When I was born, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints had 17 dedicated temples. So far in 2026, the Church has opened the doors to 18 new temples. By the end of the year, another three will open for the first time.
As I have attended the dedications of temples and read Church News coverage of others, I have felt a prompting to be in the temple more.
Temples do not dot the earth as decoration. Throughout history they have played a serious and joyful role in the lives of Heavenly Father’s children.
At the beginning of this year, Church President Dallin H. Oaks dedicated the Burley Idaho Temple on Jan. 11. He said at that time that he had felt inspired to change how temples were announced.
“The best place to announce a temple is in that temple district,” he said.
Personally, I loved celebrating with the world when temples were announced at general conference. President Oaks’ words caused me to think about what it would feel like to those who received the announcement of a new temple in a special meeting or conference.
Latter-day Saints in Portland, Maine; Marysville, Washington; and Otavalo, Ecuador, have now had that experience. Their reactions were sweet and sacred.
Those announcements felt like lifelong dreams were coming true for faithful members in each area. There was no six-month building of anticipation between conferences. And there was no disappointment if anticipation didn’t lead to an announcement. Each city’s Church members were going about their regular lives when announcements came to them.
In that same interview in Burley, Idaho, President Oaks said members of the Church should maintain optimism in the face of challenges.
“We trust the Lord and know that He loves us and He set us up to succeed, not to fail,” he said.
The proliferation of temples seems to me like the fulfillment of what President Oaks described. It is one way God is setting us up for success in this life. A temple is not a medal of honor for those who live near it.
A temple is a means to holy communion with God and a way to express loyalty to Him by covenanting with Him. He wants us to have that opportunity so that He can bless us.
When President Henry B. Eyring, first counselor in the First Presidency, was in Montpelier, Idaho, to dedicate a temple there last month, he described one of the blessings of temple worship and service as an increased feeling of love for and from God.
“I promise all who will serve in this temple, in any capacity, that they will have an increasing feeling of the Lord’s love and a growth in love for Him,” he said.
Not ignoring the hurdles and obstacles of life, President Eyring encouraged frequent worship in the temple to find strength.
“As we return often, we remember the covenants we make therein, providing strength to bear every trial and overcome temptation,” he said.
Last week I met many members of the Church in Wichita, Kansas, who rejoiced at the dedication of a new temple near the geographic center of the United States. Those Saints had made temple-related travels to Salt Lake City; Manti, Utah; Dallas, Texas; Kansas City, Missouri; and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, over the years.
The shrinking distances did not shrink their desire to be in the temple. And many expressed the fact that they did not feel comfortable attending with the same frequency when a temple was built closer to them. Easier access meant more chances to worship and serve.
Earl McIntyre encapsulated that feeling when he lovingly talked about his grandchildren and his hopes that they would learn about the temple from him and his testimony. And he hoped they would gain their own testimony of the Savior by attending the temple more than he could have in his life.
He said he had seen the cycle of filling and depleting of his spiritual reservoir as he spent more or less time in the temple.
Following his dedication of the Wichita Kansas Temple, Elder Patrick Kearon of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles published on social media his invitation to us to find Jesus Christ in the temple.
“Seek Him. Come to His house. He is here, and He has been here the whole time,” he wrote.
Whatever an increased frequency of worship looks like to each of us, I hope that we will examine our use of time to make more space to be in the Lord’s house to serve and be blessed by Him.
— Jon Ryan Jensen is editor of the Church News.
