Elder Neil L. Andersen Dedicates the Farmington New Mexico Temple

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About 50 miles east of where four US states intersect, the Farmington New Mexico Temple stands as a new monument intersecting heaven and earth.

“This sacred house of the Lord testifies more than any other place of the immortality of the soul and that life continues beyond the veil,” said Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, who dedicated the temple on Sunday, August 17.

Jesus Christ is the “wonderful link” that binds families together eternally, said the Apostle. “Only through the incomparable gift of the Savior do we have power to bind in heaven what is bound on earth.”

Elder Andersen added, “Every ordinance in this holy house turns our hearts toward our Savior, Jesus Christ, and His atoning gift, and what that gift means for eternal marriage, our family and our posterity.”

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Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and his wife, Kathy, greet Latter-day Saints waiting in line for the dedication of the Farmington New Mexico Temple on Sunday, August 17, 2025.

In his dedicatory prayer on the Farmington temple, Elder Andersen said: “Let this, Thy house, be a sanctuary of peace, a refuge from the distractions of the world. We pray that here in this holy temple the incomparable value of each individual, each son or daughter of God, will be counted greater than all the treasures of the world, allowing the goodness of each disciple to shine in splendor beyond any consideration of cultural identity, personal prosperity or worldly notoriety.”

Preparing for the Savior’s Return

“We all know that evil is increasing in the world around us,” said Elder Andersen. “Spiritual dangers can pull us from our spiritual moorings.”

Yet, “amid this world in commotion, the Lord has said that He will prepare a righteous people.” Those who consecrate their lives to Him by attending His house, he said, “will receive the blessings and the power to become the person you desire to become.”

Elder Andersen referenced the blessings that President Russell M. Nelson promised from attending the temple, which include help to prepare for the Second Coming of the Lord.

“Nothing will help you more to hold fast to the iron rod than worshipping in the temple as regularly as your circumstances permit,” the Prophet said in April 2024 general conference.

Elder Andersen testified that “in this holy house, we will make ourselves ready” for the Lord to return. “As you have faith in Him and do your very best, He will lift you from your burdens, your difficulties and your weaknesses and prepare you for His return and the eternal life that awaits you.”

Accompanying Elder Andersen at the dedication were his wife, Kathy; Elder José L. Alonso, a General Authority Seventy and President of the Church’s United States Southwest Area, and his wife, Rebeca; Elder Steven R. Bangerter, a General Authority Seventy and Executive Director of the Temple Department, and his wife, Susan; and Presiding Bishop Gérald Caussé and his wife, Valérie.

After arriving at the site, Elder Andersen shook hands with Latter-day Saints and expressed his love for them and his appreciation for their attendance.

“I love these people. They have been dedicated and devoted,” he said of Farmington Latter-day Saints. “It is an unbelievable blessing to think that here in the beauty of the desert, suddenly you see this sacred house of the Lord.”

Angie McDaniel — of the Rio Vista Branch (Spanish), Bloomfield New Mexico Stake — has seen enthusiasm for the temple throughout her entire community, member and nonmember alike.

Attending the temple as a branch has been difficult in the past, said McDaniel. “Going to Albuquerque was difficult and expensive. It was especially difficult to drive new members to baptisms or to support those who were doing so for the first time. Having a temple here allows us to attend whenever we want without worrying about money.”

The new temple in Farmington is the Church’s 208th temple in operation. It was the fifth temple Elder Andersen dedicated and the first he has dedicated in North America.