News Release

News for Temples in Five Nations

Bangkok Thailand Temple dedication dates announced, along with three groundbreakings

The First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has released the open house and dedication dates for the Bangkok Thailand Temple. In addition, groundbreaking dates for the Belo Horizonte Brazil Temple, Port Moresby Papua New Guinea Temple and Port Vila Vanuatu Temple have been announced. A rendering of the Cody Wyoming Temple has also been released.

Bangkok Thailand Temple Open House and Dedication

The public open house will begin on Friday, September 1, and continue through Saturday, September 16, excluding Sundays. Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles will dedicate the Bangkok Thailand Temple on Sunday, October 22, in two sessions, 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.

Before the public open house, a media day will be held on Monday, August 28. Invited guests will also tour the Bangkok Thailand Temple from Tuesday, August 29, through Thursday, August 31.

The dedicatory sessions will be broadcast to all units in the Bangkok Thailand Temple district. Additional details regarding the temple dedication will be announced locally as the event approaches.

Former Church President Thomas S. Monson first announced the Bangkok Thailand Temple in April 2015. Construction began in January 2019 with a groundbreaking ceremony.

The first Latter-day Saint missionary arrived in Thailand in 1854, but missionary work did not begin in earnest until the 1960s. The first meetinghouse was dedicated in 1974. Today, Thailand is home to more than 23,000 Latter-day Saints in about 40 congregations. This will be the first temple in the country.

Belo Horizonte Brazil Temple Groundbreaking

Ground will be broken for the Belo Horizonte Brazil Temple on Saturday, June 17, 2023. Elder Juan A. Uceda, second counselor in the Brazil Area Presidency, will conduct the ceremony.

The Belo Horizonte Brazil Temple will be built on an 11.9-acre site located at Rua Professor José Vieira de Mendonça, 1485 - Engenho Nogueira, Belo Horizonte. Plans call for a single-story temple of approximately 26,884 square feet. Church President Russell M. Nelson first announced this house of the Lord in April 2021.

There are nearly 1.5 million Latter-day Saints in Brazil in more than 2,100 congregations. Missionary work began in Brazil in 1928. Including the temple in Belo Horizonte, there are 18 houses of the Lord in Brazil, with dedicated temples located in Belém, Campinas, Curitiba, Fortaleza, Manaus, Porto Alegre, Recife, Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo; two under construction in Brasília and Salvador; and others announced in Londrina, Maceió, Ribeirão Prêto, Santos, São Paulo East and Vitória.

Port Moresby Papua New Guinea Temple Groundbreaking

Groundbreaking services will be held on Saturday, April 22, 2023. Elder Peter F. Meurs, General Authority Seventy and first counselor in the Pacific Area Presidency, will preside at the event.

Port-Moresby-Papua-New-Guinea-Temple
Port-Moresby-Papua-New-Guinea-Temple
An artist's rendering of the Port Moresby Papua New Guinea Temple.© 2023 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.
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The Port Moresby Papua New Guinea Temple was first announced by President Nelson in October 2019. This will be the first house of the Lord in the country. Currently, the closest temple to the more than 35,000 Latter-day Saints who call Papua New Guinea home is the Brisbane Australia Temple, located about 1,300 miles away.

New Groundbreaking Date for Port Vila Vanuatu Temple Announced

Vanuatu-Temple-Rendering
Vanuatu-Temple-Rendering
Exterior rendering of the Port Vila Vanuatu Temple.© 2021 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Ground will now be broken for this temple on April 8, 2023. Previously, the groundbreaking was scheduled for March 4, but was postponed due to the impact of Cyclones Judy and Kevin.

Attendance at each groundbreaking site will be by invitation only. Additional details will be released as the date of each groundbreaking approaches.

Rendering of Cody Wyoming Temple Released

Cody Wyoming Temple
Cody Wyoming Temple
An artist's rendering of the Cody Wyoming Temple.© 2023 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.
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An artist's rendering of the Cody Wyoming Temple has been released. The location of this house of the Lord was announced just two weeks ago

In temples, faithful members of the Church of Jesus Christ participate in sacred religious ceremonies that unite families forever and encourage them to live virtuous lives and follow Jesus Christ. Latter-day Saints perform these ceremonies for themselves and on behalf of deceased ancestors who were unable to participate while living.

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