LDS Church announces two temple sites, groundbreaking of another

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — The First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced the locations of two temples and the groundbreaking of another on Tuesday.

The Culiacán Mexico Temple and Tuguegarao City Philippines Temple had their site announced. The church also announced the groundbreaking date of the Lethbridge Alberta Temple.

According to the church, which is headquartered in Salt Lake City, The Culiacán Mexico Temple has plans to be built on a five-acre site and will be a single-story temple that will be built close to the city center.

The church says that when completed, the temple will be the 26th operating temple in the country of Mexico. LDS Church president Russell M. Nelson originally announced the temple during the October 2021 General Conference.

The Tuguegarao City Philippines Temple had its site announced along with an exterior rendering released to the public. Plans for this temple call for it to be built on a 6.3-acre site in the northeast portion of the city. This temple will also be a single-story temple and will span nearly 19,000 square feet.

When completed, the Tuguegarao City Philippines Temple will be the 13th in the country. The church says that the island nation is among the fastest-growing nations when it comes to church membership. This temple was first announced during the April 2023 General Conference.

One of the other temples announced during the April 2023 General Conference was the Lethbridge Alberta Temple. The site where the church plans to build the temple will have a groundbreaking on April 26. According to the church, this temple will be a “multi-story temple of approximately 45,000 square feet.” When completed, this temple will be the 11th in Canada.

What are Temples?

Temples of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are referred to by members as “Houses of the Lord,” according to the Church website. Members hold the entire property of Temples sacred, from the grounds outside to what is inside and what happens inside.

“From the very beginning, there have been sacred places upon the earth where God has communed with His children. They were designated by God and hallowed by His presence as places where He would teach and bless His children,” the Church says on its site.

The Church teaches that throughout biblical history, the Tabernacle carried around was a “portable temple.” The Church also points to several additional scriptures from the Book of Mormon and Doctrine and Covenants, which mention temples on several occasions.

There are currently over 350 temples across the world that have been announced, are operational, or are presently under construction — over 180 of those have been announced by President Russell M. Nelson.