News
Photo: Anita Peck Kingdon
Preparing the West Side of the Smithfield Utah Temple for Cladding
As beautiful stone cladding progresses up the north walls of the Smithfield Utah Temple, crews are preparing the west side for the same treatment. An incredible amount of precision is required of both the stone manufacturers and installers to create the temple's timeless exterior. With some stones weighing over a ton and others being delicately carved, it is a job that requires a highly skilled and adaptable crew.
Photo: Ethan Searle
Delivering Furniture to the Burley Idaho Temple
Delivery trucks are transporting furniture to the Burley Idaho Temple where furnishing of the interior is well underway. Construction of Idaho's seventh temple began over 32 months ago, and it is anticipated to open this year, but no dates have been announced for the open house and dedication. The temple president and matron began their service on November 1. The counselors and assistant matrons began shortly afterward on January 1.
Photo: Google
Culiacán Mexico Temple Location Announced
The location of the Culiacán Mexico Temple has been announced as a 5-acre property located near the Culiacán River off of Avenida Milenium, between Miguel Tamayo Espinoza de los Monteros and Boulevard José María Figueroa Díaz. Plans call for a one-story temple of approximately 10,000 square feet with an adjacent patron housing building. It will be the first temple constructed in the state of Sinaloa.
Photo: Intellectual Reserve, Inc.
Location Revealed for the Tuguegarao City Philippines Temple
The location of the Tuguegarao City Philippines Temple has been announced as a 6.3-acre site located near Tuguegarao City Hall on the south side of Enrile Avenue. Plans call for a single-story temple of approximately 18,850 square feet with on-site patron housing and a distribution center. An exterior rendering for the temple was also released. It is one of thirteen temples in planning, construction, or operation in the Philippines.
Photo: Intellectual Reserve, Inc.
Groundbreaking Services Announced for the Lethbridge Alberta Temple
Elder Randall K. Bennett, North America Central Area President, will preside at the groundbreaking services for the Lethbridge Alberta Temple on Saturday, April 26, 2025. The temple will be constructed on a nine-acre property located at the corner of Whoop Up Drive West and Mauretania Road West. Plans call for a multistory building of approximately 45,000 square feet with an accompanying distribution center.
Photo: Wichita Kansas Temple Facebook page
Framing the Wichita Kansas Temple Steeple
Structural framing for the central steeple of the Wichita Kansas Temple is underway. The columns for the four corners are stretching skyward, and bracing is being added. The prefabricated modules for the temple were installed just last month, and windows soon followed. Steel framing will form the unoccupied upper portions of the building that will add greatly to the temple's architecture and aesthetics.
Photo: Isabel Margarita Durán
Visitors' Center Trailer Established at the Santiago West Chile Temple Site
A visitors' center trailer has been established at the Santiago West Chile Temple site. Guests are welcomed to schedule an appointment or to drop by on Saturdays and Sundays from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. The missionary couple provides information on the purpose of temples, the chosen designs for the temple, and specific updates on the construction of the temple and accommodation center.
Photo: Robert O'Connor
Bicycle Shelter Installed on the Willamette Valley Oregon Temple Grounds
On the grounds of the Willamette Valley Oregon Temple, two beautiful bicycle shelters are being installed to comply with a city ordinance that requires accommodations for bicycle lanes and shelters. The Welcome Center trailer will also be relocated to accommodate landscaping efforts. The temple is the third to be constructed in Oregon, filling in a gap that exists between the temples in Portland and Medford.
Photo: Brent R.
Open House Celebration Announced for the Salt Lake Temple
In a social media post on February 14, 2025, President Russell M. Nelson announced the dates for an open house celebration for the Salt Lake Temple. "Today, exactly 172 years after the groundbreaking ceremony, I am delighted to announce that the temple will reopen for tours during a public open house from April to October 2027," he said. "We warmly invite our friends to come and learn about God’s plan for His children and rejoice in the love of Jesus Christ."
Photo: Stephanie Bourque
First President and Matron of the Elko Nevada Temple Called
Kendle Bowler and Robin Lynn Howell Bowler of the Elko Nevada East Stake have been called as the first president and matron of the Elko Nevada Temple. President Bowler is a temple sealer and a former temple presidency counselor, mission president, stake president, and bishop. Sister Bowler is a temple ordinance worker and a former assistant to the matron, mission president companion, stake Young Women presidency counselor, and ward Relief Society president.
Photo: Mariela Francomagro Ocampo
President and Matron of the Bahía Blanca Argentina Temple Called
Horacio Abel Paez and Sonia Adriana Sanchez Paez have been called as the first president and matron of the Bahía Blanca Argentina Temple. President Paez is a senior missionary and a former stake presidency counselor, high councilor, branch president, and temple worker. Sister Paez is a senior missionary and a former stake Young Women president, stake Relief Society presidency counselor, ward Relief Society president, and temple worker.
Photo: Dean Brown
Knoxville Tennessee Temple Exterior Cladding Progress
Flat cladding panels have been hung along the exterior walls of the Knoxville Tennessee Temple, leaving the corners open for the stone pieces that will be inserted to create pilasters with recessed panels. The classical lines of the building's architecture will produce a timeless look for this house of the Lord. It is the third temple to be constructed in Tennessee, a state that over 7 million people call home.
Photo: Todd W. Love
Cladding the Entrance to the Yorba Linda California Temple
Sheathing of the Yorba Linda California Temple steeple has been completed, and the surface has been damp proofed in preparation for stone cladding. On the majority of the building's exterior, cladding has already been installed, leaving the detailed work of the front portico and steeple to be completed. Stacks of red clay tiles sit on the roof deck, ready for installers to use to shingle the roof and steeple dome.
Photo: Luciano Carvalho
Storm Drain System Connected for the Belo Horizonte Brazil Temple
On the grounds of the Belo Horizonte Brazil Temple, the storm drain system has been connected to the trunk line at the street level, and palm trees have been planted in the parking lot islands located between the temple and ancillary building. Cladding of the temple exterior is getting closer to completion, and work on the interior is well underway. The temple has been under construction for the past 20 months.
Photo: Quinn Johnson
Bengaluru India Temple Construction Delayed
The concrete structure for India's first temple stands on a narrow tract of land in the bustling city of Bengaluru on ITPL Main Road, formerly Whitefield Main Road. The street was named after a nearby technology park known as Information Technology Park Limited (ITPL) or Information Technology Park Bangalore (ITPB). Construction is temporarily delayed at the Bengaluru India Temple site where the scaffolding and construction equipment have been removed, and the window openings have been shuttered.
Photo: Intellectual Reserve, Inc.
Toronto Ontario Temple Open House Begins
The public open house for the Toronto Ontario Temple begins this Thursday, February 13, and continues every day through Saturday, March 8, with no tours held on Sundays. People of all faiths are welcomed to tour the beautiful interior of the temple and to walk the landscaped grounds. Tours are free, but reservations are recommended. "This sacred building has been a landmark in Brampton since 1990," said Russ Willmott, who is helping to organize the open house with his wife, Anna. "[W]e look forward to sharing this peaceful place with the public."
Photo: Jose Carlos Meirelles Vieira
Observation Platform Added to the Ribeirão Preto Brazil Temple Site
An observation platform has been added to the Ribeirão Preto Brazil Temple site for visitors who would like to see the construction progress from an elevated vantage point. Appointments are available on Saturdays and Sundays from 4:00 to 5:00 p.m. Structural framing of the building continues using tilt-up panels and heavy steel beams and columns.
Photo: Dan Day
Baptismal Font Foundation Walls Installed for the Austin Texas Temple
The concrete forms have been stripped from the foundation walls for the baptismal font in the basement of the Austin Texas Temple. Forming has begun for the main floor footings, and much of the under-slab plumbing has been installed. The temple will rise next an existing meetinghouse, located in the Austin suburb of Cedar Park. It will be the seventh temple constructed in Texas.
Photo: Ann Woods
Foundation Work for the Tarawa Kiribati Temple Underway
A chain-link fence has been erected around the Tarawa Kiribati Temple site where heavy equipment has been grading and excavating. A concrete mixer churns on site, as work on the foundation gets underway. The groundbreaking ceremony was held three months ago at the beginning of November. It is the second temple to be constructed in Micronesia, following the Yigo Guam Temple.
Photo: Londrina Brazil Stake
Framing Progress on the Londrina Brazil Temple
A major portion of the structural framing for the Londrina Brazil Temple has been carried out. Wall braces hold the tilt-up walls in place while heavy steel framing progresses inside. Visitors are welcomed to visit the construction site where a missionary couple will receive them, provide information, and answer questions. The temple is one of three currently under construction in Brazil. The others are the Belo Horizonte Brazil Temple and the Ribeirão Preto Brazil Temple.
Photo: Jeremy Hoth
Caring for the Crews at the Cleveland Ohio Temple
Construction workers at the Cleveland Ohio Temple are feeling the love from local ward members who have provided warm homemade meals, tasty treats, and adorable thank you notes for them to enjoy. Crews are currently securing precast wall panels and architectural elements to the exterior while early work gets underway on the interior. The temple is looking more beautiful every day.
Photo: Heber Valley Temple Progress Facebook page
Summary Judgment Requested in Lawsuit Involving Heber Valley Utah Temple
Petitioners in a lawsuit that was filed three weeks after the Wasatch County Council approved a legislative development agreement for the Heber Valley Utah Temple on November 8, 2023, have moved for summary judgment. If the motion passes, the court will issue a decision in place of a trial, bringing the lawsuit to an end. In May 2024, the judge allowed the church to join the lawsuit, which had been filed against the county.
Photo: Alabang Philippines Temple Facebook page
Construction Barrier Removed from the Alabang Philippines Temple
The construction barrier has been removed from the front of the Alabang Philippines Temple site, revealing the monument sign that stands outside of the property fence. The temple is the third to be constructed on the Philippines' largest and most populous island of Luzon. Four additional temples have announced for Luzon in the communities of Laoag, Tuguegarao City, Santiago, and Naga.
Photo: Cody Wyoming Temple Facebook page
Structural Columns Installed at the Cody Wyoming Temple
Steel columns have been installed around the Cody Wyoming Temple modules, as framing of the upper structures gets underway. Construction of the temple began late last year following a ruling made by a district court judge in August 2024, that upheld the City of Cody's approval of a conditional use permit. A neighborhood group opposed to the location of the temple has filed an appeal with the Supreme Court of Wyoming. It is scheduled to be heard on Tuesday, February 11, 2025.
Photo: Suroy Ta
Building a Foundation for the Cagayan de Oro Philippines
On the Philippines' second largest island of Mindanao, the concrete foundation for the Cagayan de Oro Philippines Temple is taking shape. The property is located on Rosario Limketkai Avenue, next to the street entrance for a multistory condominium complex, known as One Oasis Cagayan de Oro. The tall retaining walls along the southeast boundary of the property will create peaceful, secluded grounds for patrons to enjoy.
Photo: Cole Robison
Monument Sign Installed on the South Side of the Salt Lake Temple
On the south side of the Salt Lake Temple, a beautiful monument sign has been installed, clad in the same stone as the temple. On the north side, the first walls for the sealing room addition have cured, and forming for the next pour is progressing. In front of the Assembly Hall, a two-tiered flowerbed has been created as a base for the Seagull Monument. At the southwest corner of the block, a new layer of adobe brick has been placed along a remnant of the historic Temple Square wall.
Photo: Nayeli Torres
Torreón Mexico Temple Taking Shape in Gómez Palacio
The Torreón Mexico Temple is taking shape as a beautiful landmark in Gómez Palacio, the major city adjoining Torreón to the west. It stands less than 1.5 miles (2.4 km) west of another city landmark—a replica of the Eiffel Tower that is roughly one-sixth the size of the original in Paris. The beautiful hill that bears the name of the city underneath a star is known as Cerro de las Calabazas.
Photo: Jonathan Hughes
Installing the Roof Deck on the Anchorage Alaska Temple
Work is getting underway on installing a corrugated steel roof deck on top of the Anchorage Alaska Temple. It is the next phase of enclosing the building so that interior work can move forward in a climate-controlled environment. The smaller existing temple is still in operation at the south end of the property. It will be replaced with a new stake center once the new temple is completed.
Photo: Google
Location of the Florianópolis Brazil Temple Announced
The Florianópolis Brazil Temple will be built on a 5.5-acre site located at Rua Cassol, 1120 in the Kobrasol neighborhood of São José, an adjoining city east of Florianópolis. It will stand across the street from the São José stake center. No exterior rendering has been released, as detailed design plans for the temple are still in development. The temple was the 23rd to be announced for the country of Brazil and will be the first constructed in the state of Santa Catarina.
Photo: Intellectual Reserve, Inc.
Groundbreaking Announced for the Antananarivo Madagascar Temple
The groundbreaking for the Antananarivo Madagascar Temple will be held on Saturday, March 15, 2025. Elder Denelson Silva, First Counselor in the Africa South Area Presidency, will preside. The temple will be built on a 9.8-acre site on Lalana Général Andrimahazo where an existing meetinghouse is located. The property is found in Fokontany Andranoro, Commune Ambohibao, Antehiroka in Antananarivo. Plans call for a single-story temple of approximately 10,000 square feet with patron housing and arrival facilities.
