt Lake Temple renovation has been underway for five years and is projected to be completed in 2026. The massive project has included a seismic upgrade to the temple’s foundation, the removal of the existing temple entry/annex, removal of the north and south visitors’ centers, construction of new temple entry buildings and visitors’ pavilions, and addition of new hardscape and landscaping.
“We promise you that you will love the results,” said President Nelson at a press conference on April 19, 2019, about the Salt Lake Temple renovation. “They will emphasize and highlight the life, ministry and mission of Jesus Christ in His desire to bless every nation, kindred, tongue and people.”
Renovation plans for the Logan Utah Temple have not yet been released.
Kirtland Temple acquisition
In addition to his reverence and respect for pioneer-era temples, President Nelson has led many other efforts to preserve Church history. One is the recent acquisition of the first Latter-day Saint temple built in this dispensation.
On March 5, 2024, the Church acquired the Kirtland Temple in Ohio from the Community of Christ. The landmark agreement also included several significant buildings in Nauvoo, Illinois, and important manuscripts and artifacts.
“Together, we share an interest in and reverence for these historic sites and items and are committed to preserving them for future generations,” wrote leaders from the two faiths in a joint statement.
Discussions leading to this agreement had been ongoing since June 2021, according to the statement.
“We are deeply honored to assume the stewardship of these sacred places, documents and artifacts,” said President Nelson. “We thank our friends at Community of Christ for their great care and cooperation in preserving these historical treasures thus far. We are committed to doing the same.”
The reason behind the Church’s acquisition was rooted in doctrine, as the Kirtland Temple holds great significance in the Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ. On April 3, 1836, Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery were visited by Jesus Christ and experienced visions where priesthood keys were conveyed by ancient prophets Moses, Elias and Elijah.
One month after the purchase of the Kirtland Temple, President Nelson explained in April 2024 general conference the importance of these priesthood keys.
“These keys authorized Joseph Smith — and all succeeding presidents of the Lord’s Church — to gather Israel on both sides of the veil, to bless all covenant children with the blessings of Abraham, to place a ratifying seal on priesthood ordinances and covenants, and to seal families eternally,” he said. “The power of these priesthood keys is infinite and breathtaking.”
‘Saints’
Another effort during President Nelson’s tenure to preserve Church history was a four-volume narrative history commissioned by the First Presidency titled “Saints: The Story of the Church of Jesus Christ in the Latter Days.” It was the first multivolume Church history published in nearly 90 years.
The Church released “Saints: The Standard of Truth, Volume 1, 1815-1846″ in September 2018 and “Saints, Volume 2: No Unhallowed Hand, 1846-1893″ in February 2020. These first two volumes focus on the early Restoration as the Latter-day Saints gathered to build temples in Kirtland, Nauvoo and Utah.
“Saints, Volume 3: Boldly, Nobly and Independent, 1893-1955″ was released in April 2022 and shares stories of Saints worldwide as they experienced modern changes and faced challenges of war, a pandemic and economic hardship.
In October 2024, the Church released “Saints, Volume 4: Sounded in Every Ear, 1955-2020.″ The final book of the four-part history focuses on a period of accelerated worldwide Church growth and temple building.
“Remembering our shared legacy of faith, devotion and perseverance gives us perspective and strength as we face the challenges of our day,” the First Presidency wrote in a message to readers in Volume 1. They added: “You are an important part of the continuing history of this Church. We thank you for all you do to build on the foundation of faith laid by our forebears.”
The series was made available for free in 14 languages on the Church’s website, in the Gospel Library app and on other digital platforms, including an audiobook in English, Portuguese and Spanish. More than a million printed volumes have been sold.
A bicentennial year
The year 2020 was designated as a bicentennial year as the Church commemorated 200 years since God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, appeared to Joseph Smith in 1820 and initiated the Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
President Nelson promised April 2020 general conference would be “not only memorable” but “unforgettable” for those who prepared for such an experience.
The conference was indeed historic — and not just because the start of the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the conference being broadcast without Church members in attendance. The five sessions included messages focused on the Restoration; the announcement of a new Church symbol; a solemn assembly and Hosanna Shout; and the introduction of a new proclamation titled “The Restoration of the Fulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ: A Bicentennial Proclamation to the World.”
“As we considered the unique historic and international impact of that First Vision, we felt impressed to create a monument not of granite or stone but of words — words of solemn and sacred proclamation — written, not to be carved in ‘tables of stone’ but rather to be etched in the ‘fleshy tables’ of our hearts,” President Nelson said of the proclamation, referring to 2 Corinthians 3:3.
President Nelson presented the Restoration Proclamation in a video recorded in the Sacred Grove outside of Palmyra, New York.
“We affirm that God is making known His will for His beloved sons and daughters,” the proclamation declares. “We testify that those who prayerfully study the message of the Restoration and act in faith will be blessed to gain their own witness of its divinity and of its purpose to prepare the world for the promised Second Coming of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.”
Growth of the Church
As the Restoration Proclamation commemorated 200 years of Church history, it’s significant to note that 100-year-old President Nelson has lived nearly half that time. He has witnessed rapid Church growth as membership has become increasingly global. The number of Church members, missionaries and temples have changed dramatically since he was born in 1924.
In 1924, there were 597,861 Church members. Today there are more than 17.2 million, according to the Church’s latest statistical report.
The Church had 867 total missionaries and 25 missions when President Nelson was born. At the end of 2024, Missionary Department leaders said the seasonal-fluctuating number of missionaries serving then had reached a high mark of around 80,000 worldwide. With 36 new missions having opened last year, the total number of missions is now 450 — the highest number in Church history.
When President Nelson was born, there were six dedicated temples worldwide. Today the Church has 202 dedicated temples, the most recent being the Tallahassee Florida Temple dedicated Dec. 8, 2024. It was the 16th house of the Lord dedicated in 2024.
On Nov. 10, 2024, the Church reached the milestone dedication of its 200th operating temple — the Deseret Peak Utah Temple — which was dedicated by 100-year-old President Nelson in Tooele, Utah. He celebrated his 100th birthday two months before.
At the dedication, President Nelson noted that it took the Church until the year 2000 to dedicate the first 100 temples. But now, just 24 years later, it has dedicated the second 100.
“The Lord is truly hastening His work,” President Nelson said. “I am filled with gratitude for the Lord’s mercy in guiding us to bring temples closer to members of the Church throughout the world.”
