President Russell M. Nelson closed the two-day General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Sunday by announcing 13 new temples — including one for the Heber Valley, which will bring Utah’s total of existing or planned temples to 28.
Madagascar and Liberia will be getting their first Latter-day Saint temples. There are almost 13,000 members in Madagascar, according to a church news release, and about 15,000 in Liberia.
The new edifices will be constructed “at or near” these locations:
• Kaohsiung, Taiwan. (According to the release, it will be the second temple in that country.)
• Tacloban City, Philippines. (Eighth temple in that country.)
• Monrovia, Liberia. (First temple in that country.)
• Kananga, Democratic Republic of Congo. (Third temple in that country.)
• Antananarivo, Madagascar. (First temple in that country.)
• Culiacán, México. (17th temple in that country.)
• Vitória, Brazil. (14th temple in that country.)
• La Paz, Bolivia. (Third temple in that country.)
• Santiago West, Chile. (Fourth temple in that country.)
• Fort Worth, Texas. (Sixth temple in that state.)
• Cody, Wyo. (Third temple in that state.)
• Rexburg North, Idaho. (Eighth temple in that state.)
• Heber Valley, Utah. (28th temple in Utah.)
Nelson did not announce a specific location for the Heber Valley building. Fifteen temples are currently operating in the state, and two more — the historic Salt Lake and St. George structures — are undergoing renovation. Temples also are planned or under construction in Ephraim, Layton, Lindon, Orem, Saratoga Springs, Smithfield, St. George (a second one), Syracuse, Taylorsville and Tooele.
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After the Orem Temple is completed (it has been under construction for just over a year), Nelson announced, reconstruction will begin on the original Provo Temple, which opened in February 1972.
Before General Conference, independent researcher Matt Martinich, who tracks church growth at ldschurchgrowth.blogspot.com, predicted 10 new sites would be the “most likely” to have temples announced this conference. He hit two on the head — Monrovia, Liberia, and La Paz, Bolivia.
He predicted three in the right countries or states but offered different cities — Angeles or Olongapo and Santiago/Tuguegarao, Philippines (another city was named); Mbuji-Mayi, Democratic Republic of Congo; and Austin, Texas.
“Please make time for the Lord in his holy house,” Nelson urged members. “Nothing will strengthen your spiritual foundation like temple service and temple worship.”
Nelson has announced 83 new temples in the nearly four years he has been church president. Including the 13 announced Sunday, the church will have more than 260 temples operating, under construction, under renovation or announced.
Latter-day Saints consider a temple to be a House of the Lord, where Jesus Christ’s teachings are reaffirmed through ordinances that unite families for eternity.
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