By Rosemary Johnson
rosemary@newsroom.byu.edu
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has officially announced seven more temple dedications and open houses this spring.
These seven temples are located on four continents, North America, South America, Asia and Australia, with three of the temples located in the South Pacific.
President of the church, Gordon B. Hinckley has expressed a strong desire to make the church's temples more accessible to its growing membership who otherwise would have to travel great distances to attend a temple.
'We are constructing temples on a scale never before dreamed of to carry forward this work to its destined conclusion,' Hinckley said.
LDS spokeswoman Kim Farah confirmed official dates for the upcoming dedications: Nashville, Tennessee, May 21; San Jose, Costa Rica, June 4; Montreal, Quebec, June 4; Fukuoka, Japan, June 11; Melbourne, Australia, June 16; Adelaide Australia, June 15; Suva Fiji, June 7.
The seven new announcements bring the official total of temple dedications this year to 21. This year alone 36 new temples will be dedicated.
With the seven newly announced temples, the LDS church will have 91 temples in operation by June 19th.