Indonesian Youth Find ‘Spiritual Home’ at Bangkok Thailand Temple

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Michael Florencio Imanuello, a young man in the Jakarta Indonesia Stake, said he always thought he would have to wait until his mission to attend the temple for the first time.

So when two stakes, a district and two branches in Indonesia announced they would be taking a combined youth trip to the Bangkok Thailand Temple in December 2025, “it felt like an early Christmas present,” Michael said.

Although a temple for Jakarta was announced at the April 2023 general conference, Church members in Indonesia currently belong to the Bangkok Thailand Temple district, as construction on the Jakarta Indonesia Temple has yet to begin.

Indonesian-youth-temple
Youth from Indonesia pose for a photo outside the Bangkok Thailand Temple while visiting the grounds December 17-18, 2025. Photo provided by Juswan Tandiman, courtesy of Church News. All rights reserved.

Like Michael, many youth were excited about the chance to attend a temple.

“This opportunity felt very precious, knowing that the temple in Indonesia was still in the building process,” said Joshua Addson Kurniawan. “The announcement encouraged me to truly prepare myself spiritually so I could join the temple trip with respect and with a heart that was ready.”

On December 16, 55 youth and three chaperone couples traveled nearly 1,450 miles from Jakarta to Bangkok to spend three days at the temple site.

A Whirlwind of Preparations

Besides spiritual preparation, there was much to be done logistically before the trip could happen.

Leaders arranging the temple trip had only five weeks to book flights and hotels, collect permission from parents of youth, and ensure youth had current passports and temple recommends.

Those five weeks were a flurry of preparations, but everything fell into place through various miracles, said Elder Juswan Tandiman, an Area Seventy in the Church’s Asia Area.

Elder Tandiman said this experience taught him that “the rising generation’s future is truly important to [Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ].”

Participating in Sacred Ordinances

The group spent three days at the temple site — mainly in the temple annex building — enjoying gospel study classes, a tour of the Bangkok Missionary Training Center, family history workshops and a devotional from Elder Benjamin M.Z. Tai, a General Authority Seventy and President of the Church’s Asia Area.

The purpose of the trip was to give youth a chance to perform proxy baptisms, Elder Tandiman said. The group was able to the evening of Wednesday, December 17.

After spending time in the temple, youth described the house of the Lord as a “spiritual home” and a “sacred spiritual shelter.”

“Being in the temple gave a deep feeling of peace and serenity,” Joshua said. “The holy environment helped me to focus my mind and heart to Jesus Christ as a Savior and main example in life.”

Participating in temple ordinances also helped Saretta Putri Asyani gain a fuller understanding of Christ’s role as the Savior.

“Seeing how the ordinances bridge the gap between this life and the next showed me how Christ’s grace is truly universal,” she said. “I realized that He provides a way for every soul to be redeemed, showing how personal and merciful His love really is.”

The group had too many individuals for the temple baptistry to accommodate at once, so the youth performed baptisms in three groups. While waiting for their turns, youth recorded their testimonies and added photos and stories to the FamilySearch Memories app.

Saretta said the temple trip strengthened her connection to family history.

“Especially when I entered the baptistry, I felt as if my ancestors were standing beside the font, smiling at me, showing their pride and joy that their names were being brought there,” she said. “I no longer see names on a piece of paper as just data, but as real people who are waiting for me.”