Russell M. Nelson, the prophet and president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, announced on Sunday afternoon, October 4, 2020, plans to build temples in the following six locations:
- Tarawa, Kiribati
- Port Vila, Vanuatu
- Lindon, Utah
- Greater Guatemala City, Guatemala
- São Paulo East, Brazil
- Santa Cruz, Bolivia
Since becoming the leader of the Church in 2018, President Nelson has announced the construction of 49 new temples. The Church of Jesus Christ now has 230 temples announced, under construction or operating.
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Read more below about each location.
Tarawa, Kiribati
This will be the first temple in Kiribati, an island nation in the Pacific Ocean near the international dateline. There are nearly 21,000 Latter-day Saints spread throughout some 40 congregations — approximately one-sixth of the population. The Church of Jesus Christ operates Moroni High School in Kiribati.
Port Vila, Vanuatu
This will be the first temple in Vanuatu, which is home to more than 10,000 Latter-day Saints in nearly 40 congregations. Port Vila sits on the southwest coast of the island of Efate. In the early 1970s, several Latter-day Saint families moved from Tonga to Vanuatu. Missionary work began in 1975.
Lindon, Utah
The Lindon Utah Temple will be the seventh temple in Utah County. As the Church’s world headquarters, Utah has 2.1 million Church members, which is approximately two-thirds of the state’s population of 3.2 million residents. There are 17 operating temples in the state: Bountiful, Brigham City, Cedar City, Draper, Logan, Jordan River, Manti, Monticello, Mount Timpanogos, Ogden, Oquirrh Mountain, Payson, Provo City Center, Provo, St. George, Salt Lake and Vernal Temples. The following Utah temples were previously announced or are under construction: Layton Utah Temple, Orem Utah Temple, Red Cliffs Utah Temple, Saratoga Springs Utah Temple, Syracuse Utah Temple, Taylorsville Utah Temple and Tooele Valley Utah Temple.
Greater Guatemala City, Guatemala
This will be the fourth announced temple in Guatemala. The country is home to more than 280,000 Latter-day Saints in approximately 440 congregations. The first missionaries began preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ in 1947. A year later, the first official Church meeting occurred in a rented building with 66 individuals in attendance. The other temples announced or in operation include the Cobán Guatemala Temple, the Guatemala City Guatemala Temple and the Quetzaltenango Guatemala Temple.
São Paulo East, Brazil
The São Paulo East temple is the 12th temple announced in Brazil, which is home to approximately 1.5 million Latter-day Saints spread throughout some 2,100 congregations. There are 35 missions of the Church in Brazil, second-most to the U.S. The first known member of the Church to live in Brazil emigrated from Germany in 1913. In 1986, Brazil became the third country outside the United States to have 50 organized stakes (similar in size to a diocese). The temple in São Paulo will be the second in the city. Other temples in Brazil are Belém, Brasília, Campinas, Curitiba, Fortaleza, Manaus, Porto Alegre, Recife, Rio de Janeiro, Salvador and São Paulo.
Santa Cruz, Bolivia
This will be the second temple in Bolivia, a country home to more than 200,000 Latter-day Saints spread throughout 270 congregations. With a population of more than 3 million, Santa Cruz is one of the largest cities in the country and is located on the Pirai River in the eastern Tropical Lowlands. The Cochabamba Bolivia Temple was the first to be built in the country.
