Church announces locations for new temples in Mexico and Philippines

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has announced the locations for two new temples in Mexico and the Philippines. The Culiacán Mexico Temple will be situated on a 5-acre site off Avenida Milenium in Colonia Country Tres Rios, with plans for a one-story building of approximately 10,000 square feet. This temple will include an adjacent patron housing facility. Church President Russell M. Nelson had previously announced this temple during the October 2021 general conference, emphasizing the importance of temple service and worship.

The Culiacán Mexico Temple will become the 26th temple in Mexico, joining others located in cities such as Ciudad Juárez, Guadalajara, and Monterrey. There are also several temples under construction or announced across the country. The church's presence in Mexico dates back to missionary work that began in 1875 and now includes over 1.5 million members across nearly 1,900 congregations.

In Tuguegarao City, Philippines, a new temple will be constructed on a 6.3-acre site south of Enrile Avenue. The planned single-story structure will cover approximately 18,850 square feet and include patron housing and a distribution center. An exterior rendering has been released for this project as well.

President Nelson announced the Tuguegarao City Philippines Temple during the April 2023 general conference, highlighting its significance as "His holy house." This temple will be the country's 13th Latter-day Saint temple amid rapid church growth since missionary work began there in 1961.

Additionally, groundbreaking services for another new temple—the Lethbridge Alberta Temple—are scheduled for April 26, 2025. Elder Randall K. Bennett will preside over this event at a more than nine-acre site at Whoop Up Drive West and Mauretania Road West in Lethbridge, Alberta. Plans call for a multistory building covering about 45,000 square feet with an accompanying distribution center.

President Nelson also announced this Canadian temple during the April 2023 general conference. It is part of ongoing efforts to expand church facilities across Canada where there are currently ten other temples either operating or planned.

Temples hold significant religious value for Latter-day Saints who visit them to feel God's love and peace while learning about His plan through sacred ordinances that unite families eternally.