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Mormon leader announces five new temples will be built around the world

Mormon church president Thomas Monson on Saturday announced plans to build five new temples in Fortaleza, Brazil; Concepcion, Chile; Sapporo, Japan; Brigham City, Utah; and Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

The temple in Concepcion will be the second in Chile and the 15th in Latin America. In Brazil, where the church has more than 1 million members, the Fortaleza temple will be the country’s seventh.

Japan’s Sapporo temple will be the third in that country and the sixth in Asia.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints already has 130 temples worldwide, most in the US. Another 16 are either planned or already under construction.

Monson has announced plans for at least 10 new temples since he became the church’s 16th president in February last year. His announcement came during the opening session of the church’s two-day semiannual general conference in Salt Lake City.

The locations selected for new temples reflect the growth of the church, which according to statistics released in April has grown to 13.8 million members.

“We desire that as many members as possible have an opportunity to attend the temple without having to travel inordinate distances,” Monson said. “Worldwide, 83 percent of our members live within 200 miles of a temple.”

Temples are used for religious rituals including proxy baptisms, marriage ceremonies known as sealings and other ceremonies designed to strengthen church teachings.

Architecturally, temples are towering white buildings with tall steeples. Many are topped with a trumpet-blowing golden angel draped in flowing robes. The figure represents the angel Moroni, who Mormons believe led church founder Joseph Smith to a set of buried golden plates that, when translated, became known as the Book of Mormon, the faith’s central text.

The Brigham City temple will be the 14th in Utah, the church’s international home base. The Fort Lauderdale temple will be Florida’s second and the first since the Orlando temple opened in 1994. That temple is expected to serve US Mormons as well as those from the Bahamas, a church news release said.

The two-day general conference draws an international audience.
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