The article below was first published April 30, 2020. On September 1, 2020, the Church announced that, because of concern for the effects of COVID-19, the open house, youth devotional, and dedication of the Winnipeg Manitoba Temple are postponed until large public gatherings are deemed safe.
The First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has announced the dates for the public open house, dedication and youth devotional for the Winnipeg Manitoba Temple.
Members of the community are invited to attend the free public open house scheduled for Thursday, October 22 through Saturday, October 31, 2020, except Sunday, October 25. The open house gives people of all faiths the opportunity to tour the temple’s beautiful interior and grounds. Visitors may also learn more about the purpose of these sacred structures.
Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles will dedicate the temple on Sunday, November 8, 2020 in three sessions, at 9 a.m., noon and 3 p.m.
A youth devotional will be held the evening prior to the dedication, where youth ages 12-18 will hear from Church leaders. The devotional will be held in a meetinghouse next to the temple. All dedicatory sessions and the youth devotional will be broadcast to meetinghouses in the temple district.
There are over 4,500 members of the Church in the Canadian province of Manitoba organized into 14 congregations. Currently, the closest temples for these Latter-day Saints are in Regina, Saskatchewan, or Bismarck, North Dakota.
The temple, which is located eight miles south of the provincial capital city of Winnipeg, will be the ninth in operation for Canada and the 169th for the Church worldwide. The temple was announced in April 2011 and ground was broken in December 2016.
Temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints differ from meetinghouses or chapels, where members meet for Sunday worship services. Temples are considered houses of the Lord where Jesus Christ’s teachings are reaffirmed through baptism and other ordinances that unite families for eternity. In the temple, Church members learn more about the purpose of life and make covenants to follow Jesus Christ and serve others.
