736 Orem and Bangkok and Fort Worth Oh MY The Cultural Hall

Temple Dedication 

Bangkok Thailand Temple – #185

Dedicated on October 22nd by Ronald Rasband

Used to make business trips to Thailand as an executive for Huntsman Chemical.

First Temple in Southeast Asia, Rasband paid tribute to 

President Hinckley, who in 2000 foretold of a temple; 

President Thomas S. Monson, who officially announced the temple in 2015; 

President Russell M. Nelson, who toured the temple site five years ago

Brigham Young Sent Missionaries to “Siam” in 1852

only one made it, stayed a few months, and left not able to break the language barrier.

English congregation in the 1950s, missionaries assigned in 1968. 

Temple district spans from Vietnam to Pakistan and from Nepal to Indonesia

13 stakes, 22 districts 

Dinner meeting with leaders from 11 countries before the dedication. 

Temples planned for India, Cambodia, Singapore, and Indonesia 

Temple Open House begins 

Orem Utah Temple

Media Day on October 23rd

Reyna Aburto, Orem Resident and member of the open house committee. 

Emphasis on Utah Valley University Students

Interior Photos released

The Williamson Family from Norway farmed the property from 1864 to 2004.

Baptismal font and windows are themed after Utah Lake with cattails and birds.

Marble wainscoting and coffered ceilings

Cherry Trees: everything everywhere all at once, Stained glass and blossoms in flooring, carpets, walls, chandeliers, furniture, throughout the temple

Cherry Colors: Reds and greens, with light-brown and pink accents

Open House through December 16th, except Sundays and Thanksgiving

Paves the Way for the Provo Temple to be demolished and rebuilt starting February 24th. 

Temple Groundbreaking 

Fort Worth Texas Temple in Burleson Texas

Presided by Jose L. Alonzo

Held in a nearby chapel due to rain. A group went to the site to turn the shovels. 

83,000 members in the DFW in 214 congregations

2nd of 3 temples planned for the metroplex (Dallas/Prosper).

Temple Sites revealed 

Vienna Austria Temple

0.8 acre site in northwest Vienna at the site of a meetinghouse

Meetinghouse for the Döbling (English) Ward

Multi-story temple of 15,300 sq. ft. 

Is the meetinghouse being demolished?

Harrisburg Pennsylvania Temple

5 Acre Site in eastern Harrisburg 

Around the corner from the Harrisburg Stake Center (Harrisburg and Hershey) on Rutherford Road

Across from Central Dauphin East High School and adjacent to the Woodlawn Memorial Gardens

Single-story temple of 20,000 sq. ft.  

Winchester Virginia

11 acre site in western Winchester on Merrimans Lane 

Next to John Kerr Elementary and across from the Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church

Single-story temple of 30,000 sq. ft. 

Temple Dedication Announced

Red Cliffs Utah Temple

Open House: January 30 – March 2, 2023

Dedication: March 24, 2023 by Henry Eyring 

Temple Groundbreaking Announced 

Kaohsiung Taiwan Temple

November 25, 2023

Presiding: Elder Benjamin M.Z. Tai, Asia Area President

First Meetinghouse in the city of London

Church purchased Alder Castle in 2019 under the investment group “Convent Garden” for £100 million.

Office building built in the middle of ruins of a Roman fort and city wall, down the street from St. Paul’s Cathedral. 

Convent Garden also purchased an Amazon Warehoused

Lloyds Bank will terminate its lease and the space in the building will be converted to a church meetinghouse opening February or March 2024. 

Speculation that the building could house a Central London Temple, as the temple in Crawley is far from the city center.

Construction Progress

Heber Valley Utah Temple

Wasatch County recommends approval

6 hour meeting of the Planning Commission

Stipulations about measuring light levels over many years

People gathered outside and sang “I Love to See the Temple”

Cody Wyoming 

Details of the Lawsuites come out

Alleged that the city planner misled the planning commission while working behind the scenes with local church leaders. 

Mailbag 

With so many temples are being announced (153 Nelson Temples); a large backlog is building.

36% are under construction or dedicated, 27% have announced sites, 37% no public progress.

With so many announcements, it feels like many won’t even be built. 

Typical Announcement to groundbreaking is 1-3 years 

A few shorter (3 months – Helena), some longer (8 years – Urdaneta)

Current Nelson Temples with slow progress

Russia – 5.5 years

In April 2021, the name of the temple was briefly changed to “Russia Administration Building” and “Classified.”

The pandemic and war in Ukraine have dramatically changed the church in Russia 

Reported membership: 

2017: 23,000

2022: 5,000

Cagayan de Oro Philippines – 5.5 years

Lagos Nigeria – 5 years (site announced)

Budapest Hungary – 4.5 years (site announced)

Benin City Nigeria – 3.5 years (site announced)

Shanghai – 3.5 years 

Dubai UAE – 3.5 years (general area announced)

Longest time from Announcement to Groundbreaking:

Kiev Ukraine: almost 9 years (1998-2007)

Bogotá Colombia: 9 years (1984-1993)

Guayaquil Ecuador:  14 years (1982-1996)

Los Angeles: 14.5 years (1937-1951) – Delayed by War

Temples that have had announcements withdrawn or abandoned 

Independance, Far West, Adam Ondi-Ahmen – 1830s

Abandoned efforts due to leaving Missouri. 

Samoa Temple – 1977

The Temple in American Samoa was replaced by 3 temples (Samoa, Tonga, Tahiti) in 1980

New Temples announced in Pago Pago in 2019

Hartford Connecticut Temple – 1992

Announcement withdrawn in 1995 to build two temples (Boston and White Plains)

Harrison New York Temple (White Plains)

Community opposition and Law suites slowed progress

Temple approved in April 2002

Temple Announced for Manhattan in 2002

Efforts to built were quietly halted in 2006

Sometimes temple sites change: 

Tegucigalpa Honduras 

Tooele (Erda) Utah

Southwest Salt Lake Valley 

Not an officially announced temple

When President Hinckley announced a temple in Daybreak (Oquirrh Mountain), he mentioned that the church had had an additional temple site in the southwest of the valley.

Probably the site next to the meetinghouse on Juniper Crest Road in Herriman. 

Temple announcements come in the form of “Announce our plans to build,” not a temple shall be built. 

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