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Groundbreaking ceremonies have been announced for new temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Michigan and Colombia, while an artistic rendering has been released for a temple in the Philippines.
The Grand Rapids Michigan Temple had its groundbreaking ceremony on December 7, 2024. Elder Mathias Held, First Counselor in the North America Northeast Area, led the event. In his dedicatory prayer, Elder Held expressed hope that the temple site would inspire holiness among Latter-day Saints. He prayed, “We petition Thee, Father, to hallow and protect this temple site.”
Eden McIntyre from the Holland Michigan Stake shared her experiences at the ceremony. She spoke about how attending the temple regularly brought her closer to her faith. "In no place here in mortality will we ever be closer to our Savior than in the temple," she said.
David C. Wadsworth, patriarch of the Grand Rapids Michigan Stake, also highlighted the spiritual significance of temple worship. “There are magnificent architectural wonders in the world... but in the temple, I feel His presence as nowhere else,” he stated.
The Grand Rapids Michigan Temple will be built on a 10.5-acre site at 2400 Forest Hill Avenue SE and will cover approximately 20,000 square feet. It was announced by Church President Russell M. Nelson during October 2022's general conference and will be Michigan's second temple.
In Colombia, a groundbreaking ceremony for the Cali Colombia Temple is scheduled for March 1, 2025. Elder Jorge T. Becerra will preside over this invitation-only event. The Cali Temple will occupy a 3.14-acre site on La Flora and span roughly 9,500 square feet.
President Nelson had announced this temple during April 2021's general conference with advice to keep "temple covenants and blessings foremost" in mind.
Colombia currently hosts three other temples: Bogotá, Barranquilla, and Medellín. The country was dedicated for gospel preaching by Elder Spencer W. Kimball in May 1966.
Additionally, an artistic rendering has been unveiled for Tacloban City Philippines Temple's exterior ahead of its groundbreaking on January 18, 2025.
Latter-day Saints use temples to connect with their faith through sacred ordinances aimed at uniting families across generations.
