During his remarks today at the first session of the 181st Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Church President Thomas S. Monson announced three new temples in Meridian, Idaho; Fort Collins, Colorado; and Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
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Here are some brief facts about the Church in those areas; additional details on the new temples will be announced as they become available
Meridian, Idaho
Meridian is the third-largest city in Idaho and is located about 11 miles west of the capital of Boise.
The Church has had a presence in Idaho since 1855 and there are over 410,000 members in the state. The temple in Meridian will be the fifth in Idaho. There are also temples in Boise, Idaho Falls, Rexburg and Twin Falls.
Fort Collins, Colorado
Fort Collins is located in northern Colorado, 57 miles north of the capital of Denver. As of October 2010, there were nearly 140,000 members in the state.
The first congregation of the Church in Colorado was organized in January 1897. This will be the second temple in Colorado; a temple in Denver was completed in 1986.
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city in the Canadian province of Manitoba. It is located in southeast Manitoba, north of the North Dakota/Minnesota border.
The Winnipeg Manitoba Temple will serve the needs of members in the Winnipeg area who currently travel for 6 ½ hours and nearly 400 miles (600 kilometers) to the nearest temple in Regina, Saskatchewan.
This will be the ninth temple in Canada. In addition to the Regina temple, there are temples in Cardston, Calgary and Edmonton, Alberta; Toronto, Ontario; Halifax, Nova Scotia and Montreal, Quebec. In May 2010, Church officials dedicated the Vancouver British Columbia Temple and broke ground for the Calgary Temple.
A website has been set up to answer questions about the Winnipeg temple.
About Temples
To members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints temples are the “house of the Lord,” the most sacred places on earth. Unlike meetinghouses, where Sabbath worship and weekly activities take place, temples are open throughout the week and closed on Sundays.
Temple services bind families together forever, teach the purpose of life and explain God’s plan of salvation. Temple attendance emphasizes personal spiritual growth and strengthens Latter-day Saints’ commitment to following the example of Jesus Christ.
There are currently 134 operating temples worldwide and, with today’s announcement, 26 temples announced or under construction.