The Montpelier Idaho Temple’s groundbreaking ceremony was held June 17, 2023, with Elder Ryan K. Olsen, a General Authority Seventy, presiding. More than 600 attendees were present at the event, including local leaders and Latter-day Saints.

In his remarks to those in attendance, Elder Olsen said, “At the end of the day, it really draws back to our individual relationship with the Savior, Jesus Christ. ... As much as this is a community event, and the neighbors will drive by and see this beautiful edifice, at the end of the day when individuals are able to go in, it’s all about their personal relationship with [Heavenly Father and His Son].”

The Montpelier Idaho Temple is scheduled to be dedicated Oct. 18, 2026. A presiding authority has not yet been announced.

The Montpelier Idaho Temple was announced on April 3, 2022, by President Russell M. Nelson. The groundbreaking and site dedication were held on June 17, 2023, and presided over by Elder Ryan K. Olsen, a General Authority Seventy.

After a public open house Sept. 10-26, 2026, the Montpelier Idaho Temple will be dedicated Oct. 18, 2026.

Architecture and Design of the Montpelier Idaho Temple

Standing on a 2.6-acre site, the Montpelier temple is a two-story structure of 34,370 square feet. Inspired by landscapes of southeastern Idaho, motifs throughout the temple include the design of the chicory flower in various stages of bloom. Hues of gold, blues, greens, coral and yellows give a nod to local wildflowers and the turquoise waters of Bear Lake, about 15 miles south.

Art-glass windows show patterns of simple linework borders, a bud detail, mountains and a lake. The building’s flooring uses breccia aurora light stone, with a border of giallo reale, giallo provenza light, rojo alicante and amazonite. Gold-and-blue carpets are also prevalent, with wall-to-wall rugs in some areas.

To the west of the temple site, across the street, is the Montpelier Tabernacle, a 1,200-seat semicircular edifice built in 1917 with art deco, prairie and neoclassical architectural styles.

Interior Photos of the Montpelier Idaho Temple

The announcement of a house of the Lord for Managua, Nicaragua, fulfilled “the dreams and prayers of thousands of Latter-day Saints” in the country, said one member.

Presiding over the groundbreaking ceremony of the Managua Nicaragua Temple on Nov. 26, 2022, was Elder Taylor G. Godoy, a General Authority Seventy and first counselor in the Central America Area presidency. “Outside the temple there will be a very large sign that will say ‘Holiness to the Lord,’” he said. “The temples are a representation of what we try to be as people, Latter-day Saints, trying to align our way of living to what the life of the Savior was.”

He also invited the members to conduct themselves as “citizens of heaven” and told them one of the ways to accomplish that was through temple attendance.

In the dedicatory prayer on the site, Elder Godoy said, “Bless the members of the Church in this wonderful country so that at the same time that the temple is built, they can build and strengthen their testimonies of the Savior Jesus Christ with the resolution to be His disciples forever.”

The Managua Nicaragua Temple is scheduled to be dedicated Oct. 18, 2026, by Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

A temple for Managua, Nicaragua, was announced April 1, 2018, by President Russell M. Nelson. Nearly four and a half years later, a groundbreaking ceremony was held for the temple on Nov. 26, 2022, with Elder Taylor G. Godoy presiding.

After a public open house from Sept. 10 to Sept. 26, 2026, the Managua Nicaragua Temple will be dedicated Oct. 18, 2026, by Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

Architecture and Design of the Managua Nicaragua Temple

A single-story structure of 24,500 square feet, the Managua temple stands on an 8.9-acre site and is clad in cream-colored Fatima limestone. Designs throughout the sacred edifice draw inspiration from regional elements, like colors found in traditional handcrafted textiles. Hues of terracotta, cream, yellow and green adorn the inside of the temple.

One prevalent motif is the design of the Plumeria rubra flower, known locally as the sacuanjoche, Nicaragua’s national flower. Art-glass windows incorporate gems, frosted finishes and sunlight effects, with floral designs inspired by the region. Other glass pieces include crystal light fixtures, crystal chandeliers, wall sconces and acrylic bowls.

In addition to nylon carpeting and hand-woven wool rugs, the flooring uses Crema Marfil and Cambria stone. The temple’s wooden millwork was crafted from mahogany and teak, with floral-inspired motifs. The doors are made of mahogany with art-glass panels, and the hardware features a bronze finish.

Interior Photos of the Managua Nicaragua Temple

When the Latter-day Saints in Monterrey prepared for their annual trip to the nearest house of the Lord, it came at great sacrifice. Renting buses, the faithful members would have to save financially and prepare to leave their homes for an extended time as they drove to Mesa, Arizona, and later to Mexico City, Mexico, in order to participate in temple worship.

The decrease in distance for the Saints to a temple provided the opportunity to have the blessings of the temple in close proximity. Now, instead of the yearly trek as a whole, individuals were able to make time in their own schedules to worship.

The announcement of the house of the Lord in Monterrey filled the members with joy, but the trial of their faith when it came to temples was not quite over. Due to major opposition from nearby landowners, the temple’s construction was delayed continually. Eventually the temple site was moved to another property, near the mountain peaks of Monterrey.

Due to the problems of commencing construction, the temple wasn’t finished being built until six and a half years after the announcement was made. The faith of the members remained valiant, however, despite the setbacks.

“We’ve waited seven years for this temple, but what a blessing it is,” said Leticia Villagrana de Becerra. “We will do anything the Lord asks of us. He will bless us for this.”

An unexpected blessing of the opposition was that local media began to cover the events of the temple, drawing the interest of those in the area. Due to this added interest, over 40,000 people attended the open house. Many who knew nothing about the Church toured the temple and began asking questions they wouldn’t have if the media coverage hadn’t happened.

“Never before has the Church in Monterrey received so much attention,” said Raul Salcedo, who directed the temple’s public affairs duties. “The Lord has helped us proclaim the gospel, ... now people have had a chance to change their opinion about the Church.”

Dedicatory prayer excerpt: “Now, dear Father, we pray for this nation of Mexico. Bless its leaders that they may govern in righteousness. Bless its people that they may cultivate a spirit of peace and that they may be prospered. We pray particularly for those of Thy kingdom who pay their tithes and offerings, that Thou wilt open the windows of heaven and pour out blessings upon them. Lift from their shoulders the shackles of the past. Open their eyes to a vision of what they may become.”

Read the dedicatory prayer of the Monterrey Mexico Temple here.

The Monterrey Mexico Temple was announced on Dec. 27, 1995. Due to opposition from adjacent property owners, it wasn’t until five years and a location change later that the groundbreaking took place in 2000. The house of the Lord was dedicated by President Gordon B. Hinckley on April 28, 2002.

Architecture and Design of the Monterrey Mexico Temple

The 16,017-square-foot house of the Lord is positioned near the towering peaks of the mountains of Monterrey. The edifice stands on an 8.2-acre property that is also shared with a stake center.

The exterior of the temple is white marble, which was brought in from Torreón, Mexico. This same marble was also used in other temples in Mexico. The interior features a baptistry, a celestial room, two ordinance rooms and two sealing rooms.

President Russell M. Nelson, 17th President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, announced the Piura Peru Temple on Oct. 1, 2023, during the Sunday afternoon session of the October 2023 general conference.

Twenty-five-year-old Walter Peña of Piura said that members in the city are very active in family history work, always having names of ancestors to bring to the temple. However, the eight-hour trip to the nearest temple, in Trujillo, makes it difficult to complete the ordinances for those people.

“With the temple, we are going to feel closer to our Heavenly Father ... and quickly perform ordinances for our ancestors, and that will accelerate the work in Piura,” said Peña.

Missionary work began in Peru in 1956. The first stake in Piura was organized in 1983. A mission headquartered in Piura was created in 1993.

Ground will be broken for the Piura Peru Temple on Nov. 14, 2026, with Elder Steven C. Barlow — a General Authority Seventy and member of the South America Northwest Area presidency — presiding.

The Piura Peru Temple was announced by President Russell M. Nelson on Oct. 1, 2023. Ground will be broken for the temple on Nov. 14, 2026, with Elder Steven C. Barlow presiding.

Architecture and Design of the Piura Peru Temple

According to site plans released by the Church on Oct. 27, 2026, the Piura Peru Temple will be a single-story building of approximately 18,850 square feet. The edifice will stand on a 2.6-acre site at Urb. Lote Unico, Prolongacion Ave. Los Tallanes (next to UPAO University), in Piura, Peru. An accompanying ancillary building will also be built on the grounds.

President Russell M. Nelson, 17th President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, announced the Iquitos Peru Temple on April 2, 2023, during the Sunday afternoon session of the April 2023 general conference.

Martín Aspajo Arista, a 25-year-old Latter-day Saint in Tarapoto, Peru, lived in Iquitos until he was 15.

“Mom and I were like: ‘Oh look, there will be new temples. That’s great!’” he said. “But when we heard that one of them is from our city, our reaction was different. ... This new temple will help everyone a lot, be it economically or spiritually.”

Ground will be broken for the Iquitos Peru Temple on Oct. 10, 2026, with Elder Sandino Roman — a General Authority Seventy and member of the South America Northwest Area presidency — presiding.

The Iquitos Peru Temple was announced by President Nelson on April 2, 2023. Ground will be broken for the temple on Oct. 10, 2026, with Elder Sandino Roman presiding.

Architecture and Design of the Iquitos Peru Temple

According to site plans released by the Church on Jan. 29, 2024, the Iquitos Peru Temple will be a building of approximately 20,000 square feet. The edifice will stand on a 1.75-acre site at Calle San Marcos 117-137, San Juan Bautista, Maynas, Loreto, Peru.

The Provo Utah Temple — which would later be renamed the Provo Utah Rock Canyon Temple — was dedicated on Feb. 9, 1972. Church President Joseph Fielding Smith wrote the dedicatory prayer, which was read by President Harold B. Lee, first counselor in the First Presidency.

President Smith presided over the ceremony. In his opening remarks, he shared that the dedication fell on the 172nd anniversary of the birth of his grandfather, Hyrum Smith. President Joseph Fielding Smith shared how grateful he was for the restored Church in these latter days: “I am pleased that we are celebrating [Hyrum Smith’s birthday] by presenting to the Lord another holy temple, wherein those keys and powers, held jointly by him and the Prophet Joseph Smith, may be used for the salvation and exaltation of many of our Father’s children.”

Nearly 75,000 members of the Church participated in the dedication, watching the proceedings from various buildings around Brigham Young University campus, which is located less than 2 miles away. Years later, the Provo Missionary Training Center would be built across the street from the house of the Lord, allowing missionaries easy access to the blessings that come from worshipping within.

The dedication marked the second time two temples — the Provo Utah Temple and the Ogden Utah Temple — had been dedicated within the same year, and the first time two temples were dedicated less than four weeks apart. The groundbreaking of the temple on Sept. 15, 1969, occurred just seven days after the groundbreaking of the Ogden Utah Temple on Sept. 8, 1969, the first time multiple temples had begun construction within the same month.

During the groundbreaking ceremony of the Provo temple, Lot Robinson, an 89-year-old resident of American Fork, was called out by name. Robinson, as a young boy at 13, had attended the Salt Lake Temple dedication in 1893, almost 40 miles north of his home. Just over 76 years later, he was in attendance at the Provo Utah Temple site to see ground broken for a house of the Lord less than 20 miles south of his home.

Dedicatory prayer excerpt: “It has been our privilege, as guided by the whisperings of Thy Spirit, to build unto Thee this temple, which we now present unto Thee as another of Thy holy houses.”

Read the dedicatory prayer of the Provo Utah Temple here.

Reconstruction of the Provo Utah Rock Canyon Temple

The Provo Utah Temple was closed at the end of the day on Feb. 24, 2024, for extensive reconstruction. The location of the reconstructed temple will remain in the location of the current building.

On Oct. 3, 2021, President Russell M. Nelson announced that the Provo Utah Temple would be reconstructed after the dedication of the Orem Utah Temple. On June 20, 2023, the Church announced the date of the closure.

The Provo Utah Temple was renamed the Provo Utah Rock Canyon Temple on Feb. 20, 2024. The name comes from the temple’s location at the mouth of Rock Canyon on Provo’s eastern bench.

The Provo Utah Temple was announced by President Hugh B. Brown and President N. Eldon Tanner of the First Presidency on Aug. 14, 1967. Ground was broken on Sept. 15, 1969, and once construction was completed, an open house was held from Jan. 8 to Jan. 29, 1972.

President Joseph Fielding Smith dedicated the temple on Feb. 9, 1972, and President Harold B. Lee, first counselor in the First Presidency, read the dedicatory prayer.

President Russell M. Nelson announced on Oct. 3, 2021, that the Provo Utah Temple would be reconstructed, with a closure on Feb. 24, 2024, a month after the dedication of the Orem Utah Temple.

Original Architecture and Design of the Provo Utah Temple

The Provo Utah Temple covers an area of 130,825 square feet and sits on a 17-acre site. It rises 175 feet high with a 118-foot spire above the center of the building. The temple has a flat, round base with a spire in the center.

The exterior is lined with white cast stone, gold anodized aluminum grills and bronze glass panels. The center spire was originally finished in gold and anodized aluminum. In May 2003, the spire was painted white when a statue of the angel Moroni was placed upon it.

Inside the house of the Lord are six ordinance rooms to allow a new session to start every 20 minutes. The temple also has a baptistry, a celestial room and 12 sealing rooms. The design uses four floors, including a below-ground floor with the baptistry. The celestial room sits in the center of the top floor, with the ordinance rooms surrounding it.

The top two floors have a corridor circling around the entire building, whose inspiration came from a park surrounded by an elliptical roadway in Copenhagen, Denmark. This design provides an easier flow of patrons and makes it almost impossible to get lost.

Renovated Architecture and Design of the Provo Utah Rock Canyon Temple

During October 2021 general conference, President Russell M. Nelson announced that the Provo Utah Temple would be reconstructed. A rendering of this reconstruction was released the month after, on Nov. 24, 2021.

Plans call for a building with long, arched windows on the front facade, as well as three white arches in front of the entrance. A multilevel tower with a rectangular base and golden spire will sit above the center of the building.

Reconstruction of the Provo Utah Temple began after its closure on Feb. 24, 2024, the month after the Orem Utah Temple was dedicated and more than 50 years after the Provo Utah Temple’s first dedication.

The groundbreaking of the Ephraim Utah Temple was presided over by President Russell M. Nelson, President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, on Aug. 27, 2022. President Nelson had ties to the Utah site because his mother was born in Ephraim, his father was born in Manti, three of four grandparents were born in Ephraim, and all eight of his great-grandparents lived in Ephraim.

In his dedicatory prayer on the site, President Nelson said, “We are deeply grateful for our ancestors. They have laid a foundation of faith that undergirds our spiritual strength. May we learn who they are, find their qualifying information, and bless their lives with sacred rites offered vicariously in this holy house.”

The Ephraim Utah Temple is scheduled to be dedicated Oct. 11, 2026, by Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

The Ephraim temple was announced May 1, 2021, by Church President Russell M. Nelson. The groundbreaking and site dedication for this house of the Lord were held on Aug. 27, 2022, and presided over by President Nelson.

After a public open house from Sept. 2 to Sept. 19, 2026, the Ephraim Utah Temple will be dedicated Oct. 11, 2026, by Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

Architecture and Design of the Ephraim Utah Temple

The Ephraim temple’s design motifs honor the heritage of the valley, which was settled in the mid-1800s largely by Scandinavian pioneers. The forget-me-not and oxeye daisy, for example, are flowers long cherished in Scandinavia and integrated into the design of the Ephraim temple. Wheat motifs are also prevalent through the building, a nod to the historic Ephraim Relief Society Granary.

A 41,680-square-foot structure standing on a 9.2-acre site, the Ephraim temple was built with a structural steel frame on a reinforced concrete foundation. Art-glass windows feature shades of white, orange, yellow, green, blue and pink.

The stone of the temple, mainly Botticino Classico and BS Beige, add warm tones of beige, cream and gold, with green, blue and gold accents. Custom broadloom carpet brings a gold-beige tone, with Scandinavian-style area rugs featuring predominant blues, greens and golds.

Interior Photos of the Ephraim Utah Temple

Unique to the New Zealand Temple is that it was primarily built by labor missionaries. As they commenced the building of the temple, they were told to “build it for eternity.” Through the contributions and donations from local members, the labor missionaries were able to complete the New Zealand Temple and the surrounding structures, including a secondary school.

One labor missionary, recounting the experience almost 65 years later, said, “The reward was seeing it finished. By then, we were all converted, and the Church was true.”

Another labor missionary recounted, “Building the temple was very worthwhile; but being able to go to the temple was the highlight. When you saw your fellow labor missionaries dressed in white and the Prophet dressed in white for the dedication, it was a sacred highlight.”

On the day of the dedication, an enthusiastic welcoming committee was created to greet President David O. McKay — ninth President of the Church — as he exited the plane in Hamilton, New Zealand. In his historic visit, he planned to dedicate not just the first house of the Lord in New Zealand, but the first house of the Lord in all the Southern Hemisphere.

The Prophet dedicated the edifice, originally called the New Zealand Temple, on April 20, 1958. The Church News reported that “an air of wonder hung over New Zealand” to see the temple and accompanying school built.

With President McKay were members of the Council of the Twelve Apostles — Elder Delbert L. Stapley and Elder Marion G. Romney. Also in attendance was Elder Gordon B. Hinckley, Assistant to the Council of the Twelve.

Dedicatory prayer excerpt: “Now, dear Lord, our Eternal Father, through love for Thee and their fellow men, faithful members of Thy Church, and others who believe in Thee, by tithes and other generous contributions, have made possible the erection and completion of this, Thy holy house, in which will be performed the ordinances and ceremonies essential to the happiness, salvation and exaltation of Thy children living in mortality and in the spirit world. Accept of our offering, hallow it by Thy presence, protect it by Thy power. With this prayer we dedicate our lives to the establishment of the kingdom of God on earth for the peace of the world and to Thy glory forever.”

Read the dedicatory prayer of the New Zealand Temple here.

Photos of the 1958 New Zealand Temple

2022 Rededication of the Hamilton New Zealand Temple

After an unexpected delay due to COVID-19, the Hamilton New Zealand Temple — renamed in 1999 to include the city — was finally rededicated on Oct. 16, 2022, after renovations that started July 2018.

“This is a day of worship, of rejoicing and for the opening of hearts to receive the heavenly ministration of the Holy Spirit of God,” said Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, who dedicated the new house of the Lord. “This is a day to be remembered forever. It is a day of beginning.”

The rededication took place over three sessions on Sunday and were broadcast to chapels throughout the area, including the Cook Islands, Niue and New Caledonia.

“This temple of God will bless this country and people,” said Elder Uchtdorf. “It will be a light to the nations. It will lessen the influence of the evil one. It will be a beacon of light and a place of hope.”

Elder Uchtdorf presided over and spoke at each of the three sessions and offered the dedicatory prayer after. He said the new temple should serve as “a reminder that the Savior is in their midst” and that Saints should act as if in His presence.

Accompanying Elder Uchtdorf at the dedication ceremony were Elder Kevin R. Duncan, executive director of the Temple Department; Elder K. Brett Nattress, president of the Church’s Pacific Area; and Elder Peter F. Meurs and Elder Taniela B. Wakolo, counselors in the Pacific Area presidency. Apart from Sister Harriet Uchtdorf watching the dedication abroad, these leaders’ wives were also in attendance.

Dedicatory prayer excerpt: “And now, acting in the authority of the everlasting priesthood, and as Thy humble servants, we dedicate to Thee and Thy Beloved Son the Hamilton New Zealand Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. At this historic moment, we include in this dedicatory prayer all the blessings and promises invoked during the original dedication by President David O. McKay in 1958.”

Read the rededication prayer of the Hamilton New Zealand Temple here.

President David O. McKay announced a house of the Lord for Hamilton, New Zealand, on Feb. 17, 1955. Three years later, on April 20, 1958, President McKay dedicated the Hamilton New Zealand Temple. Prior to the dedication was held an open house, where 55,000 people attended.

The Hamilton New Zealand Temple closed for renovations for roughly four years, and after an open house held from Aug. 23 to Sept. 17, 2022, the temple was dedicated on Oct. 16, 2022, by Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

Architecture and Design of the Hamilton New Zealand Temple

The Hamilton New Zealand Temple stands on a site of 86.4 acres. The exterior wall was made with painted concrete and an acid-etched glazing. The structure is enclosed in a steel fence, and the walkways are finished concrete with concrete masonry pavers.

The majority of the carpet found within the temple is a soft green color; however, the carpet in the celestial room is a soft cream. The stone flooring was made with a limestone called Butter Silk, quarried in Palestine; it has a yellowish creamy color. Maori patterns are found throughout the temple.

The font and oxen statues in the baptistry were made in Switzerland and were also made with the same molds used to create the baptistry in the Bern Switzerland Temple. Historic murals are found in the baptistry and celestial rooms.

Interior Photos of the Renovated Hamilton New Zealand Temple

At the groundbreaking of the Sydney Australia Temple — the country’s first — on Aug. 13, 1982, Elder Bruce R. McConkie of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said, “There is no reason in the world why we can’t have temples in Adelaide, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth.”

A temple for Adelaide was announced March 17, 1999, and temples in each of the cities Elder McConkie mentioned would also receive temples within the coming five years, fulfilling his prophetic words.

After the temple’s construction in Adelaide, the 12,000 Church members in the temple district invited their friends and family to tour the building during its open house, which saw 49,303 visitors. The Adelaide Australia Temple was then dedicated June 15, 2000, by Church President Gordon B. Hinckley. The Prophet was accompanied by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

Elder Holland said that those not in the Church would also feel the Spirit, power and influence of a dedicated temple in their community. “They will be very impressed and very gratified, very rewarded for the dedication and completion, the arrival of this new temple in their midst. It certainly is a beautiful city, a very receptive city to such religious matters. With nearly 50,000 people visiting the open house, it seems to me to reflect the nature of the citizenry here.”

When Rhelma Badger attended a Church activity with her daughter, Kerrie, while the Adelaide temple was still under construction, she didn’t realize that the visit would result in a radical change to her life. Badger, a member of another Christian faith at the time, had been invited by her daughter to look through the unfinished temple. Kerrie, who had joined the Church just a few months prior, was anxious to help her mother understand firsthand the excitement that she and other young Latter-day Saints were experiencing knowing that a house of the Lord was rising in their midst.

Badger was married to a member of the Church, but she declined many invitations to be baptized because of her parents’ negative feelings toward the Church and some confusion about Church doctrine.

Although Badger saw little more than scaffolding and bare concrete during her visit to the temple site with her daughter, she felt something very different, she recalled, something that she had never experienced before. “I felt so warm as we went into the baptismal area and then the sealing room,” she said. “I went home and asked God to tell me what to do and for help to be able to tell my parents that I wanted to join.”

A little while later, without any prompting from Badger, her father phoned her and said that it was about time she joined the Church to be with her husband and daughter. Badger was taken by surprise at her parents’ change of heart and was baptized shortly afterward.

Dedicatory prayer excerpt: “All that is done here will be in recognition of the immortality of the human soul. ... There will be carried forward in this house a great work of redemption in behalf of the dead, many of whom have waited long for these saving ordinances. May this be a day of rejoicing on both sides of the veil, and may all who have the privilege of working here feel the obligation and responsibility of this great vicarious service.”

Read the dedicatory prayer of the Adelaide Australia Temple here.

A temple for Adelaide was announced via letters to priesthood leaders in the temple district on March 17, 1999. The groundbreaking ceremony for the temple was held May 29, 1999.

Visitors toured the completed house of the Lord from June 3 to June 10, 2000. The Adelaide Australia Temple was dedicated by Church President Gordon B. Hinckley on June 15, 2000.

Architecture and Design of the Adelaide Australia Temple

The 10,700-square-foot Adelaide Australia Temple was built on 6.94 acres of land, and snow white granite makes up the temple exterior. Grass fields, trees, shrubbery and sidewalks fill the temple grounds.

The interior of the temple features two instruction rooms and two sealing rooms. Both the Melbourne Australia Temple and the Adelaide temple, which were dedicated a day apart and built during the same time, have the same square footage, exterior finishes, and number of instruction and sealing rooms.

As World War II’s final battles raged in 1945, the Battle of Okinawa claimed the lives of 240,000 Japanese and U.S. servicemen and Okinawan civilians. Yet almost eight decades later, the island chain received a symbol of peace and unity: the Okinawa Japan Temple.

“I believe and I feel that this land of Okinawa is purified or sanctified by the blood of these ancestors and military personnel,” said Akira Yafuso, an early stake president in Okinawa. “And now it is so great to have a house of the Lord in Okinawa, to have a symbol of peace.”

Elder Gary E. Stevenson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles — who dedicated the Okinawa temple on Nov. 12, 2023 — said that “the gospel of Jesus Christ navigated its way through difficulties, through cultural differences and through language barriers to find itself established on the island of Okinawa.”

Japanese Latter-day Saints, he added, are “some of the most active temple-going, temple-attending, temple-worshipping Latter-day Saints in the whole world.” Local members of the Church would charter airplanes and travel around 4,000 miles to attend the Laie Hawaii Temple, dedicated in 1919, until the Tokyo Japan Temple was dedicated in 1980.

Elder Stevenson had previously served as a young missionary in the Japan Fukuoka Mission in 1974, as well as a presidency counselor and later president of the Asia North Area, which is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. He and his wife, Sister Lesa Stevenson — also in attendance at the temple dedication — had also served as leaders in the Japan Nagoya Mission from 2004 to 2007.

One of the Stevensons’ missionaries, Hajime Miyara, was promised in a final mission interview with Elder Stevenson that he would one day be a leader in Okinawa. When the Okinawa temple was dedicated two decades later, Miyara was serving as president of the Okinawa Japan Stake.

Miyara said the temple, as the house of the Lord, demands “kindness, unity, love, respect, charity, brotherly kindness. It is everything that we hope could happen to redeem people from the horrific things that were suffered by the people here. And not only is it for us who are living; it is also for our deceased ancestors — some of whom were right in the midst of those horrific things that took place.”

Today, Saints in both the Japanese-speaking Okinawa Japan Stake and the English-speaking Okinawa Japan Military District can equally partake in the blessing of a temple on the island. Nettie Francis, who served on the local temple dedication committee, said that Okinawa paints a “unique image of how the gospel can bring people together in peace.”

She continued, “The whole history of the Church in Okinawa has been this blending of the American military and the Japanese citizens. The temple is a symbol of peace and a symbol of healing for both sides.”

Dedicatory prayer excerpt: “Our hearts are full of gratitude for this Thy holy house and this historic day of its dedication. ... We stand on holy ground, on this island of Okinawa, consecrated by thousands of Thy children, many who suffered deprivation, hardship, even loss of life through the tragedy of war. Father, please accept our deepest expression of gratitude for the gift of peace and hope in Christ for each of them, their ancestors and posterity. We pray that through the great plan of happiness and the infinite Atonement of Jesus Christ, all that is unfair will be made right for all of Thy children.”

Read the dedicatory prayer of the Okinawa Japan Temple here.

The Okinawa temple was announced April 7, 2019, by President Russell M. Nelson. The groundbreaking and site dedication were held on Dec. 5, 2020, and presided over by Elder Takashi Wada, president of the Asia North Area.

After an open house from Sept. 23 to Oct. 7, 2023, the Okinawa temple was dedicated by Elder Gary E. Stevenson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles on Nov. 12, 2023.

Architecture and Design of the Okinawa Japan Temple

The Okinawa Japan Temple is a two-story building of 12,437 square feet. The structure consists of reinforced concrete with an exterior of Sunset Gold Chinese granite from Wenshang, Shandong Province. Atop this house of the Lord and toward the front is a tall tower with a square base and a long, arched window on each side.

Throughout the interior are floral designs inspired by the annual blossoming of trees in Okinawa. Flooring includes a combination of porcelain tiles, Branco do Mar limestone from Portugal, and Dekton Sasea ceramic tiles, as well as area rugs. An origami-inspired stair hall connects the building’s levels, with the second floor folding down to the first floor, making it appear to float from the adjacent wall.

Plants native to the region adorn the 0.55-acre site, including fountain palms, sago palms and Chinese hibiscus. Behind the temple is a Japanese rock garden. A waiting area for temple patrons was also added to an adjacent existing meetinghouse completed in 2013.

Interior Photos of the Okinawa Japan Temple

Before the dedication of the Bangkok Thailand Temple, Latter-day Saints in the country would travel to the Manila Philippines Temple, dedicated in 1984, or the Hong Kong Temple, dedicated in 1996. “We had been taught in lessons all the time about the temple,” said Thailand native Kesorn Choysrakoo, “but we thought we would never have the chance to go — it was too much money. But we had the determination.”

“What is important,” she continued, “is the commitment we make to keep the covenants and how we live our lives after we leave the temple.” This determination and sacrifice of Choysrakoo and other Thai Latter-day Saints to attend the temple over a thousand miles away would later bring temple blessings to be available locally.

While local member Tiparat Kitsawat was serving as Thailand’s first stake president, Church President Gordon B. Hinckley visited the country and promised that Thailand would sometime be home to a house of the Lord. “But I did not know how long it would take,” Kitsawat said.

The dedication of the Bangkok temple boldly fulfills this promise. “In Thailand,” Kitsawat continued, “it is sometimes hard to keep the faith. Now we have a special instrument — the temple will make the difference.”

The Bangkok Thailand Temple was dedicated in two sessions on Oct. 22, 2023, by Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. He was joined by other Church leaders, including Elder Benjamin M. Z. Tai, a General Authority Seventy and president of the Asia Area; and Elder Kevin R. Duncan, a General Authority Seventy and executive director of the Temple Department.

Elder Rasband prepared for the dedication by reviewing Thailand’s history and the Church’s history in the country and throughout Southeast Asia. He noted particularly the apostolic visits to Thailand over the years. He said, “What has settled on me is how the country and the temple have been cradled in the arms of prophets and apostles.”

For Elder Rasband, dedicating the Bangkok temple was a humbling and surreal assignment. “None of us who are ever assigned to dedicate a temple know why we were chosen,” he said. “It just happens by divine design. As I walked through the temple, I was just overwhelmed with emotion, having quite a personal love and affection for this people, the country and the leaders I’ve worked with here.”

The temple “seems more like a dream — but now you can touch it. You can go into it,” said Sasitorn Vantanachan, a pioneer member in the area, who was baptized in 1968. “The people in Thailand are blessed — we feel very humble, very fortunate that we have a way here to continue on the covenant path.”

Dedicatory prayer excerpt: “May this temple fulfill its blessed purpose, ‘holiness to the Lord,’ and may it stand as a sentinel on earth of Thy eternal plan, separate and apart from the ways of the world. May all who come here, recommended to the Lord, be further enlightened with the doctrine of the gospel, the hope of life eternal and Thy promised peace.”

Read the dedicatory prayer of the Bangkok Thailand Temple here.

President Thomas S. Monson announced plans to construct this house of the Lord on April 5, 2015, during the Sunday morning session of April 2015 general conference.

In April 2018, President Russell M. Nelson visited Bangkok during a global ministry tour and spoke to more than 3,000 members at the Queen Sirikit Conference Center about the future construction of the temple.

After a public open house from Sept. 1 to Sept. 16, 2023, the Bangkok Thailand Temple was dedicated on Oct. 22, 2023, by Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

The Architecture and Design of the Bangkok Thailand Temple

The Bangkok temple is a 48,525-square-foot building of six stories, with a central spire surrounded by eight smaller spires. Its exterior is made of precast concrete, with art-glass windows that have an amber, gold and teal border.

Inside the temple can be seen decorative light fixtures with a design inspired by royal sun umbrellas, although the fixtures radiate light instead of providing shade. Carved wood detailing includes that of ratchaphruek tree flowers, Thailand’s national flower.

The 1.77-acre temple site is home to a former Church office building, used for the Bangkok Thailand Mission, the Bangkok Service Center, the Bangkok Thailand PEF Self-Reliance Center and other Church entities. Accompanying the temple is a structure containing Church offices, a FamilySearch center, and two separate chapels and meeting rooms.

Interior Photos of the Bangkok Thailand Temple

Cabo Verde had been experiencing a drought since 2017, causing food insecurities in the area. In the dedicatory prayer for the Praia Cape Verde Temple, Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles blessed the area that “the clouds may produce rain.” Later that day, after the final dedication of the temple, rain came. It was considered a miracle by the Latter-day Saints in Praia, and the news of the “miracle of the rain” would travel around the world.

Not only did it rain that day, it continued to rain the rest of the week in a steady downpour that allowed the ground to absorb the water rather than create floods. It created hope for locals who were preparing for the upcoming harvest. The rain also became widespread across the 10-island nation.

President David J. Wunderli and Sister Diane Wunderli, mission leaders in Cape Verde at the time, told Elder Andersen in an email about the miracle of the rain. “In our time here, we have yet to see the likes of this. The islands are green, and there is a noticeable spirit of optimism felt in every town.”

Elder Andersen said that the Praia Cape Verde Temple would be a “beacon of light and truth” to the country. “Think of the good men and women who have lived their lives in these islands and who have, in the spirit world, increased their faith in Jesus Christ and are awaiting these ordinances,” he said.

“Holiness to the Lord is much more than the words,” said Elder Andersen, who dedicated the Praia temple on June 19, 2022. “It is something we are taught in the soul.”

He continued, saying that “in the records of heaven, this is one of the most important days for Cabo Verde in the whole history of the world.”

Alice da Cruz, a local member, said that the Praia temple allows Saints from around the world to have a greater appreciation for their fellow brothers and sisters on the islands.

Another local Saint, Carlos Freire Veiga, mentioned that in Praia’s history, the Church has never been portrayed so positively in social networks and media until the Praia temple’s construction.

Vaiga continued, “The temple is, in fact, the new postcard of the city of Praia and Cape Verde, and because of it, both members and nonmembers have turned to reflect on their being sons and daughters of a loving Heavenly Father.”

At the dedication with Elder Andersen were his wife, Sister Kathy Andersen; Elder Kevin R. Duncan, a General Authority Seventy and executive director of the Temple Department; and Elder Rubén V. Alliaud, second counselor in the Europe North Area presidency.

Dedicatory prayer excerpt: “We are grateful for this choice land of Cabo Verde, for the freedom to worship Thee, for the goodness of the people, and for the blood of Israel that flows in abundance in the hearts of many. We thank Thee, Father, that in the past three decades thousands have embraced Thy gospel, and that the prayers of these faithful Saints have been heard as we dedicate today Thy holy house. We love the pioneers and missionaries of Cabo Verde who courageously helped establish the kingdom of God upon this island nation.”

Read the dedicatory prayer of the Praia Cape Verde Temple here.

A house of the Lord for Praia, Cape Verde, was announced Oct. 7, 2018, by President Russell M. Nelson. A groundbreaking ceremony took place May 4, 2019, where Elder Paul V. Johnson, president of the Europe Area, presided.

After an open house from May 21 to June 11, 2022, Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles dedicated the Praia Cape Verde Temple on June 19, 2022.

Architecture and Design of the Praia Cape Verde Temple

Standing on 4.46 acres, the Praia temple is an 8,759-square-foot structure that includes a dome and spire above the front of the structure. The design of the temple reflects local architecture and has a light exterior made from moleanos limestone from Portugal.

The single-story building is surrounded by gardens that include a variety of plants and shade trees, palm trees, hundreds of flowering shrubs and various walkways leading to the house of the Lord.

The Praia temple has one instruction room, one sealing room and a baptistry. The instruction and sealing rooms were designed with the capability to interchange the rooms in order to have two of one or the other as patron needs require.

Interior Photos of the Praia Cape Verde Temple

Elder Richard G. Scott of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles presided over the groundbreaking of the Guayaquil Ecuador Temple on Aug. 10, 1996. Elder Scott spoke during the proceedings, saying:

“Our sons and daughters are sealed to us for eternity. And not only can we do this magnificent work of incredible significance for those who live, but also through vicarious ordinances we can perform those same ordinances for our ancestors who were not able to enjoy the blessings of the gospel during their sojourn on earth.”

Almost three years later, approximately 22,000 members attended a regional conference, held in a large soccer stadium the night before the temple dedication. Accompanying Church President Gordon B. Hinckley to the conference was his wife, Sister Marjorie Pay Hinckley; President James E. Faust, second counselor in the First Presidency; and Elder Russell M. Nelson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

President Hinckley said during that conference, “I want every young man and every young woman who is here tonight to resolve in their hearts that they will prepare themselves and keep themselves worthy to go to the house of the Lord and stand before Him, pure in heart, and worthy to receive His great blessings.”

Throughout the next two days — from Aug. 1 to Aug. 2, 1999 — President Hinckley dedicated the Guayaquil Ecuador Temple. Approximately 11,700 members attended one of the eight dedicatory sessions. Among them were at least eight former mission presidents who had served in Ecuador and returned to see the dedication of the house of the Lord.

Those who attended also included members of a stake who, during the public open house, volunteered to clean the temple starting at 5 a.m. The service was not simply a sacrifice of a little time and sleep, however, as the members had to walk 6 miles during the night in order to be at the house of the Lord at the designated time.

In an interview with the Church News, President Hinckley said, “I sense a great spirit of gratitude for this new temple in Guayaquil. The Saints have waited a very, very long time. They contributed generously toward its construction, but for one reason or another, it has been delayed until now at this late date. It is finished and completed and dedicated, and they are grateful for this and indicate their gratitude.”

Dedicatory prayer excerpt: “We pray that Thy Saints may gather here to carry forward the work of receiving their own ordinances and offering these ordinances to those beyond the veil of death, that Thine eternal purposes may be accomplished. ... Prosper Thy work in this land. May the gospel message touch the hearts of people throughout the nation. May they come into the waters of baptism and remain faithful and true unto Thee.”

Read the dedicatory prayer of the Guayaquil Ecuador Temple here.

The Guayaquil Ecuador Temple was announced on March 31, 1982, by President Gordon B. Hinckley, then a counselor in the First Presidency. The groundbreaking ceremony took place over 14 years later, on Aug. 10, 1996, with Elder Richard G. Scott of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles presiding.

The public open house ran from June 23 to July 17, 1999, and President Hinckley, Church President, dedicated the house of the Lord on Aug. 1-2, 1999.

Architecture and Design of the Guayaquil Ecuador Temple

The Guayaquil Ecuador Temple was built upon a 6.25-acre property, with the building sized at 70,884 square feet. The exterior of the house of the Lord was built with Asa Branca granite. Inside the temple is a celestial room, a baptistry, four instruction rooms and three sealing rooms.

In 1997, Latter-day Saints in the city of Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Mexico, were expecting a visit from Church President Gordon B. Hinckley. However, after a hurricane threatened to come ashore, his airplane was diverted to another city.

“We had choirs in Tapachula and Tuxtla Gutiérrez that had prepared separately. They came together to practice just one day,” later said Lelia Esten Magro de Cruz, director of the combined choir at that time. “It was a very good choir filled with enthusiasm, faith and happiness.” Yet choir members lamented when they heard they couldn’t sing for a member of the First Presidency.

A year later, Cruz was appointed the chairperson of music for the dedication of the Tuxtla Gutiérrez Mexico Temple. She gathered choir members from Tapachula and Tuxtla Gutiérrez, and many who sang at the cornerstone ceremony and dedication had been part of the prepared choir in 1997. The opportunity to sing for a senior Church leader was again extended.

“They sang with all their hearts, with all their love, and with all their feeling, and in their best manner,” Sister Cruz said. Tears filled the eyes of choralists and congregation members alike.

President James E. Faust, second counselor in the First Presidency, dedicated the Tuxtla Gutiérrez Mexico Temple in four sessions on March 12, 2000. He was joined by Elder Richard G. Scott of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and Elder Carl B. Pratt, a General Authority Seventy and president of the Mexico South Area.

“This is the first time I have seen a temple,” said Jorge Antonio Feliciano of the Cordoba Ward, Tapachula Mexico Izapa Stake, after the first dedicatory session. “I have never seen anything like it.”

Dedicatory prayer excerpt: “It stands as a place of great beauty in this city. Wilt Thou accept of it and bestow the presence of Thy Holy Spirit for the blessing of all who shall enter this holy structure. ... We pray that the faithful Saints of this temple district may look to this hallowed structure, may come here frequently and may taste of the sweet things which are here offered.”

Read the dedicatory prayer of the Tuxtla Gutiérrez Mexico Temple here.

The Tuxtla Gutiérrez Mexico Temple was announced Feb. 25, 1999, by the First Presidency. A groundbreaking ceremony was held less than a month later, on March 20, 1999, with Elder Richard E. Turley Sr. presiding.

After an open house from Feb. 29 to March 4, 2000, the temple was dedicated March 12, 2000, by President James E. Faust.

Architecture and Design of the Tuxtla Gutiérrez Mexico Temple

The Tuxtla Gutiérrez Mexico Temple is a 10,700-square-foot building with a white marble exterior. Atop the single-story building is a center spire with a statue of the angel Moroni. Inside the temple are the baptistry, the celestial room, two instruction rooms and two sealing rooms. Adjacent to the house of the Lord stands a temple arrival center.

Church President Gordon B. Hinckley dedicated the Preston England Temple on June 7, 1998. “I feel as if I’ve come home,” the Prophet said. “This is an emotional day. ... It has been a treasured experience for me to come back to this area of Lancashire where I served as a missionary 65 years ago.”

President Hinckley expressed his gratitude for the courage, conviction and testimony of the members in Preston. “A bit of my heart is here,” he said. “I’ll never get over it. There’s a bit of England in me.”

He said that the Church in the British Isles when he was a missionary is a different picture than what he observed at the day of the dedication. “The Church has reached a maturity here that is satisfying,” he said.

The Prophet said that the new house of the Lord was “very impressive” and that it had an “English feel to it that is reminiscent to the old churches built in this land many years ago.”

One member, Bryan Loynes, at the dedication mentioned how, despite the constantly changing weather, everyone had smiles on their faces.

“A lot of the people have come on long bus rides, some in excess of nine hours,” said Loynes. “They’ve had a brief rest and then have been directed to the lines. Everyone has been very pleasant.”

Patsy Dorsey of the Leeds Stake mentioned her joy for the temple. “This has been a very emotional experience for me,” she said. “I’ve been a member of the Church 20 years in October. Being here today is the icing on the cake.”

Dorsey continued, “I was amazed at how strong the Spirit was. Each time President Hinckley was in tears, I was in tears. I felt very privileged to be in the temple for this special occasion. I’m grateful for what’s been done here.”

Attending the dedication with President Hinckley were President Thomas S. Monson, first counselor in the First Presidency; President Boyd K. Packer, acting president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles; Elder M. Russell Ballard and Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles; Elder W. Eugene Hansen of the Presidency of the Seventy; and members of the Europe North Area presidency — Elder Cecil O. Samuelson, Elder Spencer J. Condie and Elder W. Rolfe Kerr of the Seventy.

Dedicatory prayer excerpt: “This magnificent temple has been reared in this beautiful area where Thy chosen servants, in the days of their deep poverty and great sacrifice, first preached the restored gospel. Through 161 years of history this land of England, together with Scotland, Wales and Ireland, has yielded a harvest of converts who have blessed and strengthened Thy Church. ... We pray that Thou wilt accept [this temple] as the sacred offering of Thy thankful people. This is Thy house, and we ask that Thou wilt sanctify it with Thy presence. From this day forth, may Thy Holy Spirit dwell within these walls and touch the hearts of all who enter herein.”

Read the dedicatory prayer of the Preston England Temple here.

President Gordon B. Hinckley announced a temple for Preston, England, on Oct. 19, 1992. The Prophet presided over the groundbreaking ceremony on June 12, 1994. An open house was held from May 16 to May 30, 1998. President Hinckley dedicated the Preston England Temple on June 7, 1998.

Architecture and Design of the Preston England Temple

The Preston England Temple stands on 15 acres and is a total of 60,000 square feet with a single spire and modern classical design. The exterior was finished with Olympia white granite from Sardinia, and the exterior walls — featuring tall windows — are lined with trees, shrubs and flowers.

Located on the north edge of Chorley, England, the temple overlooks hills to the east and a greenbelt area to the north.

The temple grounds feature large grass areas and a small pond. Also located on the temple site are a stake center, a distribution center, a missionary training center and missionary housing.

Inside the temple are featured paintings of Jesus Christ and murals of the local area. The structure includes a baptistry, four ordinance rooms and four sealing rooms.

In 1952, Church President David O. McKay traveled to Europe to minister to the European people and make arrangements with Swiss leaders for a house of a Lord to be built in Bern. Just before he boarded his plane back to Utah on July 1, 1952, President McKay told the United Press in Glasgow, Scotland, that the first European temple would be built in Bern, Switzerland.

After a building process that included a cornerstone ceremony on Nov. 13, 1954, presided over by President Stephen L Richards, first counselor in the First Presidency; an open house from Sept. 9 through Sept. 10, 1955; and a visit from The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square in Bern on the last day of the open house, President McKay presided over the 10 dedication sessions of the Bern Switzerland Temple from Sept. 11 through Sept. 15, 1955.

As reported in a 1955 edition of the Deseret News, the First Presidency — President McKay; President Stephen L Richards, first counselor; and President J. Reuben Clark Jr., second counselor — said the temple dedication was “a realization of the dreams and prayers of hundreds of the faithful Saints who through years of war and deprivation had longed for the day when they too might be afforded the most treasured blessings of the gospel.”

Dedicatory prayer excerpt: “May this building ever be held sacred, that all who enter may feel a peaceful and hallowed influence, and may those who pass the grounds, whether members or nonmembers of the Church, feel a hallowed influence and substitute for a doubt or possible sneer in their minds, a prayer in their hearts.”

Read the dedicatory prayer of the Bern Switzerland Temple here.

1992 Rededication of the Bern Switzerland Temple

The Bern Switzerland Temple was closed for renovations from early 1990 through October 1992. Once renovations were completed, the house of the Lord was open to the public for tours from Oct. 8 through Oct. 17, 1992, with nearly 33,000 in attendance.

According to a 1992 edition of the Deseret News, Michael Obst, public affairs director for the Europe Area, said the open house events “were very organized, with typical Swiss precision. There was a very loving, kind and calm spirit about the open house. People commented time and again about how impressed they were with the happiness that radiated from the tour guides and those conducting the tours and welcoming them.”

After the open house, Church President Gordon B. Hinckley presided over 10 dedicatory sessions for the temple from Oct. 23 through Oct. 25, 1992. Nearly 9,000 people attended throughout the 10 sessions.

Dedicatory prayer excerpt: “We pray for those who direct the affairs of thy temple that they may be guided by Thy Holy Spirit and be possessed with wisdom beyond their own. We pray for all who administer the ordinances that they may do so in a manner acceptable unto thee and in a spirit of reverence. We pray for all who come to this, Thy holy house, that they walk in cleanliness before thee.”

Read the rededication prayer of the Bern Switzerland Temple here.

Church President David O. McKay announced plans to build a temple in Bern, Switzerland, on July 1, 1952. Ground was broken for the Bern Switzerland Temple on Aug. 5, 1953, and a cornerstone ceremony was held on Nov. 13, 1954.

After an open house from Sept. 9 to Sept. 10, 1955, this house of the Lord was dedicated by President David O. McKay in 10 sessions from Sept. 11 through Sept. 15, 1955.

The temple closed for renovations in early 1990 and, once construction was finished, was open to the public for tours from Oct. 8 through Oct. 17, 1992. The Bern Switzerland Temple was rededicated by Church President Gordon B. Hinckley throughout 10 sessions from Oct. 23 to Oct. 25, 1992.

Architecture and Design of the Bern Switzerland Temple

The exterior of the 39,063-square-foot temple, originally 39,457 square feet before renovations, is made of reinforced concrete with gray terracotta trimmed in white. The grounds cover seven acres and are filled with grass fields, trees, hedges and gardens.

The interior features the baptistry, the celestial room, four ordinance rooms and seven sealing rooms. The steeple of the temple was a simple spire until it was replaced with a statue of the angel Moroni on Sept. 7, 2005, in honor of the building’s 50th anniversary four days later.

The first capital city of Brazil was Salvador, where government leaders resided between 1549 and 1763. The capital was then moved south to Rio de Janeiro for another 200 years. Then in 1960, country leaders created Brasília, a new city designed to look like an airplane when viewed from above, to become the new capital.

This new city, though apart from Brazil’s 80% of population along the 4,500-mile-long eastern coastline, was intentionally built in the geographic center of the country. On Sept. 17, 2023, the country received a new “center” — a spiritual center — for Latter-day Saints to make and remember covenants and perform ordinance work for their predecessors.

“As we bring our ancestors beyond the veil the holy ordinances they desire, and as the holy endowment is presented to us each time we are here, the eyes of our understanding are opened,” said Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, who dedicated the Brasília Brazil Temple in Portuguese, at the dedication. “We better see the purposes of our being on earth.”

Elder Andersen, who had also served in the Brazil South Area presidency from 2001 to 2005, explained that those who enter the temple “enter a new world.” He said, “This is the house of the Lord. It is a sacred place — unlike anywhere else. It is nestled between heaven and earth.” His wife, Sister Kathy Andersen, shared a similar sentiment at the dedication: “In the temple, we feel a peace not available anywhere else in the world.”

The Apostle and his wife were joined by Elder Mark D. Eddy, a General Authority Seventy and second counselor in the Brazil Area presidency; and Elder Kevin R. Duncan, a General Authority Seventy and executive director of the Temple Department.

Elder Eddy began serving as second counselor just a month and a half before the dedication. “Brazil will never be the same after the dedication of this temple,” he said at the ceremony. “And we should not be the same, either.”

Suzana Ekert de Melo, a Latter-day Saint from the Jardim Satélite Ward in the São José dos Campos Brazil South Stake in São Paulo, served a mission in Brasília in 1977. Several decades later, she attended the Brasília temple dedication and told the Church News that the temple is directly linked with the plan of salvation.

She said: “To know that my family can be eternal and that all the people I love, who passed on from this life, and who I thought I had lost but are not? That is what the plan of salvation taught me.”

Dedicatory prayer excerpt: “How grateful we are that this magnificent and hallowed structure will stand as a testament to Thee and Thy Beloved Son in this city of Brazil where the leaders of the nation meet and where laws influencing the freedom and prosperity of the people are established. ... Because Thy house is here, let there be an added goodness, honesty, peacemaking and prayer in the functioning of the government of this land.”

Read the dedicatory prayer of the Brasília Brazil Temple here.

The Brasília temple was announced April 2, 2017, by President Thomas S. Monson. The groundbreaking and site dedication were held on Sept. 26, 2020, and presided over by Elder Adilson de Paula Parrella, president of the Brazil Area. Elder Neil L. Andersen dedicated the temple on Sept. 17, 2023.

Architecture and Design of the Brasília Brazil Temple

The single-storied Brasília Brazil Temple, with an area of roughly 25,000 square feet, has multiple arches around the exterior to pay homage to mid-20th century Brazilian modernism. The exterior is made of sparkling white Brazilian marble, and reflecting pools with ceramic tiles sit in front of the edifice.

The floors inside the temple are covered in porcelain and Bahia blue stone tiles, carpets made in Brazil, and Paraná white marble, which is native to Brazil. Light-brown Jequitibá wood, native to Brazil, is used in furniture throughout the building. The handrails of the baptismal font are made of transparent glass, with a metal frame and gold matte finish.

The temple was built on a 6-acre site located in the Federal District of Brasília, the capital of Brazil. Thousands of shrubs, perennials and over 200 trees fill the grounds, including shade trees, evergreens, flowering trees and palm trees. A new meetinghouse and patron housing facility were built alongside the house of the Lord.

Interior Photos of the Brasília Brazil Temple

Elder William R. Bradford, a General Authority Seventy and president of the South America North Area, presided at the groundbreaking of the Bogotá Colombia Temple on June 26, 1993. Elder Bradford spoke at the ceremony about the power the temple would bring to the people of Bogotá, Colombia.

“When we are truly sealed,” he said, “when the poor have their needs satisfied and all the children are cared for, when worthy members enter the temple to receive their covenants and ordinances, then this grand valley of Santa Fe of Bogotá will be Zion in the sense that here will dwell the pure in heart.

“It is for Zion that we struggle,” continued Elder Bradford, adding that Zion is “where the Saints have temples and are worthy to enter them, and pray often. The Lord has blessed us with a temple. Let us feel the urgency of this great work.”

Almost six years later, there were 11 dedicatory sessions over three days, from April 24 to April 26, 1999. Church President Gordon B. Hinckley dedicated the house of the Lord in the first session then immediately left with his wife, Sister Marjorie Pay Hinckley, to a large regional conference in Santiago, Chile. President James E. Faust, second counselor in the First Presidency, presided at the next six sessions. President Hinckley returned after the conference and presided at the final four sessions. Accompanying President Hinckley on his return was Elder Russell M. Nelson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

“What a marvelous occasion this is,” President Hinckley said in a Church News interview. “From the initial announcement of this temple until now has been 15 years. We’ve had trouble of one kind or another — the location, the site, trying to get property and many other factors, but finally it has happened.”

President Faust observed that “our Saints have been moved to tears to be able to participate in the dedicatory sessions. People have come from as far as Pasto and Medellín and other places, traveling by bus up to 22 hours, and then getting on the bus and going back to Medellin and other places that are so far distant.”

Dedicatory prayer excerpt: “The faithful Saints of Colombia have given generously of their means to this cause. Bless them, dear Father, for their faith. Open the windows of heaven and shower down blessings upon them, and bless their posterity after them, that they may continue in faithfulness.”

Read the dedicatory prayer of the Bogotá Colombia Temple here.

The Bogotá Colombia Temple was announced April 7, 1984, by President Gordon B. Hinckley. A groundbreaking ceremony was held almost six years later, on June 26, 1993. After an open house from March 27 to April 18, 1999, President Gordon B. Hinckley dedicated the temple April 24, 1999.

Architecture and Design of the Bogotá Colombia Temple

The Bogotá Colombia Temple is 53,500 square feet and stands on a 3.71-acre property. Much of the design and craftsmanship of the temple was done by local Colombians. The exterior of the temple is granite, with a single spire reaching 124 feet high. Inside the house of the Lord are four instruction rooms, three sealing rooms, a baptistry and a celestial room.

In November 2007, after local Church leaders in El Salvador read a letter from the First Presidency in sacrament meeting, members were in tears at the news of a temple in San Salvador. For Latter-day Saints in the country — some of whom would travel up to eight hours by vehicle to attend the Guatemala City Guatemala Temple — the news of a local temple was a miracle. “My dream has come true,” said one member.

President Manuel Ernesto Lopez, a stake president in the capital city, said many of the sisters and older pioneers of the Church in El Salvador shed tears of joy. “I believe this is a unanimous feeling. We are all thinking, ‘This is a dream,’” he said.

President Henry B. Eyring, first counselor in the First Presidency, dedicated the San Salvador El Salvador Temple on Aug. 21, 2011. “It is a remarkable building,” he said after the last of three dedicatory sessions. “And the Spirit was so evident that it’s hard to adequately describe.”

Also at the event was Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. He said, “I feel the temple will have a positive impact in every sense — economic, spiritual and social — for El Salvador.” He then added that the temple will open “new horizons” for developing the area.

Local members talked about how the dedication of the San Salvador temple was one of the most important dates in their history. “We all started to cry,” said one member.

“The temple is the only place in the country where we can find exaltation,” were another member’s sentiments. “The temple is the door to exaltation for my country.”

Another member also expressed her feelings of gratitude for El Salvador’s first house of the Lord: “I don’t have a fancy car, and I don’t own a big house on the beach, but the Lord has helped me prosper. I have children, grandchildren and even a great-grandchild that love God. And now there is a temple in El Salvador.”

Attending the dedication with President Eyring and Elder Christofferson were Sister Silvia H. Allred, first counselor in the Relief Society general presidency and a native Salvadoran; Elder William R. Walker, executive director of the Church’s Temple Department; and members of the Central America Area Presidency — Elder Enrique R. Falabella, Elder James B. Martino and Elder Carlos H. Amado.

Dedicatory prayer excerpt: “Now, with grateful hearts, we dedicate and consecrate this hallowed structure and its surroundings to the accomplishment of Thy will and the fulfillment of Thine eternal work. We pray that its influence may be felt throughout the land as a light upon a hill. We ask it all in the name of Him whose redemption has blessed the human family and opened the way for Thy sons and daughters to go forward in eternity.”

Read the dedicatory prayer of the San Salvador El Salvador Temple here.

The San Salvador El Salvador Temple was announced in a First Presidency letter on Nov. 18, 2007. Elder Don R. Clarke presided over the groundbreaking ceremony held Sept. 20, 2008 — nearly a year later.

After an open house from July 1 to July 23, 2011, and cultural celebrations mid-August, President Henry B. Eyring dedicated the new house of the Lord in three sessions on Aug. 21, 2011.

Architecture and Design of the San Salvador El Salvador Temple

The San Salvador temple sits on an open lot filled with palm trees, tropical bushes and walkways leading to the temple. The structure stands on a base of 27,986 square feet and encompasses arches and conches inside and out, giving it a Spanish colonial touch found in the San Salvador region.

The exterior finish was made with Bianco Sienna granite from Brazil. Inside, decorations throughout the temple in the art-glass windows, wood and granite feature the flor de izote — El Salvador’s national flower. The wood found in the temple is genuine mahogany from Honduras and other nearby countries. The floors are made from limestone quarried out of Israel.

The San Salvador temple has two ordinance rooms, two sealing rooms, a baptistry and a bride’s room.

Interior Photos of the San Salvador El Salvador Temple

The groundbreaking ceremony for the Wichita Kansas Temple, presided over by Elder Steven R. Bangerter, General Authority Seventy and first counselor in the North America Central Area presidency, commenced Sept. 7, 2024. Without the Wichita temple, the nearest temple site would be in Oklahoma City, nearly 150 miles south.

“Please bless us this day, as we turn this dirt as a symbol of a new beginning, that we may feel Thy Holy Spirit within our hearts as a manifestation of the divine mission of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, that we may each feel a new beginning with renewed commitment to live our lives according to His teachings and filled with His love,” said Elder Bangerter in the dedicatory prayer on the site.

The Wichita Kansas Temple is scheduled to be dedicated Nov. 1, 2026, by Elder Patrick Kearon of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

The Wichita Kansas Temple was announced by Church President Russell M. Nelson on April 3, 2022. On Sept. 7, 2024, ground was broken for the house of the Lord, with Elder Steven R. Bangerter, a General Authority Seventy and first counselor in the North America Central Area presidency, presiding.

After a public open house from Sept. 24 to Oct. 10, 2026, the Wichita Kansas Temple will be dedicated Nov. 1, 2026, by Elder Patrick Kearon of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

Architecture and Design of the Wichita Kansas Temple

According to site plans released by the Church on June 20, 2023, the Wichita Kansas Temple will be a single-story building of approximately 9,950 square feet. The edifice will stand on a 6.42-acre site at Lot 1 Block 1 of The Moorings Plaza Fourth Addition in Wichita, Sedgwick County, Kansas.

An architectural rendering of the Wichita Kansas Temple released on July 22, 2024, shows rectangular windows surrounding an arched entrance. A central tower with rectangular windows stands above the center of the building. Trees, flower beds and bushes adorn the grounds.