The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has a plan to return to normal operating procedures now that COVID-19 infections are on the decline.
Since the LDS Church suspended church gatherings last March, the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles started a ‘phased’ approach to resume operations.
The Church distribution retail stores, Deseret Book and Deseret Industries, reopened last fall.
The LDS Church reassigned most missionaries to missions in their home countries and sent small numbers of missionaries back to Europe and Asia. Weekly church meetings and activities are in full swing since the First Presidency authorized a phased return last May.
Sean Olsen, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints said that he is grateful for the approach the Church has taken.
“I feel like the Church has done a really good job with the adjustment moving things online.”
The LDS temples represent the most important aspect of these four phased re-openings:
- Phase one allows living husbands and wives to be sealed by appointment
- Phase two allows all living ordinances with restrictions
- Phase three allows all ordinances with restrictions
- Phase four is considered ‘regular temple operation’
Another member of the Church, Sam Drumeller, said that he and his wife are not sealed because of COVID-19.
With most of his family at high risk, Drumeller probably won’t get sealed any time soon. He is, however, excited about things going back to normal once the temples open up.
“It changes things for me and my wife. We can go and we can do sessions. We can do all things we normally did.”
There are 12 temples under phase one, 124 temples under phase two, 14 temples under phase three and zero temples under phase four at the moment.
The Cardston Alberta temple, Kona Hawaii temple, Laie Hawaii temple, Papeete Tahiti temple, and San Salvador El Salvador temple will move to phase three on March 15th.
Check newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org to see which phase your local temple is in.
