"As the Church grows, more temples will be built so that more families can have access to that greatest of all blessings, that of eternal life," President Russell M. Nelson said before announcing eight new temples to be built around the world during the women's session of general conference. "We regard a temple as the most sacred structure in the Church. Whenever plans are announced to construct a new temple, it becomes an important part of our history."
The new temples announced this conference include Freetown, Sierra Leone; Orem, Utah; Bentonville, Arkansas; Bacolod, Philippines; Taylorsville, Utah; Cobán, Guatemala; McAllen, Texas; and Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea.
After President Nelson's announcement this weekend, there 37 temples announced, 14 temples under construction, 9 temples under renovation, and 157 in operation around the world, according to ChurchofJesusChristTemples.org. Of those temples, 11 are in Africa, 17 in Asia, 16 in Europe, 15 in Oceania, 30 in South America, and 128 in North America.
According to the Church's newsroom, ground will be broken this fall on the Saratoga Springs temple in Utah and the Puebla Mexico Temple.
Four temples were dedicated this year, including the Kinshasa Democratic Republic of the Congo, Fortaleza Brazil, Port-au-Prince Haiti, and Lisbon Portugal Temples.
"The Lord wants all His children to partake of the eternal blessings available in His temple," President Nelson shared in the closing session of general conference. He continued:
"Individual worthiness to enter the Lord’s house requires much individual spiritual preparation. But with the Lord’s help, nothing is impossible. In some respects, it is easier to build a temple than it is to build a people prepared for a temple. Individual worthiness requires a total conversion of mind and heart to be more like the Lord, to be an honest citizen, to be a better example, and to be a holier person. . . . "I testify that such preparatory work brings innumerable blessings in this life and inconceivable blessings for the life to come, including the perpetuation of your family unit throughout all eternity in a state of never-ending happiness.”
To see a map of all the temples around the world, including those under construction and announced, visit ChurchofJesusChristTemples.org. To see a complete list of temples, their status, and important details, visit the Deseret News.