After touring the Salt Lake Temple on Friday, May 8, Church President Dallin H. Oaks testified on social media about the purpose of the house of the Lord.
“It is in the temple that eternal covenants are made that bind us and our families to our Heavenly Father and to one another for eternity,” he wrote.
On Friday, May 8, President Oaks visited Salt Lake City’s historic house of the Lord with his counselors — President Henry B. Eyring and President D. Todd Christofferson — as well as Sister Kristen M. Oaks and Sister Kathy Christofferson.
They were joined by the members of the Presiding Bishopric — Bishop W. Christopher Waddell, Bishop L. Todd Budge and Bishop Sean Douglas — who manage the temporal affairs of the Church.
Information about this tour was also published in a May 8 news release on ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
According to the news release, this tour came the month after President Oaks had a hip replacement surgery on April 15. He said the tour was a welcome part of his ongoing recovery, noted the news release.
Ongoing recovery normally lasts from three to four months but allows him to continue working in office and other assignments. President Oaks also expressed gratitude to the doctors who have attended to him.
“The opportunity to tour the temple today was a welcome chance to be with my brothers in the First Presidency in a place we cherish,” President Oaks said. “I have been looking forward to this opportunity to see firsthand the progress of this important project.”
On social media, President Oaks mentioned the Salt Lake Temple Celebration and open house, planned for April through October 2027.
“We look forward to teaching about the sacred purposes of temples throughout the world. In the temple, faithful men and women receive divine instruction, sacred responsibilities and spiritual power,” he said.
About Salt Lake Temple renovations
The Salt Lake Temple was closed on Dec. 29, 2019, to undergo extensive renovations for three main reasons: to upgrade the building seismically, preserve the historic craftsmanship and double the capacity of the temple.
In the October 2025 general conference, President Oaks testified that “essential to our doctrine on the family is the temple. The ordinances received there enable us to return as eternal families to the presence of our Heavenly Father.”
On Monday, May 18, the Temple Square Visitors’ Center will open to the public. The facility focuses on the Savior, with elements designed to help individuals understand the purpose of houses of the Lord and their role in the plan of salvation.
