Temple News

President Eyring Dedicates Temple in El Salvador

On August 21, 2011, Latter-day Saints in Central America gathered in the San Salvador Temple in El Salvador and in meetinghouses throughout El Salvador, Belize, Nicaragua, and Honduras. President Henry B. Eyring, First Counselor in the First Presidency, dedicated the temple, the fourth in Central America.

Three dedicatory sessions accommodated the large number of Latter-day Saints in the area who attended. The temple opened for member ordinance work on Tuesday, August 23, 2011.

President Eyring Breaks Ground in Philadelphia

On Saturday, September 17, 2011, President Henry B. Eyring, First Counselor in the First Presidency, broke ground for the Philadelphia Pennsylvania Temple.

Also in attendance were Elder Jay E. Jensen of the Presidency of the Seventy and Elder William R. Walker of the Seventy, who serves as the executive director of the Church’s Temple Department.

Members within the temple district gathered in their respective meetinghouses, to which the service was broadcast.

The temple will be the first in Pennsylvania. Nearly 50,000 members in the state will benefit from it.

Elder Oaks Presides at Groundbreaking in Payson

Thousands braved light rainfall and temperatures in the 30s (between -1 and 4 degrees Celsius) on October 8, 2011, to witness Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles preside over the groundbreaking for the Payson Utah Temple.

Elder Oaks was joined by Elder Steven E. Snow and Elder Jay E. Jensen, both of the Presidency of the Seventy, and Elder William R. Walker of the Seventy.

The new temple will serve approximately 22 stakes from Spanish Fork to Nephi, which comprise some 78,000 Church members.

Ground Broken in Trujillo Peru

The Church broke ground for the Trujillo Peru Temple on Wednesday, September 14, 2011.

Elder Rafael E. Pino of the Seventy, South America Northwest Area President, presided. His counselors, Elder Juan A. Uceda and Elder W. Christopher Waddell, also attended.

In his remarks, Elder Pino urged members to spend time prior to the temple’s dedication to help less-active members return to full activity and prepare to enter the house of the Lord.

Sapporo Japan Temple Now Underway

The groundbreaking for the Sapporo Japan Temple took place on October 22, 2011.

First announced by President Thomas S. Monson on October 3, 2009, the temple will be located on the Atsubetsu River, near Hokusei Gakuen University.

An artist’s rendering of the Sapporo Japan Temple and site plan were publicly released in conjunction with the groundbreaking ceremony.

Sapporo is Japan’s fifth largest city and is located on the northern island of Hokkaido. This temple will be the third in Japan, following the Tokyo Japan Temple (1980) and the Fukuoka Japan Temple (2000).