President Nelson has done it again. The “rush of revelation” made its return as the prophet had another huge announcement to make.
In another incredible announcement to go along with the 2-hour church block, President Russell M. Nelson announced 12 new temples during the final session of the 188th Semiannual General Conference.
The Nauvoo Illinois Temple
Before Conference, members on social media were reporting that they heard the tease, “If you love temple-building, you won’t want to miss Conference.”
Now we know why, and surely those that love temple announcements were not disappointed.
If you love temple-building, you won’t want to miss General Conference.
President Nelson announced temples in the following locations:
Mendoza, Argentina Salvador, Brazil Yuba City, California Phnom Penh, Cambodia Praia, Cape Verde Yigo, Guam Puebla, Mexico Auckland, New Zealand Lagos, Nigeria Davao, Philippines San Juan, Puerto Rico, and Washington County, Utah.
“There are 159 operating temples (which includes 10 previously dedicated but closed for renovation), 11 under construction, and 19 announced (not yet under construction).”¹ A full list of these temples can be found on the church’s website.
The new First Presidency wanted “to begin with the end in mind,” as they spoke from the Salt Lake Temple on January 16, 2018, while addressing the membership of the church.
“The end for which each of us strives is to be endowed with a power in a house of the Lord, sealed as families—faithful to the covenants made in a temple that qualify us for the greatest gift of God, that of eternal life.”
“We will build that temple as fast as we can,” President Nelson told more than 3,000 members gathered in Thailand earlier this year. “But it is up to you to build yourselves to the point where you can go to the temple.”
Twelve new temples are announced:
Mendoza, Argentina
Salvador, Brazil
Yuba City, California
Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Praia, Cape Verde
Yigo, Guam
Puebla, Mexico
Auckland, New Zealand
Lagos, Nigeria
Davao, Philippines
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Washington County, Utah #GeneralConference pic.twitter.com/fbyXDYZNtM— The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (@LDSchurch) October 7, 2018
We are excited for the most recent temple announcement by President Nelson. May we be as eager to make the temple a part of our personal worship as we are to hear the prophet makes these exciting announcements in General Conference.
Mormon Newsroom gave additional details into the locations that will be receiving temples.
These 12 announced temples bring the total number of operating temples (159) and temples announced or under construction (42) to 201 worldwide. The Concepción Chile Temple (October 28) and the Barranquilla Colombia Temple (December 9) are scheduled for dedication later this year. Eleven temples are being renovated, including the Asunción Paraguay Temple, Baton Rouge Louisiana Temple, Frankfurt Germany Temple, Hamilton New Zealand Temple, Memphis Tennessee Temple, Mesa Arizona Temple, Oakland California Temple, Oklahoma City Oklahoma Temple, Raleigh North Carolina Temple, Tokyo Japan Temple and Washington D.C. Temple. (Temples under renovation are considered operating temples.) The previous largest number of temples announced on a single day was April 1, 1981, when nine temples were announced. With seven temples announced during the April 2018 general conference, a total of 19 temples have been announced this year.
“Building and maintaining temples may not change your life, but spending your time in the temple surely will,” President Nelson said. “To those who have long been absent from the temple, I encourage you to prepare and return as soon as possible. Then I invite you to worship in the temple and pray to feel deeply the Savior’s infinite love for you, that each of you may gain your own testimony that He continues to direct this sacred and ageless work.”
When the Mendoza Argentina Temple is built and dedicated, Argentina will have four temples. The Buenos Aires Argentina Temple was dedicated in 1986, while the Córdoba Argentina Templewas dedicated in 2015. The Salta Argentina Temple was announced by President Nelson in April 2018. Argentina, a country of nearly 45 million residents, is home to nearly 459,000 Latter-day Saints.
After the United States (6.7 million Latter-day Saints) and Mexico (1.45 million), Brazil is home to more members (1.39 million) of the Church than any other country. There are six operating temples in Brazil, located in Campinas, Curitiba, Manaus, Porto Alegre, Recife and São Paulo. Two temples are under construction (Fortaleza and Rio de Janeiro), and two others have been announced — in Belém and now Salvador.
The Yuba City California Temple will be California’s eighth temple. The state’s other seven temples are in Fresno, Los Angeles, Newport Beach, Oakland (under renovation), Redlands, Sacramentoand San Diego. California is home to more than 760,000 Latter-day Saints and nearly 1,300 congregations.
This will be Cambodia’s first Latter-day Saint temple and the ninth temple in Asia. More than 14,600 Latter-day Saints live in the Southeast Asian nation of more than 16 million people.
In addition to the announcement of 12 new temples, President Nelson said pioneer generation temples would be renovated. “With the passage of time, temples are inevitably in need of refreshing and renewal. To that end, plans are now being made to renovate and update the Salt Lake Temple and other pioneer generation temples,” he said. “Details on these projects will be shared as they are developed.”
This will be the first temple in Cape Verde, a set of islands located about 350 miles off the northwest coast of Africa. Some 14,700 Latter-day Saints live in this island nation of 539,000 people.
This small island territory in the Western Pacific is less than half the size of the Salt Lake Valley and has a population of 166,000 people. Missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ first arrived in 1957, and today there are more than 2,500 Latter-day Saints in Guam. This will be the territory’s first Latter-day Saint temple.
This will be Mexico’s 14th temple. The country’s other 13 temples are in Ciudad Juárez, Colonia Juárez, Zapopan, Hermosillo, Mérida, Mexico City, Monterrey, Oaxaca, Ciudad Madero, Tijuana, Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Boca del Rio and Villahermosa. The country is home to nearly 1.5 million Latter-day Saints spread throughout almost 2,000 congregations.
The Auckland New Zealand Temple will be the country’s second Latter-day Saint temple. The first temple, built in 1958 in Hamilton, closed in August 2018 for renovations. The Church has had a presence in New Zealand since the 1850s. Today, more than 114,000 Latter-day Saints live in the country.
The Lagos Nigeria Temple will be the second temple in Nigeria and the ninth in Africa. There are temples currently operating in Aba, Nigeria; Johannesburg, South Africa; and Accra, Ghana. The Kinshasa Democratic Republic of the Congo Temple is scheduled to be dedicated April 14, 2019. The Durban South Africa Temple is under construction. Plans have been announced to build temples in Harare, Zimbabwe; Nairobi, Kenya; and Abidjan Ivory Coast (Côte d’Ivoire). Church membership in Africa has grown from a handful of members in the late 1970s to more than 611,000 Latter-day Saints today (including nearly 174,000 in Nigeria) in more than 2,000 congregations.
With this announcement, the Philippines has six temples announced or dedicated, including Cebu City, Manila (2), Urdaneta and Cagayan de Oro. There are more than 780,000 Latter-day Saints in this country of more than 107 million people.
This will be the first temple in Puerto Rico, a Caribbean island of more than 3 million residents and over 23,000 Latter-day Saints. The nearest temple to Puerto Rico is the Santo Domingo Dominican Republic Temple.
This will be Washington County’s second temple; the other is in St. George, Utah. As the Church’s world headquarters, Utah has 2.1 million members of the Church in a state of 3.2 million people. There are 17 operating temples in the state, including Bountiful, Brigham City, Cedar City, Draper,Logan, Jordan River, Manti, Monticello, Mount Timpanogos, Ogden, Oquirrh Mountain, Payson,Provo City Center, Provo, St. George, Salt Lake and Vernal. The Saratoga Springs Temple was announced at the April 2017 general conference, and the Layton Utah Temple was announced in April 2018. The new temple in Washington County will be Utah’s 20th Latter-day Saint temple.
In addition to the announcement of 12 new temples, President Nelson said pioneer generation temples would be renovated. “With the passage of time, temples are inevitably in need of refreshing and renewal. To that end, plans are now being made to renovate and update the Salt Lake Temple and other pioneer generation temples,” he said. “Details on these projects will be shared as they are developed.”
1 – Wikipedia – Temple (Latter-day Saints)
BONUS
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Merced
Tuesday 23rd of October 2018
I feel that Heavenly Father will someday He will build a Temple in the Rio Grande Valley, but it will be build in His own time. This will be done when He knows that we are ready to receive the Blessing of the Temple.
Ben Arkell
Wednesday 31st of October 2018
Were you able to see the 10-minute mini-film?
Friday 12th of October 2018
Please build one in south Dakota like Rapid city